Star Wars Visions Volume 2 Review

 

Volume 2 of Visions arrived on Disney+ on May the Fourth, I loved season one and was so excited for more that I binged all nine at 8am on the day. It’s fantastic that the anthology series has been opened up to an animation studios from around the world and to filter Star Wars through different cultures and animation styles. I really recommend watching the filmmaker focuses afterwards as you learn more about the story ideas and designs and how they link back to both Star Wars and the creator’s cultures.

Sith (El Guiri Studios 🇪🇸)

This was an interesting story that took a couple of watches for me to connect with which is surprising as art features prominently. Primarily it was the art style that threw me, as it kind of looked unfinished to me, it also reminded me of Into the SpiderVerse (which I love) and Arcane (which I didn’t love). The painterly style has grown on me and the idea of a former Sith who accepts the light and dark inside of her, and there were some great design concepts like the cycle speeder and the droid E2. I still don’t like the faces though, they look very early 00’s video game to me.

🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑/5

Screecher’s Reach (Cartoon Saloon 🇮🇪)

The art style of Screechers Reach immediately felt more familiar and very european, 2D and illustrative with beautiful watercolour backgrounds. The tone and story also felt familiar to me with Irish and British Isles folklore which really set it apart from the all Japanese nature of Volume One. This was the second story in a row with a very dark tone, with young girl Daal unknowingly seduced by a darkside user with the lure of a new life, away from the hard one she has, it is truly heartbreaking as she leaves her friends behind. It also made me want to watch Cartoon Saloon’s Oscar & Bafta nominated Wolfwalkers movie.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑/5

In The Stars (Punkrobot 🇨🇱)

I loved the Stop motion inspired CGI animation of In The Stars straight away, a familiar story of the Empire having ravaged a planet for it’s resources, two sisters struggle to survive and keep the memory of their mother alive. It is a dark but this time hope springs eternal, the character designs and environments felt so unique and real, gritty and polluted with an underlying beauty. The big sister, Koten, reminded me a lot of Enfys Nest in her appearance and especially with her staff weapon, I really would love to see more in this world.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗/5

I Am Your Mother (Aardman 🇬🇧)

This was probably my most anticipated short ahead of time, as a Brit Aardman is a stop motion institution that we grew up with throughout the 80’s, 90’s and beyond. And I’m happy to say I Am Your Mother did not disappoint. A simple story about that awkward time when we’re all embarrassed by our parents, wrapped up in the Star Wars trope of a race. Vibrant, colorful, funny and plain silly, Wedge Antilles even pops up voiced by Denis Lawson as well as the familiar voices of Maxine Peake and Daisy Haggard, not to mention Z-1 the slinky dog astromech droid!

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘

Journey to the Dark Head (Studio Mir 🇰🇷)

Journey to the Dark Head has a more classic anime style which along with the tone really reminded me of Ulysses 31 (for those old enough to remember). The story is set during a time of a great Sith/Jedi war, with a group of force sensitives who read prophesies but do not get involved or act upon them. One of these prophets, a young woman named Ara believes they should act, she approaches the Jedi Council and goes on a journey with Toul, a padawan tormented by his master’s death at the hands of a Sith. This is probably the most complex and ‘traditional’ Star Wars story, that really gave me Jedi: Fallen Order & Survivor vibes and I think this will be the Ninth Jedi of Volume 2 with people wanting a full series of it. Like ‘Sith’ it deals with the duality of the light and dark, and both of the main characters learn important lessons, but I think this didn’t quite hit the heights of others for me because it didn’t get me emotionally.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑/5

The Spy Dancer (Studio La Cachette 🇫🇷)

Set during the time of the Imperial occupation in a cabaret style club, the story invokes the French resistance, as the owner and lead performer Loi’e spies on the Empire. But when she see’s an old foe who stole her son when the Empire first arrived she cannot hide any longer. This short film relies purely on rebels and imperials with no sign of the force which makes it stand apart from most of the episodes in Visions Volume 2, and while the family theme is common in the anthology, The Spy Dancer really hits hard with twists and emotional impact and is one of my favorite two installments this time around.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕/5

The Bandits of Golak (88 Pictures 🇮🇳)

This 3D animation felt very similar to The Clone Wars & Bad Batch in its style, with the added colour and vibrancy of Indian culture. This was a slow burner for me, and it wasn’t until it was over that I realized how much I had enjoyed it. The story focuses on a Charuk and his younger sister Rani as Charuk tries to get his force sensitive sibling to a safe haven, as they travel by train which definitely evokes the partition and their relationship felt so real. I loved how many aliens there were in this world, and the use of Indian music really added to the flavour of this unexpected gem. I also loved the inclusion of Rugal, an old lady Jedi - not something we have really seen on screen in Star Wars, and I thought the idea of a hidden door below a pool of water was genius.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗/5

The Pit (Lucasfilm Ltd 🇺🇸 & D’Art Shtajio 🇯🇵)

Here we have a story of Imperial slaves digging for Kyber crystals, as the dig the pit further down, the bigger the city built on the profits grows - it feels like a pretty political theme - and when the pit is exhausted the Imperials simply leave the slaves stranded at the bottom, it’s very dark! But it is also hopeful and says that ordinary people are basically good and we should trust in our fellow humans. I did feel the animation style felt pretty old school and basic compared to others, it’s a decent story but after previous episodes it suffers.

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑/5

Aau’s Song (Triggerfish 🇿🇦)

Firstly absolutely loved the style of this film, computer animation that had a unique style but looks like real objects, and the characters look as if they have been made by needle felting. Then the story is an amazing concept, Korba is a planet rich in Kyber but long ago corrupted by the Sith, the natives mine it for the Jedi who then restore the crystals to the light, a young girl -  - whose father is a miner discovers that she has a connection to the Kyber and her voice has a special power. So many of this season’s stories have been about young people coming of age, but for me Aau’s Song does it with particular beauty. The look and soul of this short film feels so special and it is wonderful to have an African voice in the galaxy, far, far away.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕/5

I really hope we get another Art of Visions book for this Volume, and perhaps more complementary books or comics. For me Visions has been one of the more exciting, and refreshing things in Star Wars in the last couple of years (along with the High Republic)l and I hope it continues. I would love to see these filmmakers given bigger projects like movies or series to work on, or the likes of  Guillermo Del Toro or Studio Ghibli invited in.

Jonny O

If you liked this then check out;

Visions Vol 1 Review.              Star Wars Celebration 2023.              Convergence Review