They love a good murder mystery, even in a galaxy far, far away. However, there are some hiccups along the road, The Acolyte fashions Star Wars in the vein of a crime drama.
The TV series that have defined the Star Wars timeline in recent years have naturally caused fans to hold differing opinions. The Acolyte is expected to be no different, departing in some aspects from the franchise standard. With a format more akin to Murder, She Wrote or Columbo, but with more lightsabers, the show also has a wide cast of entirely new characters and an original fighting style known as “Force-fu.”
For seasoned Star Wars enthusiasts, this will be a departure—there’s no other way to put it. Suppose the core elements of the franchise are compared to a polished Broadway show that has been performing for decades. In that case, The Acolyte is the more experimental sister of that show, experimenting with strange concepts in a fringe theater you’ve never heard of. This is not to argue that things have changed negatively; on the contrary, there will be significant benefits to moving with the flow.
Though there is a great mystery surrounding our new Star Wars characters, The Acolyte’s complex worldbuilding can sometimes be its undoing. Some storylines may fall behind as creator Leslye Headland takes her sweet time getting to the goal, meandering past planets you’ve seen before to deliver a novel and unconventional plot. You will, however, quickly get enthralled with the entire picture, which makes it well worth your time to persevere.
An original criminal scenario for you to witness
The Acolyte is the first live-action project in the chronology, taking place in 132 BBY. A group of Jedi Masters are being slain one by one, and Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-Jae) is left to investigate. Mae (Amandla Stenberg), who seems to be acting alone, is the trail’s endpoint, but a larger mystery than anyone could have predicted is revealed by looking at her past and present.
The program excels in accessibility, demonstrating that even the most intricate lore may have a point of entry that makes sense to a larger audience. Even if The Acolyte loses all of its Star Wars references, there is still something instantly recognizable because of its transition into a murder mystery, a genre that we are all familiar with. It makes Star Wars even more valuable and serves as a stern warning to other massively successful film and television properties.
Such a thorough narrative makes for a fun viewing. Fans will probably still be delving into the minute elements of an episode days after it airs, solving puzzles like Sherlock Holmes. Even though The Acolyte makes logic, the narrative takes some unexpected and risky turns, making it an engaging watch. The cinematography, which delivers the level of detail we’ve grown accustomed to since 1977, gives Star Wars justice, as we would expect.
The Acolyte’s cast performances are just as good; it’s obvious that every rookie is excited to be holding a lightsaber of their own. This is especially true of Lee Jung-Jae, whose poignant screenplay makes it seem impossible that he studied English, especially for the part. Amandla Stenberg skillfully treads the border between good and evil, and the show’s own lore is further developed by Jodie Turner-Smith’s portrayal of Mother Anseiya.
It’s obvious that certain episodes are stronger than others.
Star Wars is seldom ever a flawless series, so there had to be some hiccups along the way with The Acolyte. A series should always have high points and low points, but the program frequently goes too far with this, resulting in worse episodes than others. Since the show develops slowly, viewers will have to endure thoughtful world-building before they can enjoy the juicy parts.
There are eight segments of The Acolyte, yet some of the episodes are repetitive. Entire episodes are devoted to scenes that could (and perhaps should) be concluded in a matter of minutes, without the dramatic intensity required for a galactic search for the unknown. A criminal drama needs to be concise and raise the stakes continuously, which is something the series doesn’t always remember to accomplish.
Episode 3 is one of the best Star Wars films to date, whereas Episode 4 draws criticism for its aimless meandering. The Acolyte neatly wraps up loose ends at the appropriate moments without going into the spoiler zone and introduces a new way of living that drastically alters our impressions of people we already know. The decision to introduce so much explanation so early in the series was a wise one, and because of the Jedi Order’s continual back and forth, viewers will never truly be able to determine who is good and who is bad.
Acolyte review rating: 4 out of 5.
Leslye Headland, the showrunner, stated that she aimed to create a completely new Star Wars experience with The Acolyte, and she has succeeded in doing so. A brand that has previously found it difficult to maintain fan interest is back with a bang, forcing everyone to approach it with new eyes. It boasts a dedicated cast and an engaging central plot.
The Acolyte provides us a cause to fall in love with Star Wars all over again, even though the pacing and gambles don’t always pay out. It’s really exciting stuff, and yes, Force-fu is just as wonderful as you would think.
