Star Wars: Ahsoka [Disney+]

pixelburp · 26-08-2023 8:05pm

Watched the first episode and it was fine; knowing nothing of the various characters it was obvious there was a heap of backstory going on beyond what was said - but it didn't get in the way either. The episode did enough to be at least vaguely entry level for total newbs and conveyed decent postage stamp summaries of who these people were to each other. The "Ezra" stuff left me more confused than anything, but the rest was fine.

The big negative for me was the feel of the thing. I did not like Filoni's directing though; not every writer is Tony Gilroy and can make the transition. You could tell he was trying for an epic look but it just felt too flat; while some moments really, really dragged with the cinematic equivalent of "dead air" in places; I think there were a dozen scenes stretched across 55 minutes.

It's funny cos for me anyway, IMO etc, these Disney Star Wars shows really need more cinematic heads helming these things.

EltonJohn69 · 27-08-2023 9:16am

Some good elements, mainly the bad guys. Ashoka as a character is very dull, her fight scenes are unconvincing and the green screen kind of makes the show feel sterile. I will still watch all of it and pay for Disney plus.

pixelburp · 27-08-2023 12:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121032703#Comment_121032703

"Sterile" is the exact right word, thank you. I know Andor is the gold standard and a bit tedious to invoke at this stage, but you got a sense of place and tangibility these other shows just can't create. It probably helps in using real sets and locations, directed and helmed by an Oscar winning director but still; there's a sheen to these other shows, something that gives them a bad sense of place.

Or then there's stupid details that make my brain angry, like the Mon Calamari wearing a guard's uniform clearly designed for a human. The goofy head wearing the bucket helmet robbed the first scene of its gravitas for me. I think there's a good reason Andor was by and large, human only.

EltonJohn69 · 27-08-2023 5:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121033436#Comment_121033436

The dock yard look particularly fake, bland and seemed to be regurgitating previous Star Wars. I would love something more visceral…. Some real locations

https://youtu.be/z7RO0LbXE4U?si=VTA3tU_HuN5kq2Ny

i always wanted to see a more grounded dirty Star Wars….

Tony EH · 28-08-2023 3:38pm

So far, nothing spectacular, and it's rather on the dull side. Not slow moving, but a little dull. But I say this as someone who never liked 'The Clone Wars' or the 'Rebels' cartoons. Plus, I've never been that enthused about Ahsoka either. But whatsherface is doing an ok job at being, yet another, terribly stoic Jedi. They're so, so, boring though.

Visually, it looks pretty great over all. So no complaints there. However, it comes off as just another generic Sci-Fi TV show. Absolutely none of it feels like Star Wars. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Plus, Disney really have to stop with all the non-fatal lightsaber shenanigans. It's just dumb at this stage and it serves no purpose whatsoever. Especially when the victim is up and running about like a blue arsed fly the very next day. 🙄

CastorTroy · 28-08-2023 6:49pm

I always thought being shot by lasers or being stabbed by a lightsaber would be less fatal than a real gun or sword, which people also survive. With those they would bleed to death while lasers and lightsabers would cauterise the wound so no bleeding out.

Slydice · 28-08-2023 10:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039833#Comment_121039833

Something like the non-vitals I would guess would be ok... well.. ish 😅 Just that the lightsabers go through bodies easy that it feels like a vital organ is probably the big killer.

Penn · 29-08-2023 8:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039833#Comment_121039833

Cauterising the wound on the outside might be helpful especially if they were sliced across the body not too deep or completely cutting off a limb, but considering the lightsaber goes completely through the body, whatever organs have been affected are surely completely f*cked. Being stabbed in say the liver with a knife, it could be stitched back up. Stabbed with a lightsaber, there's going to be a permanent hole and seared flesh where the saber went through.

I think it just diminishes the effect of being stabbed with a lightsaber. Qui-Gon being stabbed in Phantom Menace, you could see Obi-Wan's pain at effectively knowing it meant Qui-Gon was dead. Now we've had Inquisators in the Obi-Wan show, and now Sabine in Ahsoka all stabbed with a lightsaber in pretty much the same way and be completely fine an episode later. Now bar actually being beheaded, being stabbed or even cut in half with a lightsaber means nothing.

I just don't know what purpose Sabine being stabbed with the lightsaber served. Injure her so the villain could get away, sure. But they went needlessly overboard with it by having her be stabbed and then be completely fine the next episode.

CastorTroy · 29-08-2023 11:38am

Sabine getting over it is one thing, but I think what makes it worse is that earlier in the same episode they killed someone instantly using the same method.

Tony EH · 29-08-2023 12:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039833#Comment_121039833

The weapons in Star Wars aren't really "lasers", as it were. Not in the way that we understand laser tech in the real world. They're more energy bolts, as far as I know. So, they're a weapon of force (not that kind of Force) more like a bullet.

Lightsabers, on the other hand, appear to be either incredibly powerful or incredibly useless at their job depending on who's doing the writing. We can see Jedi cut through inches of thick metal with relative ease and chop off limbs no bother. But then we also see people survive what should be fatal or near fatal wounds and be up and running about without a care in the world.

Now, while the Asian girl who was stabbed may have survived, it's the ease of her survival that's the main problem. Christ, I feel off the bike the other night and I'm still limping around. She took a weapon that can pierce metal to her ribcage and her liver and shook it off like a character in Monty Python.

Plus cauterising a wound like a chopped off hand is very different to burning a hole in your liver/guts.

I know Star Wars is fantasy and all that, but that shouldn't make it immune from shitty writing. Which it has been guilty of on far too many occasions, especially in the last near decade.

pixelburp · 29-08-2023 1:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039091#Comment_121039091

The Jedi IMO worked best as Merlin'esque figures of myth and almost something ineffable. Who were they, what did or could they do? They had a sense of beings outside our reality, not in it.

Plus as you hint at, the biggest crutch is this absolutely bone headed storytelling choice where the nominal heroes are emotionless monks, with actual human responses seen as antithetical to the Jedi code. There's a simple reason no Vulcan has lead a Star Trek show, and instead functioned as emotional foils. It's impossible to create a magnetic lead when they're these robots.

Now, the prequels robbed any mystique of the Jedi and made them look like inert chumps wedded to bureaucracy. Jesus. while it seems dozens survived Order 66 whenever convenient for a story. I've been on record as hating the Jedi so maybe folks are like jaysus STFU but I also think they were best served as flavour, and something mysterious. The more I see of them the less I like em.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121041193#Comment_121041193

I just don't know what purpose Sabine being stabbed with the lightsaber served.

Cheap drama.

Tony EH · 29-08-2023 2:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042598#Comment_121042598

The Jedi worked best when they were all wiped out by Vader and it was only Ben, Yoda and Luke left to carry on the religion. Now, in any Star Wars production (bar 'Andor') they're all over the bleedin place, irrespective of what period the story is set in.

There's more Jedi in operation post Order 66 than there were before it.

But they are as dull as dishwater which is probably down to bad writing than anything else. Most of them try to pull off this bullshit "Oriental" pseudo philosophical mumbo jumbo, complete with naval gazing poses and it just is never anything but tiresome. Dawson is doing the same gig in this series.

CastorTroy · 29-08-2023 3:09pm

The drama from Sabine's stabbing at the end of episode 1 was a bit redundant considering it was hard to miss the thumbnail on Disney+ for episode 2 showing Sabine and Ahsoka.

silverharp · 29-08-2023 8:42pm

The ratings seem to be poor

https://deadline.com/2023/08/ahsoka-viewership-streaming-1235530030/

"However, the ratings for Ahsoka Episode 1 “Master and Apprentice” are down by 50% from the Live+5 day of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which dropped on May 27, 2022, with that Jedi force pulling in 2.4M households. Ahsoka Episode 1 also is down from the first episode of Season 3 of The Mandalorian by 29%, with that series from Filoni and Jon Favreau earning 1.7M U.S. households in its L+5D. The Mandalorian S3 began streaming on March 1."

EltonJohn69 · 29-08-2023 9:26pm

No episode 3 today on Disney plus ?

chrisire · 29-08-2023 9:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121044675#Comment_121044675

Not out till 2 am tomorrow morning

EltonJohn69 · 29-08-2023 9:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121044761#Comment_121044761

Confirmed: I’m going to bed

CastorTroy · 30-08-2023 11:40am

Hmm,

Was I the only one that thought Hera's son looked more like Ezra than Kanan?

Varik · 30-08-2023 12:25pm

Theory about character secrete identity.

Really hoping Inquisitor isn't either a healed Kanan or a clone. Inquisitors and masks are the norm, and production wise it makes things easier as he's played by a stunt man.

fritzelly · 30-08-2023 8:20pm

Well that was all kinds of stupid - up there with the scooter gang, maybe even worse

Walking on the outside of a ship in space, doing cartwheels to fight off enemy spaceships

odyssey06 · 30-08-2023 8:22pm

The pilot droids very similar to cylons.

Slydice · 30-08-2023 8:26pm

3: Oh my goodness 😲

Well that was a nice little bit of filler story.

I liked how the baddie had the same headset as Anakin in episode III

I liked how the planet

landing scene and the forest around the ship felt a whole like when Lukes X-Wing was on Dagobah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121046407#Comment_121046407

The NAME! 😲

Relikk · 30-08-2023 9:27pm

I liked how the baddie had the same headset as Anakin in episode III

Very similar ships to the one Grievous had in III, also.

That was another enjoyable episode, for me.

gmisk · 31-08-2023 1:30pm

I am enjoying it so far, a lot more compelling than Obi Wan or that Boba Fett nonsense. But nothing near the level of Andor (always nice to see Mon Mothma) or the better bits of the mandalorian. The whole Sabine intro was errr eye rolling ..I am a rebel me driving away on my bike listening to rock music while I should be at an event...zzz, the space walk on the ship/fight thing this week similar.

But enjoying the villains, Ray Stevenson especially (I am guessing Shin might flip sides eventually..) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Rosario Dawson both very good, David Tennant also doing a good job with the voice role. I am also a Chop fan and the loth cats were very fun and well done.

pixelburp · 31-08-2023 1:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121051600#Comment_121051600

The whole Sabine intro was errr eye rolling ..I am a rebel me driving away on my bike listening to rock music while I should be at an event...zzz

Glad someone else mentioned that cos I wondered was I just a cranky old man (both can be true?), but that scene was such a cringey bit of character building: I'm such a rebel, I don't PLAY BY YOUR RULES, I'm driving intensely and thinking about my life.

Tony EH · 31-08-2023 1:47pm

I think most people would agree that that scene was bloody awful.

EltonJohn69 · 31-08-2023 2:30pm

I find that the sith characters are the most interesting… they really need to make a Darth Bane show… a lot of Ashoka just feels feels recycled… not the worse though, and might pick up when Thrawn appears but maybe this whole show is just a set up for a movie

B.A._Baracus · 31-08-2023 7:02pm

Forget the storyline....

How has Mary Elizabeth Winstead been keeping that ass hidden for years? Lol.

CastorTroy · 01-09-2023 7:05pm

Ahsoka got changed into her suit pretty quick, especially since it looks like it would be awkward with her (checks google) lekku.

And seems human genes are stronger than Twi'lek going by how human Hera's son looks, with a bit of green.

pixelburp · 01-09-2023 7:39pm

Caught episode 2 and it's all right. It's more watchable, with more focus and direction than Boba Fett or Mandalorian became. The constant sense this is a sequel to another show (it is, that's fine) kinda gets in the way as maybe more was needed to make it friendlier to newbies. I knew Thrawn from the old EU but like Mando season 3 this show made no attempt to establish who he is and why anyone should care.

The brief fight scene was fun, a bit stiff but had a bit of energy about it. The post Empire bits in the shipyard was a nice bit too. Ray Stevenson still has a good growling energy but it's sad cos you know he so recently passed

Slydice · 02-09-2023 11:18pm

From all the references so far, this feels like cog in the storylines of many stories more than a sequel to one in particular. It has story before it to deal with and story afterwards. Filoni is usually pretty good at this type of work and feels like he's doing it again. I wonder how much he's banked on folks thinking it's just related to Rebels.

Homelander · 03-09-2023 8:23pm

I had heard a good bit of negativity around it including that it is "worse than Boba Fett" which set my expectations down to zero.

It's nowhere near as bad as that, and I would say better than Obi Wan as well. Visually excellent, fairly consistent in tone, not as distractingly child-like goofy as Obi Wan and Boba Fett were in many places, well paced and the action is decent.

Not particularly amazing and some absurdly stupid moments here and there but reasonably solid. If the rest of it at least holds to this quality I'll be happy enough with it overall.

paulbok · 06-09-2023 1:29pm

EP04, great episode, big jump in all round quality (pun intended).

It's been a while since I'm actually yearning for the next episode of any tv show.

CastorTroy · 06-09-2023 1:56pm

Just noticed the lightsabers aren't red for Baylan and Shin. More orangey.

expectationlost · 06-09-2023 7:43pm

why she bring her kid along?

Slydice · 06-09-2023 8:38pm

huh, thought I posted a reply already... eh something like..

4: liked the episode, the nods to the feeling of Dagobah / Starkiller base forrests.

and that I guessed it might have been Ezra who pulled her through but Anakin makes sense too and it worked with how he looked at the end of Jedi.

Relikk · 06-09-2023 9:36pm

A strong episode, that. Loving Ahsoka's single saber Samurai style, and Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno are just perfect. They went a bit overboard on the ol' "smoothing" there at the end, though.

fritzelly · 06-09-2023 9:51pm

Covering the mouth of a robot, whose mouth doesn't move, to stop him crying out Help. Seems every episode has to have at least one absolutely stupid moment in it

paulbok · 07-09-2023 6:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121078630#Comment_121078630

It covered his vocal speaker?

Though why robots in such a technically advanced society can't communicate wirelessly and send a distress com quietly, is more of a stretch

EltonJohn69 · 07-09-2023 10:48am

Did they fail at making Ashoka feel like the character from the cartoons ? It really feels like it’s just rosario dawson in bad make up and prosthetics. Maybe they should have gone with an unknown actor…. Episode 4 wasn’t too bad though, started slow but I’m interested in seeing where it goes…. But it does feel like this whole series is just a set up to a movie.

The show would really benefit from some actual real life locations, Foundation looks a hundred times better.

They didn’t get this one right

EltonJohn69 · 07-09-2023 12:36pm

Accurate ?

AbusesToilets · 07-09-2023 12:47pm

No

Penn · 07-09-2023 1:06pm

It is slower than I'd have liked, but even from the bit under the headline you can tell the author of piece has a general disdain for the show from the off regardless. It's more clickbait than a genuine review I'd say.

pixelburp · 07-09-2023 1:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121080628#Comment_121080628

The article does suggest some heavy bias reaching for notoriety... and referencing George Lucas shows they haven't been paying attention to who actually runs Star Wars these days ... but I think Ashoka feels a little too close to Secret Invasion as a point of comparison: a very bland underwhelming experience that betrays a certain sloppiness or mediocrity that has infested a previously energised franchise.

Andor showed what the franchise could be in the right hands, and so far Ahsoka just feels more like a slightly warmed up, less cackhanded version of Boba Fett - and one that has made tepid attempts to address the fact a lot of its audience would have come to this without having watched Rebels. It's 50/50 I'll keep watching this thing, cos so far I'm feeling like yeah-but-so-what about it all.

Relikk · 07-09-2023 1:33pm

Did they fail at making Ashoka feel like the character from the cartoons? It really feels like it’s just Rosario Dawson in bad make up and prosthetics.

It's always going to be a tough ask to replicate animated characters personalities and looks in live action. The only way to really do it right is to plan ahead and cast voice actors who are professional screen actors, model the character's looks after them and then if the opportunity arrives, cast them in the live action version, like Katee Sackhoff's Bo Katan, Clancy Brown's Ryder Azadi etc. In saying that, Sabine is a pretty faithful recreation.

It's difficult with Ahsoka because of Ashley Eckstein, and Hera because of Vanessa Marshall. They're half the reason why those characters are so beloved. Thrawn remains to be seen, but Rebels Thrawn is a different beast and nowhere near the level of Tim Zahn's.

Brief_Lives · 07-09-2023 3:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121080816#Comment_121080816

whats the difference between the 2 Thrawn' in your opinion?

Agent Coulson · 07-09-2023 3:49pm

I'm hopeful they get Thrawn right as Filoni said he brought in Zahn to be part of the creative team to help adapt Thrawn for live action.

Greyfox · 07-09-2023 4:44pm

Very good so far, much better than Obi one or Bobba Fett, episode 4 was excellent. Very good casting for the baddies and it definitely feels like Star Wars. Its not as good as Mandelorian or Andor but its still better than most things on Disney, looking forward to episode 5

AbusesToilets · 07-09-2023 4:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121081431#Comment_121081431

Thrawn in the books is not a villain per se for one. He's also very considerate in action, he's not one to be cruel for the sake of it. His whole reason for being with the Empire is to have an ally for the Chiss against the Grysk.

I'll be very interested if they touch any of that stuff with his character

pixelburp · 07-09-2023 7:35pm

Episode 3 down and .... ehhhhhhh. Thinking I might just pull the plug here. There's too much unsaid and linked to the cartoons to make it enjoyable; little comments here and there that expect a viewer to just get it. But fundamentally? I'm just bored. So very bored by it all, not helped by the stakes effectively centring around people we've not met.

Rosario Dawson is a fine actor, but utterly wasted playing yet another monotone Jedi; the training scenes lacking any crackle; the space battle was rote and linear; the space Jedi stuff probably sounded better on paper; and the pacing was generally really dragged out - that feeling a shots going on a second or 2 too long. The final shot the camera slowwwwly zooming towards Ray Stevenson looking ... annoyed? Frustrated? It's such a limp way to end an episode that wants me to keep watching.

Star Wars: Ahsoka [Disney+]

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