#screecher’s reach / aau’s song / bandits of golak / in the stars

[roseaesynstylae]

I have a random, crack-filled ideas that may or may not be interesting:

Sev, after being left on Kashyyyk, gets yeeted into Visions, sees all the children in need of help, and has his Mandalorian "adopt-anything-left-unattended-for-fifteen-minutes" instincts go into overdrive.

Jedi Padawan fleeing Order 66? M-I-N-E.

Twins made from the dark side? Don't care, sign the adoption papers.

Force-sensitive droid? He's joining the family.

Rabbit girl with a dysfunctional relationship with her sister? Prepare to be adopted a second time.

Children being forced to work in a factory, with one being grabbed with a creepy Sith lady? Shoot the Dark-sider and grab the kids.

Twi'lek girl -- Oh wait, she does have a mother. Now she also has a scary uncle.

Boy and his sister fleeing the Empire? His, now.

Girl working in a pit? The adoption papers are coming out.

Bird girl who likes singing? She now has two dads.

When Sev returns, it's less a tearful reunion and more him stomping up and going "Here, babysit."

Bonus: "Look at me, Skirata. I AM THE FATHER NOW."

[reyturnofbensolo]

If D/LF would let some of these creatives(from Vol 1 and Vol 2)make full-length animated movies it would be so GREAT! These were all amazing, but the standouts for me are Screecher’s Reach, In the Stars, The Bandits of Golak, and Aau’s Song! MTFBWY!

[cienie-isengardu]

Star Wars Visions 2

Visions volume 2 is the first in a long time Star Wars content under the Disney mark that honestly kept me excited from the first to the last episode. I love all the unique styles of animation, the music and especially the great number of female characters on which the narrations were focused on. So refreshing experience and the cultural diversity of the presented worlds is both striking and heartwarming. Visions 2 definitely feels better in my opinion than the previous season did - sadly, the all Japanese animated season did not impress me much with exception of The Elder and Duel, which of course does not mean those other stories were bad animations rather that those did not meet my expectations. 

This year however I’m especially pleased with Screecher's Reach (and really, this studio was my must-watch story) and the Spy Dancer but I liked every episode in their own right. The focus on imperial cruelty and crimes but also the patterns on how Force sensitive people must leave family and friends to follow their destiny were especially interesting as each story had its own original way to present those issues. I hope every new season of Visions will bring more of this wonderful creative diversity and rich cultural background.

[bikananjarrus]

this season of visions was so good. at least half the eps made me cry and i’m just so in awe of the animation. just absolutely mesmerized by it. and the stories, wow wow. a lot of them had some really dark themes, but the HOPE that was present too. that’s what it’s all about!

[geekygirlexperience]

Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 is a triumph of storytelling by animated studios from around the world showcasing different voices in a galaxy far, far away.

Check out my review over on The Geeky Waffle

[bearpillowmonster]

Star Wars: Visions S2

Instead of doing awards, I'll just do thoughts.

The Sith - It's up and down for me because I really like the aesthetic and it looks gorgeous at times almost like spiderverse but also very corrupted, like I get why everything's a canvas and how the colors change depending on what's happening but I actually wasn't sure if it was supposed to look like that at first, it looked corrupted or glitched and I had to look up some more footage to make sure. Weird.

Screecher's Reach - I feel like there's a trend with these shorts where there's a potential Jedi, a Sith shows up, they defeat it, the end. Like, I get that you're pressed for time but I've thought of all kinds of diverse shorts in general. Here's one right now, have someone scarred by a lightsaber keep one in their drawer, scared of the thing. They challenge themselves more and more to look at this thing, to touch it, to even go as far as to grab it but nothing more, we never see any colors. Then there's a disaster (house crumbles on the pet Massiff or something) and they have to use the lightsaber to cut them out of the rubble. They begin to learn new ways and uses for it. Cutting crops, starting a fire, etc. Really push the limit of what a lightsaber can be used for and how it reacts in certain situations. Anyways, as for Screecher's Reach, the style is unique and it's an interesting ending but nothing beyond that, just like half a prologue. Don't just bank on a twist or sequel, give me flavor.

In the Stars - Easily the best one so far, and I do mean that for both seasons. Other than Tales of the Jedi, this is the best thing I've seen in Star Wars in a while. The claymation, the hieroglyphics and the tribal-like setting, the characters, the plot, the scenery, it all just works. Give me this. I'll be surprised if anything surpasses it in this season.

I Am Your Mother - Play on the- I don't have to explain it but it sounds cool already. Not sure how they could top the last one though. It was good though, another claymation with british humor AND IS THAT AARDMAN?! FINALLY! It'd be a lot funnier if the mom was evil though and that's why the daughter is embarrassed. (Creates mini Death star) "Mom!" "I can't help it honey, it's how I was raised."

Journey to the Dark Head - Film level. Wow. Had to shut everything else out after this one so it could consume my thoughts. And people were disappointed with this??

The Spy Dancer - That sounds...really cool actually but eh. I see that they followed tradition in a way, a lot closer to something you'd see in S1 but I imagine it better as a Clone Wars episode where they're watching the opera (like in ROTS) and the performers use that to extract information whereas in this one, the actual spy part was a failed attempt because we didn't get to see what would've happened with that, we can only imagine. Fight dancing is cool and all but I just think it could've been delivered better.

The Bandits of Golak - 3D, fancy shaders, could've been about anything. Might've had a more interesting dynamic should he have resented her for her powers, idk.

The Pit - Sarlacc? No, a dark little oppression short. I'm not too sure what to think about this one, definitely interesting. The whole chanting thing was a bit cheesy though.

Aau's Song - Big finale. What'd they save for last? The Halo theme is magical, I'll tell you what. I'm interested in these creatures, I want to see more of them in the Star Wars universe, perhaps even Aau herself but the plot remains an AU. Its a strong premise, though different from Star Wars lore, it makes sense that the kybers would have a voice since they "scream" at ignition and its implied that being in its raw form can cause damage as well, making the saber the tool that grants it a voice and manipulates it. I always love the exploration of kybers in general from quests to get them in TCW and Fallen Order to having them be a part of Jedi Knight II in weird, unconventional ways. And the styling of this short is neat, they have set models for everything, just change the eyes and switch out the heads sparingly to accommodate the mouths and such. It reminds me of something you'd see out of Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio.

[meandmyechoes]

Star Wars Visions: Volume 2

“Sith” by El Guiri  (Spain)

A former Sith apprentice, leading a peaceful, but isolated life, is confronted by the past when her old master tracks her down.

“Screecher’s Reach” by Cartoon Saloon (Ireland)

A young girl, seeking reprieve from her days in a rural workhouse, discovers a legendary haunted cave with her friends. The cave’s dark pull will change the trajectory of her life forever.

“In the Stars” by Punkrobot (Chile)

Two sisters, the last of their kind who live in hiding on their ravaged land, squabble about how to survive with the Empire encroaching. On a water run, the sisters must fight back when they are discovered.

“I Am Your Mother” by Aardman (UK)

Young pilot Anni, who is embarrassed by her sweet, but clingy mum, must team with her for a madcap family race at the academy. Along the way, their relationship is tested by the elements, their old ship, other racers...and each other!

“Journey to the Dark Head” by Studio Mir (South Korea)

A hopeful mechanic and disillusioned young Jedi team up for a risky and unlikely quest to turn the tide of the galactic war, but dark forces tail them.

“The Spy Dancer” by Studio La Cachette (France)

The premier dancer at a famous, Imperial-frequented cabaret uses her unique skill-set to spy for the Rebellion, but the presence of a mysterious officer threatens to derail her mission.

“The Bandits of Golak” by 88 Pictures (India)

Fleeing from their village by train and pursued by ferocious Imperial forces, a boy and his force-sensitive younger sister seek refuge in a vibrant and dangerous dhaba.

“The Pit” by D’Art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd. (Japan + U.S.)

A fearless young prisoner, forced to dig for kyber by the Empire, plans a risky escape for he and his people.

“Aau’s Song” by Trigger Fish (South Africa)

An alien child who longs to sing is raised by her loving, but stern father to stay quiet because of the calamitous effect her voice has on the crystals in the nearby mines.

[robotsandramblings]

just a quick visual guide i threw together for Visions: Volume 2, highlighting the different animation studios from around the world that contributed such amazing work! it was really great seeing different cultural and historic influences. i really hope they do this again next season!!

you can read more about the directors/writers here

(text ID below)

("episode title" - studio name - location of studio)

"Sith" - El Guiri - Madrid, Spain

"Screecher's Reach" - Cartoon Saloon - Kilkenny, Ireland

"In The Stars" - PunkRobot - Santiago, Chile

"I Am Your Mother" - Aardman - Bristol, UK

"Journey to the Dark Head" - Studio Mir - Seoul, South Korea

"The Spy Dancer" - Studio La Cachette - Paris, France

"The Bandits of Golak" - 88 Pictures - Mumbai, India

"The Pit" - D'art Shtajio - Tokyo, Japan - (w/Lucasfilm Ltd.)

"Aau's Song" - Triggerfish - Cape Town, South Africa

[legok9]

“Sith” by El Guiri

A former Sith apprentice, leading a peaceful, but isolated life, is confronted by the past when her old master tracks her down.

“Screecher’s Reach” by Cartoon Saloon

A young girl, seeking reprieve from her days in a rural workhouse, discovers a legendary haunted cave with her friends. The cave’s dark pull will change the trajectory of her life forever.

“In the Stars” by Punkrobot

Two sisters, the last of their kind who live in hiding on their ravaged land, squabble about how to survive with the Empire encroaching. On a water run, the sisters must fight back when they are discovered.

“I Am Your Mother” by Aardman

Young pilot Anni, who is embarrassed by her sweet, but clingy mum, must team with her for a madcap family race at the academy. Along the way, their relationship is tested by the elements, their old ship, other racers...and each other!

“Journey to the Dark Head” by Studio Mir

A hopeful mechanic and disillusioned young Jedi team up for a risky and unlikely quest to turn the tide of the galactic war, but dark forces tail them.

“The Spy Dancer” by Studio La Cachette

The premier dancer at a famous, Imperial-frequented cabaret uses her unique skill-set to spy for the Rebellion, but the presence of a mysterious officer threatens to derail her mission.

“The Bandits of Golak” by 88 Pictures

Fleeing from their village by train and pursued by ferocious Imperial forces, a boy and his force-sensitive younger sister seek refuge in a vibrant and dangerous dhaba.

“The Pit” by D’Art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd.

A fearless young prisoner, forced to dig for kyber by the Empire, plans a risky escape for he and his people.

“Aau’s Song” by Trigger Fish

An alien child who longs to sing is raised by her loving, but stern father to stay quiet because of the calamitous effect her voice has on the crystals in the nearby mines.

[disneytva]

Lucasfilm Spotlights Animation for Star Wars Celebration with Star Wars Visions Vol 2 Trailer.

Star Wars Celebration in London offered up a hefty bounty for fans on the hunt for exciting new animated content set in the Lucasfilm universe. Panels featuring filmmakers and cast from Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Visions Volume 2, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and more offered updates, including a new trailer and full cast list for Visions

To close out Star Wars Celebration’s animation panels, on Monday afternoon there was a Star Wars: Visions panel. The panel was filled with an abundance of reveals ahead of the series’ May 4, release — including first story details for all nine shorts, the full cast list, the trailer and key art.

The second anthology will continue to push the boundaries of Star Wars storytelling, with nine new shorts from nine studios from around the globe. Employing an array of animation styles from a variety of countries and cultures, the Volume 2 offers a dynamic new perspective on the storied mythos of Star Wars.

To kick off the panel, host Amy Ratcliffe introduced executive producers of the Emmy-nominated series, Josh Rimes, James Waugh and Jacqui Lopez, who discussed the success of the show’s first season and its unique concept featuring a collection of animated shorts that stretches beyond any one form of animation and serves as a broader framework for Star Wars storytelling.

The Vol. 2 cast list includes:

“Screecher’s Reach”: Eva Whittaker

“I Am Your Mother”: Maxine Peake, Charithra Chandran

“Journey to the Dark Head” (English Dub): Ashley Park, Eugene Lee Yang

“The Bandits of Golak”: Suraj Sharma

“The Pit”: Daveed Diggs

“Aau’s Song”: Cynthia Erivo

After revealing the cast, Ratcliffe introduced the series’ filmmakers, who took to the stage in groups of three to reveal the first details about each of their shorts:

Rodrigo Blaas, writer/director of El Guiri’s “Sith” from Spain

Paul Young, director of Cartoon’s Saloon’s “Screecher’s Reach” from Ireland

Gabriel Osorio, writer/director of Punkrobot’s “In the Stars” from Chile

Magdalena Osinska, director of Aardman’s “I Am Your Mother” from the United Kingdom

Hyeong-Geun Park, director of Studio Mir’s “Journey to the Dark Head” from South Korea

Julien Chheng, director of Studio La Cachette’s “The Spy Dancer” from France

Milind Shinde, founder of India’s 88 Pictures and executive producer of “The Bandits of Golak”

LeAndre Thomas, writer/director/executive producer of “The Pit”

Arthell Isom, founder of D’ART Shtajio and executive producer of “The Pit”

Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke, co-directors of Triggerfish’s “Aau’s Song” from South Africa

[a-corndog-named-schibbs]

Star Wars: Visions season 2

Sith: I spent the first five minutes thinking “what the fuck am I looking at” which is exactly what I both expected and wanted from this season

Screecher’s Reach: Not satisfied with making the greatest piece of werewolf media ever, Cartoon Saloon has branched out and made the greatest piece of Star Wars media ever

In the Stars: Kubo and the Two Strings, but with more imperialism

I Am Your Mother: Every other studio: Here’s some trauma!  Aardman: Here’s a cute silly story about a baby lesbian and her mum!

Journey to the Dark Head: Wow okay this sure is the studio that animated Voltron- EUGENE LEE YANG!?!!

The Spy Dancer: Yes, Star Wars is at its best when it says “fuck imperialism” but it’s also at its best when it says “man is this family fucked up or what”

The Bandits of Golak: Sandpiercer

The Pit: Someone at D’Art Shtajio watched Holes and went “Nice, but you know what would be even more fucked up?”

Aau's Song: Autism be damned this teddy bear is Force-sensitive!

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Star Wars Visions (Season 2)

Since these eps are all roughly under 20 minutes I'm just lumping my thoughts under the cut for all of the episodes.

SITH

Art style is nice! (Kinda reminds me of Spider-Verse, which I love.) Color and lines everywhere makes the environment really unique. I want more to Lola's story.

SCREECHER'S REACH

Cartoon Saloon art style I love you and would recognize you anywhere. I'm in the mood to watch Song of the Sea again. Sith Mother had Looks honestly? Beautiful and appropriately unsettling.

IN THE STARS

Favorite episode. Claymation is always impressive to me. A good Imp is a drowned Imp.

Paint powered by starlight is something I wish I thought of for some fantasy stories I've been writing/written in the past, but man, this scene was pretty.

I AM YOUR MOTHER

Might've been my least favorite episode honestly? I'm not sure. The animation was done by Aardman, and apparently they had a Wallace and Gromit cameo in there somewhere, which I missed. I know I just said claymation is always impressive to me, but in my opinion I don't think a lot of the species we know/recognize translated very well in their style.

JOURNEY TO THE DARK HEAD

First time I saw Toul I couldn't help but think "Oh of course you have white hair and trauma." from my anime phase.

Also should have expected that Bichan was gonna be attractive under the Very Extra mask.

THE SPY DANCER

This episode just proves to me that Cirque du Soleil could go crazy in the Star Wars universe.

THE BANDITS OF GOLAK

Clothing design absolutely SLAPS for this episode. Just about everything really - music, atmosphere, ect. My oldest sibling feelings really came into play here though because I just wished Rani would listen to her brother and do as he requested. Charuk's trying to protect you and you're screwing around/attracting unnecessary attention, Rani... Kids are gonna be kids, though.

The lightsaber duel between Ragul and the Inquisitor was stunning. She may be older than the Inq. but she can still kick ass. 💪

THE PIT

The implemented timelapses in this episode were very cool. I had trouble watching the segment were Crux climbs out of the pit because I was so sure it'd end badly and he'd be shown falling to his death and nobody making it out.

And then he's thrown back into the pit by Stormtroopers later on. I was right about that being the way he died, just not right about when.

AAU'S SONG

Aau is precious and I'd die for her.

As these are all non-sequiturs they'll never explain how the Sith managed to bleed all of that kyber in the mountains on Korba but it'd be interesting to find out how. Like that was a lot of corrupted kyber.

[jedi-order-apologist]

Did ya watch Visions V2 yet? And if so, what was your favrotie short? (Mine was Aau's Song)

I just finished watching! (The episodes, at least. I'll watch the behind-the-scenes filmmaker interviews later).

But it's really hard to pick a favorite, Visions is consistently top-tier and I enjoyed all of the episodes. This really is Star Wars at its best, so I'll just talk about what I enjoyed about each one:

"Sith" - I loved the way color was used in this, it's clearly the focus of the animation and it was done very well. The story of the protagonist rejecting the Sith and pulling herself out of that on her own was good, the way she had to acknowledge her darkness in order to move past it and fully reject the Sith was a great moment.

"Screecher's Reach" - The environment was beautifully drawn, very atmospheric. It's an unsettling one (in a good way!), and reminds me of the previous season's "Akakiri" in the tone of its ending.

"In the Stars" - The particle effects and especially the water was beautifully animated. The story here is strong, with the conflict between surviving and fighting back, with both sisters having good reason for their caution/risk-taking, respectively, and the love they have for each other and the people who were cruelly slaughtered by the Empire.

"I Am Your Mother" - this one is probably the weakest of the bunch in that it didn't really grip me and I don't think it had as much to say, but it was by no means bad! It was fun and I got some laughs out of it. The race looked great, too.

"Journey to the Dark Head" - Another one with beautiful environments, and I found the setting very compelling and full of potential; I was left wanting to see more of it and the Jedi of this era. The approach to the Force is a little video-game-y in my opinion but they do nail the aspect of fear being the root of anger and hate.

"The Spy Dancer" - If I absolutely had to pick a favorite, it might be this one by a slim margin. I loved the fluid dance/fight scenes, and the characters are so compelling. The protagonist's trauma is heartbreaking; there's no shying away from how evil the Empire is. And the reveal of who the Imperial officer is was built up very well, I had already guessed by the time the episode confirmed it. The hopeful ending implies a future where he will break away from the Empire and the horrible things it made him internalize about himself.

"The Bandits of Golak" - Completely unsurprisingly (given IGN's backhanded recommendation), I loved this one a lot, and could easily pick this one as my favorite too. The lightsaber fight here was my favorite in this season, and the environment was lovely. Of course, the sibling bond is the real heart of this one, especially in him letting her go (which I believe was the plan all along).

"The Pit" - Loved this one too, the Empire's brutality is, as common with the other shorts, unflinchingly depicted here. Which makes the contrast with the average citizens all the more poignant, and my favorite part about this is how readily they're willing to look into the matter and help once they've heard what's going on. It's such a positive depiction of humanity and community and I really loved that.

"Aau's Song" - Beautiful, vibrant environments here, and the characters look so soft, like they're made of felt. I liked the Jedi character a lot, and I like that the protagonist decided to go with her in the end. The scene where the kyber is healed is stunning. I can definitely see why this episode would be someone's favorite!

[aq2003]

sw visions s2 review! i overall enjoyed this season more than the first, the variety in animation mediums was amazing and a lot of these were just fucking stunning to look at. thoughts and ranking under the cut:

9. sith

i have beef with this one. i think this by default takes the spot as my overall least favorite star wars visions episode across both seasons just because of how it does the dumb "you can use both the light side AND the dark side :) dont worry about it" trope. the animation is cool in some places but (likely due to disney+ deep frying the video quality?) it felt weirdly hard to look at in others. i do love the painting aesthetic but it feels the least true to the star wars spirit. i think the duel from season 1 executed the "darksider vs former sith" idea much better

8. i am your mother

this one being so low on the ranking is just a testament to how much i enjoyed all of the other episodes. i think this short succeeded fully with what it set out to do, it's just a fun story about a mother-daughter pilot duo which is great! simple and enjoyable.

7. aau's song

this one was just really adorable. i loved the aesthetic and the animation, the characters felt so.. fuzzy. huggable. really nice breather to end off a volume of really good stories. loved the visuals for the crystals and the character design for the jedi in this episode especially

6. the pit

bruh i was so fucking sad when THAT happened . i get why they did it but it felt so unfairrrrr aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. i liked the animation and character designs and this one also has some really creative visuals for the settings. but i thought the resolution to the conflict felt a little too .. easy isnt the right word for it. but i think some of the writing falls a little short in an otherwise really good story.

5. the bandits of golak

and i KNOW the people that made this were fans of tcw/rebels. (was that sabine's phoenix symbol i saw on the side of the train????). loved the dynamic between charuk and rani, i get why they had to part ways but i got sad when they did nevertheless. the texturing on the models feels very reminiscent of tcw's style and it tickled my brain <3 except i think the character designs blow tcw out of the water <333

4. journey to the dark head

FUCKING SUE ME. i loved this one. studio mir put everything and i mean EVERYTHING into the animation on this one. toul and ara are great characters and i love how they played off of each other. bichan's character design went HARD AS HELL i literally don't care if some of the story didn't make sense to me because ouhghhhhh this was just a whole MEAL for my eyes . if that makes sense. studio mir i love you

3. 2. the spy dancer

i CANNOT in good faith put this at any spot below a 2 so i guess we'll have a tie here. the animation was absolutely fucking STUNNING and the fight scenes were also, like journey into the dark head, complete and utter bangers. loi'e is probably my favorite protagonist out of all the episodes this season, just the concept for her being a performer and also a spy for the rebels is [chefs kiss]. i also do love a good ironic twist and this one Has it <3

2. screecher's reach

perhaps this one is ranked so high because it was placed right after my disappointment from episode 1 and perhaps it's because it struck such a chord within me that i truly cannot explain. daal and her friends were so cute and the colors and backgrounds were truly beautiful to look at and god. the story on this one. fully fucked me up. crazy how a story this dark and upsetting made me feel better than episode 1 but it gave me Such a level of tragic catharsis. (is that the right word for it? it's unsatisfying but on purpose and i love it) this one probably isn't going to be as high on other people's rankings but i don't care. i love it. it's dear to me.

in the stars

this one just straight up made me cry. i don't why it hit me that hard but it definitely has to count for something. this one is also really fucking beautiful to look at like the rest of my top 4 but this one has an aesthetic that lends itself really really well to the storytelling. the scene of the painting telling their mother's backstory is just.. ugh my heart. i love koten and tichina so much it's unreal. the final scene where they stared down the walker mirroring the painting made me fucking lose my mind. perhaps i was not feeling very hopeful for their fates after what happened in episode 2 but i was so happy when it did end on a happy note. also them finally seeing their mom's star in the sky.. i just.. ugh. lay me into the ground!!!!!

[wheatbeats]

I did this last time and it got a couple notes, so why not again? Here's my ranking for all the shorts from Star Wars Visions: Volume 2.

Screecher's Reach - holy shit. Holy shit. I knew I would like this one going in because Cartoon Saloon owns my ass, but I never thought I'd see animated Star Wars horror. This one was genuinely creepy and seeing such a poor character fall victim to the lies of the Sith was heartbreaking, and unique for Star Wars content. I loved this short.

Aau's Song - I know the phrase "Ghibli-esque" gets thrown around annoyingly often, but I feel like it actually applies here. The gorgeous natural vistas, the emphasis on the nobility of simple work, a loving family dynamic, the power of a child and the magic of love, it's all here. The character designs are lovely, the music is moving, and I love the vocal performances too. This one is really close to the #1 spot.

The Spy Dancer - I somehow forgot that Studio La Cachette has been responsible for some of the most astounding animation of the past couple years, but oh my god did this short make me remember. Not only is the animation gorgeous, but the characters are so vividly portrayed in such a short amount of time, and it weaves a compelling story completely separate from the lore of the Jedi and the Sith. I'd love more Star Wars content like this.

Sith - the visuals of the painted world in this one are maybe some of the most out-there, artistically, in this whole bunch, and I appreciate such a strong vision. I feel like tumblr is gonna have the hots for our former-Sith protagonist, but I'm always a sucker for droids who are Just a Little Guy.

In the Stars - I love Lilo & Stitch in space. The visuals walk the line where I'm not 100% convinced whether they were cgi or stop-motion, but either way they're extremely impressive. I personally don't vibe with the character archetype that Kichina embodies, but I like her dynamic with Koten, and the arc they go through is pretty rock-solid.

The Bandits of Golak - I have mixed feelings about this one. I like the clear Clone Wars influence in the character designs, and the action staging is pretty great. I also love the sheer Bollywood energy that the Inquisitor brings; I'd love to see more Star Wars villains with this kind of energy instead of more blandly evil bureaucrats. That said, the character models are kind of stiff (especially in the human faces), and Rani is just... so annoying. Chanuk is a good boy, though.

I Am Your Mother - I'm kind of shocked that Aardman even decided to do a short for this volume, but I'm not complaining. When you get Aardman on board you expect a certain tone, and this doesn't disappoint. It's not nearly as funny as Aardman's best work, but it's still a good time and a nice balance with the darker shorts like Screecher's Reach.

The Pit - I really respect this studio and it's unique circumstances, but I feel like this short was missing something. Putting aside the animation, which looked great in still shots but didn't move super well, I feel like this short has nothing that ties it to Star Wars. The stormtroopers could have been any evil army, the kyber crystals could have just been gold or diamonds, the pit itself could have just been on Earth. This short has a good story to tell, but it makes absolutely zero relevant use of Star Wars lore.

Journey to the Dark Head - I'm sad to put the Studio Mir short on the bottom, but here we are. Mir still delivers on some astounding individual cuts of animation that live up to their lauded work on The Legend of Korra and Voltron: Legendary Defender, but I feel like overall the direction of this short was a little chaotic and confused, and the thrills didn't last for more than a few moments each. Moreover, the plot barely made any sense, and failed to sell a convincing story even using a longer runtime than any other short this volume. And I'm sorry, Eugene Lee Yang; I'm happy to see you here, but it just wasn't a very good performance.

[noddytheornithopod]

After some thought, some Visions rankings

Fave overall: I Am Your Mother (also funniest)

Fave story: Screecher's Reach and The Spy Dancer

Fave animation: In the Stars and Aau's Song

Best Action: Journey to the Dark Head

Best Score: The Bandits of Golak