REVIEW: Star Wars Resistance "The Recruit"
This is very interesting situation I have myself in when it comes to reviewing this series. Regardless of what I say, some people are going to be mad at my opinion. If I say I like the show, I'll be accused of paying a Disney-Lucasfilm "shill," while if I say I hate it, I'll be accused of being a "hater" or a "man-child that needs to grow up."
Therefore, in the lose-lose situation I'm in, I'll say this. This is clearly targeted for younger children up to pre-teens, even more so than Rebels was. In that sense, I think the show has potential, as, despite my concerns, I believe the show will provide a nice, entertaining experience for younger audiences. Granted, would this be my first choice for children for an introduction to the world of Star Wars for them? Probably not. But, at the same time, it doesn't hurt that the show exists.
For older fans and adults, is the show worth your time? It's hard to say based off of one episode. To me, and I'll go into more detail later, it is slightly above average so far, with room to grow, but you have to realize what kind of tone you are getting into.
Right at the beginning of the episode, we see our main character, Kaz, get into a fight with a First Order pilot on a mission with the New Republic, before being rescued by Poe Dameron, who recruits him to be a spy for the Resistance.
Let me use this section to speak on my first impressions of Kaz. The voice actor, Christopher Sean, does a good job in the role to me. As for the character himself, I think he has potential to grow.
Since the show are aimed towards kids, we see a lot of character tropes we've seen a thousand times by now, such as wanting to be more or a part of something bigger, afraid of stepping over his boundaries, being clumsy at moments. At the same time, there was never a moment where I found him outright annoying or irritating, which I couldn't say the same for Ezra from Rebels.
Overall, I don't mind the character right now, even if there are elements to him that are cliche, but, much like Ezra, I think there is plenty of room for him to grow.
Alright, I'm sure you're all wondering what I think of the big elephant in the room, the animation? To me, after seeing it in action, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Obviously, much like Rebels, the art style was a stylistic choice that not everyone (in fact a lot of people) are going to be a fan of. To me, I think most of the designs of the vehicles and environments, as well as the lighting, look really good in this "anime-inspired" artstyle.
I also think most of the characters don't look as bad in motion, at least right now, as I thought, though I think Poe's design still looks off to me.
Eventually, Poe takes Kaz to the Colossus, a fueling station, where he is to act as a spy to find out who is working for the First Order. I'd imagine this is where the majority of the first season will be generally located, and as far as locations are concerned, it is unique and varied, while at the same time paying homage to locations and event seen in the films.
It is here Kaz is introduced to beings he will work with, such as Jarek Yeager, an old Rebel Alliance friend of Poe, and Neeku, an assistant to Yeager and ally of Poe. Yeager is your traditional old-grizzled veteran stereotype that doesn't want to get involved, though granted, his actions are warranted in some ways. He doesn't seem like a bad character, just, again, someone we've seen before.
Neeku on the other hand...I'm not sure how to feel about him. There are parts to him I find kind of endearing, while other parts I kind of find...annoying. The main quirk to his character is that he is like Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, in that he takes everything that is said literally, and doesn't get metaphors.
A prime example of this is when Kaz says, in a sarcastic, yet gloating way, that he is the "best pilot of the galaxy." Neeku takes this literally and spreads the word, which eventually causes the whole station to catch wind of it all. This leads to basically a chain reaction where Kaz is forced to compete in the daily, yet dangerous races around the station, in order to keep his cover.
Again, throughout the episode, I was never overtly annoyed. I imagine what a lot of you are thinking. The fact that it's a kids show shouldn't matter, if something is bad, it's bad. I understand and completely agree. To me, though, taking the fact that it's a kids show out of the equation, I don't think what I saw was bad.
Yeah, there are annoying elements, yeah, there are stuff that are cliche, but at the same time, there were a lot of moments where I was entertained, or at least intrigued.
We are eventually introduced to other characters on the show, Tam Ryvora, a mechanic working with Yeager, Bucket, a droid that works with Yeager, and Torra Doza, the daughter of the leader of the facility, as well as one of the main racers that Kaz challenges. We weren't given much time with either one of the characters, but their voice actors/actresses were good in their roles.
Eventually, Kaz and Doza race, and, through Kaz's ship, the Fireball, being, well, "a piece of junk," and through other means, he eventually loses, but survives. However, I liked that he is lost, as I thought it was a good lesson for him in maturity and humility. I think for the most part, Kaz had some good growth in this episode, and had room for more in the future, both as a mechanic/racer, as well as a spy.
The premiere ends with the pilot that Poe and Kaz fought returning to Starkiller Base, as the show takes place six months before the events of the Force Awakens. Poe even mentions the First Order is planning an attack on the New Republic.
Overall, would I say I enjoyed this premiere more or less than the Clone Wars or Rebels' premieres. If I'm being honest, I enjoyed the former premieres more, but at the same time, I didn't hate what I say. I would say I generally liked it, while admitting it has faults that need to be worked out.
Would I actively watch the show if it wasn't for this job? If I'm being honest, yes. I think the show has the potential to be a nice, light, entertaining show with room to grow, with plenty of lore elements for hardcore fans. Obviously, you will need to know ahead of time what you're getting into. Plus, I can imagine that this show will not be for everyone, and I can respect that. My best advice, give it a watch and see for yourself.
