Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord Review: A Mixed Bag of Star Wars
The Star Wars franchise is back on the big screen after a seven-year hiatus, with Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian and Grogu, a feature spinoff of his hit Disney+ series. This premiere confirms that the center of the galaxy far, far away has shifted from the multiplex to our living rooms. While some film projects have failed to materialize, the Disney+ roster has expanded steadily, offering a mix of transcendent, disappointing, and harmlessly entertaining content. An interesting side effect of this migration is the elevation of the animated series Clone Wars, which has become a load-bearing pillar of the Star Wars canon. The barrier between the animated offshoot and the flagship has blurred, with Clone Wars character Ahsoka Tano now starring in her own live-action show.
The latest Star Wars series, Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord, is further evidence of this convergence. The title character is portrayed by Sam Witwer, whose menacing drawl provides continuity for longtime fans. But Witwer is surrounded by high-profile costars like Wagner Moura, Richard Ayoade, and Dennis Haysbert. Created by Dave Filoni, the de facto Kevin Feige figure of the franchise, Shadow Lord is a promising addition to the Star Wars universe.
However, Shadow Lord can feel stranded between a tentpole and a side quest. Set on the urban planet Janix in the early days of the Galactic Empire, post-Revenge of the Sith, the series introduces Maul as a crime baron working to dominate competing factions of smugglers. While Maul's current vocation is explained by Clone Wars, it may be confusing to newcomers who mostly remember the character for his double-sided red lightsaber. The reliance on outside knowledge can undercut the impact of certain climactic moments.
Despite this, Shadow Lord traffics in Star Wars staples that retain their power in the popular imagination. Maul's quest for revenge against those who have wronged him, including a Jedi padawan turned refugee, Devon, is a classic Star Wars trope. The dynamic between Maul and Devon, while not reaching the heights of Rey and Kylo Ren's push-pull, is intriguing and holds our interest.
As an animated series, Shadow Lord's visual style has its ups and downs. The Blade Runner-like cityscape of Janix is arresting, and the lightsaber battles are visually stunning. However, the character design can be unattractively blocky, and the paintbrush-like effects on Maul's close-ups are a highlight. Shadow Lord can move the Clone Wars story forward, but it's not yet a standard-bearer on its own.
In conclusion, Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord is a mixed bag of Star Wars. While it has its strengths, such as the intriguing dynamic between Maul and Devon, and the visual style, it also has its weaknesses, such as the reliance on outside knowledge and the unattractively blocky character design. It's a good time for the theatrical release schedule to get back on track, and for the Star Wars franchise to continue evolving and expanding its universe.
