I watched watch three episodes of Disney Plus series Star Wars Andor, on the big screen, in IMAX.
Andor is a character driven, and suspenseful espionage series, that focuses on Cassian Andor; a future intelligence officer and rebel fighter in his earlier years, in 5 BBY. This is before the events of Star Wars movie Rogue One.
Review
At first, when the news was announced, that an Andor series was going to be made, I said to myself “Why would they make a series about this character from Rogue One?” However, there is so much more to explore with this character than I imagined, the series is so far a great addition to an ever-expanding Star Wars Universe.
A rich and fresh view of the world’s natural and industrial landscapes. There has been many previous series such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Kenobi that have begun to further explore grounded daily life for species on different planets.
There is such a stronger focus on the main character (Cassian Andor) in Andor compared to The Book of Boba Fett and there has also been plenty of room to explore this; when they stripped away the constant references to previous Star Wars stories. It currently feels like it’s own separate thing, completely refreshing to watch! This may not reflect the rest of the series that’s not been seen yet.
The first two episodes are a slow build up as it re-introduces us to Cassian Andor and his backstory. Found the Pre-Mor security team in this series to mostly be quite funny, plenty of awkward humour and lines in there, while they are also seeking answers about a serious incident.
The relationships between all of the characters are heavily based on trust, as Andor’s life remains is supposed to be a secret, only to a select few that know him.
The third episode is where the action begins, filled with an exciting gun-slinging shoot-out and gets the show into the next proverbial gear of the story. A mysterious character shows up to further the plot and deepen Cassian’s past. There is a good plot here, considering that the series is about espionage, mystery and secrecy surrounding these characters, are what is driving this plot.
Visuals
These three episodes are visually stunning, and appear to have a high production quality. Especially, the raw and natural landscapes combined with CGI spaceships, as well as sub-urban and industrial areas that look like they have been completely lived-in.
Music
The music is quite subtle, as I’m more intrigued by the plot, and tend to forget the scores are there, so it blends in with the series. The scores do become apparent when the music is being used to intensify scenes.
Final thoughts
Andor is such an exciting, intriguing and fresh view into the Star Wars Universe. Really enjoyed these episodes, and looking forward to how this story develops. It does inevitably lead to the events of Rogue One, although this story is currently shrouded in new mysteries.
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