PremiumStar Wars: Andor review: Diego Luna's series starts at a slower pace but gets the technicalities correct
Andor takes forever to develop but at the same time, it promises some great things.
Last Updated: 02.34 PM, Sep 22, 2022
Story:
Remember the man who flew right into the Death Star in Star Wars? Cassian Andor was a rebel who decided he wanted revenge and he got that by sacrificing himself while defending the galaxy from The Empire. Andor explores his life story - right from his childhood in Kenari to growing up and becoming a wanted man.
Review:
As soon as it begins, Andor gives off the same vibe as The Mandolin and parts of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Diego Luna enters the scene in the most unheroic fashion but that is what makes Andor interesting. It doesn't take long that we see him in action but much like Obi-Wan, this one was just resisting the action.
Droids are back this time and we are introduced to hounds as well. B2MO is Cassian's personal droid and he gives tough competition to R2D2, eventually. Bee is Cassian's only family in the series and with that, you understand their bond.
Soon, we come across Cassian's bond with his friends too. They stand by him but have their boundaries, which is exactly how friends should be.
Kaasa's childhood and time in Kenari is shown time-and-again. This back-and-forth plays an important role in understanding his mindset from a child to now.
In fact, there are times when director Toby Haynes manages to repeat history through Kaasa's childhood and present day. You get to see through Andor thanks to the narrative.
It just doesn't get better than an antagonist in Kyle Soller. In the role of The Empire's employee Syril, he is just the subtle type of character needed to deal with Andor.
The cinematography of this show works well. The long shots, zooming in and out, are definitely a marvel to watch.
Cassian Andor is a man with no fear, like many Star Wars characters. His seeds of rebel are sown by the third episode of this show. Diego explaining the act really leaves an impact.
Stellan Skasgard in a cameo appearance is the best thing to happen to this series. As Luthen Rael, this man is Andor's rock and teacher almost as soon as they meet. The meeting is not the most conventional but that's what makes it the best part of the series.
The action in this series is old school but effective. Right from Andor defending himself to him fighting The Empire with the help of Rael, this series has got this one aspect, among the many others, just right.
Adria Arjona has quite a role to play as Bix in the series. Her entry speaks volumes about her character and she makes up for some important bits. If Andor is powerful, she is part the reason he got there. That special connection is all over the show, especially in the scene where Andor realizes Bee has something to talk about Bix.
Fiona Shaw as Andor's adoptive mother Maarva has a brief role to play. Being the actor she is, even in the smaller appearance, Fiona is a delight.
Andor has started off slowly and the story takes its own pace to unfold. This is the unappealing aspect in Andor. Otherwise, this series has got the technical aspects correct and those help bring the right emotions at the forefront, from time-to-time.
Verdict:
Andor is still in the building up stage. It has got the actors almost perfect and the technicalities are on point. The story is too slow to keep up with but if you give it some chance, this one grows on you. You definitely cannot miss Stellan Skasgard's cameo appearance, which changes the graph of this series. He promises to be an important part in Andor's life. Hopefully, the upcoming episodes will prove that they can live up to their promise. Watch this one after the other episodes release because right now, it would be a series of yawns with interest building up in the last episode.