Star Wars: Visions season 2 episodes rated in the best way possible

It is time for a brand new season. Star Wars Visions out on Disney Plus — which means we are ready to break down each short by how many stars, wars, and visions is in each one.

When the first season was released, I had done this before.Star Wars VisionsThe film came out. The nine animation studios participated from all over the world with nine totally different shorts. This new series explores many different aspects of Star Wars, while the previous season focused on Jedi-Sith. Bring on the starry skies, wars and most importantly the Star Wars visions.

“Sith”

Studio: El Guiri

Image: El Guiri/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars: The bulk of this one takes place on a distant planet outpost, so we don’t see too many stars. Lola’s main character blasts off into the universe in the last moments.

Wars: Lola’s old Sith master finds her and hunts her down with a group of Sith cronies. It’s not a full-on war exactly, but it is a very heated battle.

Visions: This one has a very unique art style. The following are some examples of how to use. Lola uses force power to manipulate her paint. The style looks handpainted and renders the Light and Dark sides of the Force with such vivid colors — so damn cool. Lola’s showdown with her former master and the way she embraces Darkness and Light is a triumphant one.

What is the result? The visuals in “Sith” are incredibly evocative from the very beginning, when Lola wakes up in an almost stark white room. At the beginning of the short, it’s unclear where the Sith fit in, since Lola just appears to be a painter determined on finishing a mural. The darkness creeps up here — quite literally as Lola can’t quite get rid of the darkness in her paint. “Sith” uses every bit of its visuals to push the story forward. Painting with the Force is possible? Simply amazing! Want more creative uses for the Force.

“Screecher’s Reach”

Studio: Cartoon Saloon

Cartoon Saloon/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars:Again, most of the action is centered on one planet, so we don’t really get a big space travel montage or anything. However, the four teens speed across the planet to find a mysterious cave and the starscape above them is expansive and beautiful — a flex from WolwalkersThe studio Cartoon Saloon is a great way to showcase striking backgrounds.

Wars: Daal, the girl who’s been most bent on finding the cave, Has a short face-off with the mystery ghost in the cavern. But other than that, it’s pretty light on the war end of things.

Visions: Cartoon Saloon’s house style just really says “young people chasing the truth of a myth and facing some hard truths along the way.” The story itself is bittersweet and the visuals — from the gorgeous starscape to the tight, claustrophobic cave encounter — only augment it.

What is the result? Star Wars needs to do more emotional and poignant storytelling like this. And we get a Lottery TicketsThis season, you can’t miss it. It’s the first in a series of shorts about Force-sensitive children who have to make tough decisions. All of them are good, but this is probably the most devastating one for various reasons: One, it’s not actually clear if Daal’s possible new master is a Sith or a Jedi; two, the friends she leaves behind are still going to be working in a factory for probably the rest of their lives; and three, even though her best friend urges her to take a chance and never look back, she does and… The ow.

“In the Stars”

Punkrobot

Image: Punkrobot/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars: Well, it’s right here in the name! It’s right there in the name! The two survivors – a young girl called Tichina, and her sister Koten – try to gaze at the stars to find their mother. However, the Empire’s big mining facilities spew smoke that clouds the night sky, while the traditional paintings of these people need starlight to glow and will otherwise fade away. Even if this story takes place entirely on a planet, it’s still very much about stars.

Wars: Two young survivors are all that remain of the native population after this Empire colonized and wiped it out. Koten’s main focus is on survival, but Tichina thinks they can take back the Empire.

Visions: Seeing these two girls struggle to survive in the ruined wasteland of their beloved home really hammers home the brutality of the Empire’s imperialist conquests. The animation is done in this cool stop-motion — except for the sick cave painting sequences which glow like the stars above.

What is the result? What could be more Star Wars then standing against the Empire in spite of increasingly impossible odds? “In the Stars” is ultimately a triumphant story, though man is it a harrowing journey to get there. Koten and Tichina’s situation is desperate at the beginning of the film, making their ultimate victory even more satisfying.

“I Am Your Mother”

Studio Aardman Animation

Image: Aardman/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars: Here, there are no stars! This one takes place on a metropolitan planet, so it’s all city buildings and narrow streets instead.

Wars: In place of a real war, conflict arises from a race. Well, it’s also a lot about mother-daughter relationships and sticking it up to the posh mean girl at pilot school, but mostly a cool race through the city.

Visions: The story is charming and almost a slice of life. It has less to do about the Force or the Empire than with a teenage girl with a mother who makes her feel embarrassed. And it’s refreshing as hell!

What is the result? Also known as Wallace and GromitYou can also find out more about the following: Chicken RunAardman Animation uses stop-motion technology to its maximum potential. You wouldn’t necessarily think Star Wars could lend itself to a sweet and hilarious story about a girl and her mom, but “I Am Your Mother” pulls it off.

“Journey to the Dark Head”

Studio: Studio Mir

Image: Studio Mir/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars: This journey does include some space travel. Stars are not highlighted. However, it is the visuals of the last battle that are the most striking.

Wars: This one is set against the backdrop of a war — it’s not clear which one, but if there is one constant in the Star Wars universe (besides stars) it is wars. Ara, a pilot, was brought up in a temple located on a far-off planet. The trickling rain from the two statues would channel her visions. Ara feels that the Dark Side is represented by one of these two statues, so she decides to behead it in order to tip the scales towards the Light. Toul the Jedi, who is assigned to the mission of Ara, still has unresolved issues with the Sith, which killed his Master.

Visions: Star Wars stories that play with the Dark Side and Light Side are my favorite. You can also check out our other blog posts.The opposite is being completely different. It’s a truly epic battle, complete with fantastic lightsaber moves and set pieces.

What is the result? “Journey to the Dark Head” is probably the most traditional Star Wars of all these shorts, starting with a prophecy, set in the midst of a war, and ending with a big battle between a Jedi and a Sith. Still, the characters themselves are refreshing — the broody young Jedi and the scrappy pilot just have a lot of spark on their own and with each other — and that alone is enough to really carry the short.

“The Spy Dancer”

Studio: La Cachette

Image: La Cachette/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars: There’s not much to see here, since the majority of this film takes place inside a huge dance hall. Imagine that scene. Revenge of the SithWatch Squid Lake and Palpatine discussing Darth Plagueis.

Wars: In this story, the Empire appears everywhere. A spy runs the dance hall, and uses her performance to install trackers onto Stormtroopers. She has a grudge against an Imperial officer. They are all spies and work to lower the inhibitions of Imperial soldiers by promising them alcohol and fun.

Visions: One of the most intriguing things about this short is the dancing — and how that translates into the climactic fight. Loi’e, the principal dancer and head spy, does an impressive routine using aerial silks. In her fights with the Stormtroopers she uses these silks. Her protege, Hétis, has a similar balletic fighting style. It’s fun to see a Star Wars fight that doesn’t rely on lightsabers or blasters.

What is the result? Seeing this side of the Rebellion — one relying on subterfuge and reconnaissance instead of fighter pilots and guns — is incredibly fascinating. From the dance hall to the dancers themselves, “The Spy Dancer” paints an evocative picture of how espionage would work in this setting. The characters are also very compelling, especially Loi’e, a seasoned spy who has a personal reason to hate the Empire and a mission she wants to fulfill.

“The Bandits of Golak”

Studio:88 Pictures

Image: 88 Pictures/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars: Once again, this short takes place on a singular planet — and a desert one at that! (Star Wars does love its deserts). There are few stars even at night.

Wars: The only thing we know for sure is that this Empire has conquered the planet and is looking to capture Force sensitive children. It’s not an explicit war, so much as it is a reminder of the Empire’s omnipresence.

Visions: This animation is very painterly, especially with the lighting and shadows. The best part of the movie is the ending, when a character that you wouldn’t expect to be Jedi pulls out his lightsaber to fight the Sith Inquisitor sent to retrieve Rani.

What is the result? This is the second of three shorts about Force-sensitive kiddos being whisked away from the lives they’ve known. They’re You can find out more about it here.It’s a good story and makes you really think about what the Jedi Youngling System means. The Empire is only a threat in this one, because they are focusing on Rani’s relationship with her older brother Charuk. Charuk has fought tooth and nail to bring his sister to the place where their father said she would be safe — the place where they will eventually have to part ways. It’s very bittersweet, and the little game they’ve concocted about being bandits in order to motivate them on their lonely travels gets a callback when they say goodbye one last time.

“The Pit”

Studio: D’Art Shatjio

Image: D’Art Shatjio/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars: Stars: There is some nighttime sky footage, but it’s not enough.

Wars: There is a vague sense that the prisoners thrown into the pit were probably captured because of the Empire’s conquests. Like with the previous short, there isn’t really an outright mention of war, but it’s felt.

Visions: Best shots are when prisoners look upwards at the sky. It’s chilling, especially when juxtaposed with the more glamorous shots of a nearby city.

What is the result? The darkest short of them all, this one features a particularly tragic death on screen. The protagonists’ lowly position (literally, they are in the pit) makes the final victory feel particularly cathartic. Like “In the Stars,” this one focuses on people rising up and triumphantly overthrowing the Empire. Unlike “In the Stars,” there are a lot of characters so it takes on a more macro view, which may or may not work depending on if you like more relationship-driven narratives.

“Aau’s Song”

Triggerfish

Image: Triggerfish/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Stars: Even though this short takes place on one planet, there are impressive skyscapes — but it’s a little more on the blue skies and clouds side than stars.

Wars: There is not much action on the battlefield! It’s all about a teddy bear alien that is mining kyber crystals to make lightsabers. The kyber, however, has all been corrupted.

Visions: “Aau’s Song” is done in this wonderful stop-motion style that lends itself to cozy and adorable characters as well as utterly gorgeous landscapes and scenery. Additionally, Aau’s Force abilities being in tune with music and her singing is just really cool to see.

What is the result? This is the last video of kids who have Force powers goodbyeing their old lives. The optimism is much higher in this one, as there’s no Empire to fear or a dingy workhouse to escape. Aau is surrounded by a family who are supportive and encourage her to use her abilities to fly. Ultimately, it is a deeply hopeful story — a perfect note to end the season on.