– Spoiler Review –
At this point in my Star Wars: Visions Vol. 2 watch through, 88 Pictures’ “The Bandits of Golak” is the first to feel so absolutely seeped in its studio’s culture, dazzling viewers with a heavily inspired look and feel, I eagerly wanted more Star Wars viewed through their lens, and that’s not even including the interesting story and world which also deserves to be seen more of. Check out why in my review now!
Star Wars has been colorful in the past, but nothing quite like what 88 Pictures brings to “The Bandits of Golak,” as there’s colors bursting through everything, from the bright lights at the entrance gate and multi-colored buildings of little town the main character Charuk and Rani end up in, the Inquisitor’s outfit with the gold detailing, and down to the little yellow/red candy the siblings share. It’s eye-catching to watch, such vibrancy in every frame instead of the sometimes drab planets or stark Imperial buildings, while it also feels refreshing yet totally fitting in the Galaxy Far, Far Away, as if it’s always been like this and should be like this going forward. An abundance of color is just one small aspect of what makes “Golak” so distinctly Indian, something the team at 88 Pictures wanted to bring to every aspect of their short and in doing so have created a vibrant world I Immediately wanted more, setting itself apart from Vol. 2 as the first short to really live in its home country’s culture. I’ve really come to love watching the Filmmaker Focus videos in the Extras section on Disney+ and the one for “Golak” helped expand my understanding of how deeply rooted in Indian culture the short ends up being: even the Le’bi candy Rani so coverts throughout is based on their local sweet called jalebi, while background characters have an attention to detail, like turbans and more expressive dress, which peg them for something both Star Wars and yet distinctly Indian. They talk about this in the short a bit, how they fused Rajasthani style with Star Wars’ own styling guide, which their resident Star Wars expert (who saw A New Hope with his father back in 1977), helped meld together with his knowledge, as well as all other aspects of do’s and don’t’s in the GFFA. The Jangori tribe, which come for the train in the opening set piece, has masks inspired by ones used for a specific dance in India, while the restaurant they find shelter at before the Inquisitor arrives, is a dhaba which is typical in their country, with its open seating and roadside nature. “Golak” is soaking in their culture and it’s richer for it, giving its planet a distinct personality and its story an extra edge of intimacy in such a large galaxy.
Speaking of the story, “The Bandits of Golak” follows a young girl, Rani (Sonal Kaushal), and her older brother, Charuk (Suraj Sharma), as they struggle to lay low from the prying eyes of the Empire, as it turns out Rani has the gift of the Force. The bond these two have, how much Charuk cares for his sister and how much she loves and looks up to him, comes across in both performances and also the animation. Kaushal’s performance is informed from him being an older brother in real life, per the Filmmaker’s Focus, and it shows in how he talks with and addresses Rani, even when she’s not listening to him, while the way he holds her hands or gets in her path when dangers arrives all sounds and looks like an older sibling would act. Sharma’s often delighted performance feels very real, as Rani is young and often naïve to the world around her, while her calls for Charuk or the way she huddles to his side or follows him is very younger sibling behavior as well. They are the emotional core of this story and I found myself a fan very early on, invested in the characters and their adventure, so when they have to make a difficult choice at the end, I definitely felt a pang of sadness for seeing these two have to part. A hidden Jedi Master Rugal (Lillete Dubey, who brings a real strength of presence to the role) rescues them from the Inquisitor (a calm, yet menacing performance by Neeraj Kabi) who tracked them down, and after recognizing Rani’s abilities, she offers the young one a chance to join her but she’ll have to leave her brother behind. He helps her make the right choice, letting her go first before she’s able to let him go, though they both give each other a gift as they part, which helped the feeling in my gut a bit about this moment. I’d love to see more of Golak, the planet, but also of what happens next in their story, like if Rani gets to become a great Jedi and if she and her brother ever meet again, as 88 Pictures has proven their chops across the board for more.
The opening set piece is a memorable beginning, as Charuk is trying to escape Imperial pursuit by crawling on top of the train after he provides a distraction from his sister, while the eponymous bandits attack the colorful train on their horse-like creatures, only for the Empire to show up and the two sides get into a battle. And then showdown at the dhaba is an engaging scene, from the slow-motion moments, the sandstorm clouding everything, to the swiftness of Rugal and the Inquisitor’s lightsaber battle, it gives “Golak” an almost The Matrix-like feel. The overall styling of the animation is interesting, almost like the colors were painted over the 3D models, and it really shined in the action sequences, as it was clear and easy to follow, even with a bunch of things going on.
The distinct voice of 88 Pictures buoys their emotional, vibrant, and engaging “The Bandits of Golak” for Star Wars: Visions’ Vol. 2.
+ Dripping in Indian culture
+ Sibling dynamic
+ Interesting story and vibrant animation
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
STAR WARS VISIONS REVIEWS
Vol. 2: “Sith” | “Screecher’s Reach” | “In the Stars” | “I Am Your Mother” | “Journey to the Dark Head” | “The Spy Dancer”
Vol. 1: “The Duel” | “Tatooine Rhapsody” | “The Twins” | “The Village Bride” | “The Ninth Jedi” | “TO-B1” | “The Elder” | “Lop & Ochō” | “Akakiri”
Related Material: Art of Star Wars: Visions Vol. 1 (book) | Star Wars: Visions #1 (comic) | Ronin: A Visions Novel (novel)