– Spoiler Review –
Dripping with anticolonialism and a resounding message of hope, Punkrobot’s “In the Stars” is the first of Star Wars: Visions Vol. 2 which not only feels like Star Wars, but distills and carries forward its political messaging, all while following the tale of two sisters, whom viewers will have a hard time not absolutely falling for, as they fight for their land against the Empire.
It’s always disappointing to hear fans ever parrot the idea there are no politics in Star Wars, as they are absolutely missing the fundamental underpinnings creator George Lucas soaked into every aspect of his story, something he double downed on when putting together the Prequels (messages which feel prescient to this day), while the Sequel trilogy and most recently Andor have shown even under Disney those ideals persist. There’s no mistaking many of the intentions at the team of Punkrobot, as they can be a bit on the nose, but when you’re limited in a short it’s best to be clear as to avoid any potential misunderstanding, especially when you’re making a statement like this team did. With “In the Stars,” there’s no mistaking the Empire’s invasion to take the land from the natives and use its resources, razing anyone who opposes them, as a pointed message on the terrors of colonialism, something nations around the world have participated in under the guise of building their empires and it being a helpful trade-off for the locals. The two sisters at the center of “In the Stars,” Tichina (Julia Oviedo) and Koten (Valentina Muhr) are the last of their kind, a stand-in for the real-world Patagonian people, who were slowly colonized by the independent nations of Chile (where Punkrobot is from) and Argentina, where the Empire’s efforts to take their water has led to the land being poisoned and hope to be fleeting. Deriving the confrontation from these real-world influences further hammers home the devastating effects colonialism has on traditions, cultures, and the variety of life on this small little ball of earth we call home.
Tichina is a heartwarming character to follow, as the younger sister hasn’t seen all the terrible things her older sister has, staying resilient and ever hopeful they can take down the Empire and reconnect with their mother, who died in the initial rebellion against the Empire. In fact, she sees their mother’s sacrifice as a blueprint for how to live their lives. Koten is much older and jaded by their past and their mother’s death, seeing her actions as the exact opposite of what they should do, as taking on the caretaker role has forced her to lose her idealism for rationalism in an effort to keep them both alive despite the worsening conditions. Oviedo’s performance as little Tichina is full of exuberance and defiance in both the Spanish and English Dubs, leaving both us viewers and her older sister almost exhausted by her endless optimism, while Valentina Muhr’s dual voice acting Dubs for Koten make her world-weariness feel almost righteousness next to Tichina’s point-of-view. They clash over how to proceed with the next run for fresh water, with Koten thinking leaving Tichina behind is for the best, but not only are they more formidable and harder for the Empire to destroy if they go together, they both can learn something from the other. I loved their interactions throughout “In the Stars,” from the tenderness Koten has for Tichina despite the younger one’s actions to the resolve of Tichina in the face of so many things larger and more powerful than her. It’s inspiring, to say the least, and I found myself rooting for them very quickly, ready to plead with Koten to listen to the hopeful message in Tichina’s personality and actions rather than ignoring them, so when she comes around, it’s a joyous explosion of the power of family, love, and hope in the face of anything. As together, they find the Force which has been inside them, just like it was with their mother and Tichina believed this whole time. What’s more Star Wars than the power of family?!
The 3D animation made to look like stop-motion is an interesting choice which really pays off, as the style looks both futuristic yet old-school due to imperfections, fitting for the tale of two characters with less resources than the Empire they are going up against. I loved the tribal attire for the two sisters, especially the masks they wore towards the beginning, as it was a great visual to denote their lack of technology against the Empire’s, making their fight seem all the more difficult. Everything around the nature aspect of the story was enchanting, the way the mushroom-like things bloomed in the starlight, which they believe is their people, little glowing bits flowing upwards to join the stars, only for them to welter and die as the oppressive clouds overtake the sky. The entire sequence as the sisters use the Force, bringing down the facility, from the way the water overpowered everything, to them plunging into the sea below afterwards, really looked like an immense event due to the scale and look of the 3D animation. Also, noticed it on my second watch in English (the first was Spanish with subtitles), but the design of the Imperial facility mimics the ritual stone the sisters live near with the split spire design, a little bit of appropriation sprinkled in for good measure to further highlight everything wrong with colonialism.
Here are a few other things:
- I’ve seen some chatter about this and honestly, despite my comments earlier on lacking some ambiguity, the ending has the potential to be read more than one way: did the sister make it out of the water…or did they drown?! That’s right, even when I’ve watched it twice I found it curious when the episode cuts from being in the water to Tichina on the ground with Koten, leaving one to wonder if they drowned in the process or not. The happy ending still works either way, as they truly aren’t alone literally if they died, while freeing their land from the Empire’s corruption and allowing their mother and the other villagers to shine down on them means they metaphorically aren’t alone. In a way, if they are the only ones left, still being alive and no one else ever comes to the planet is sort of a sadder ending in the long run, once you think about it. Either way, the happy ending is well-deserved for these two, no matter how you want to read it!
- I’m going to talk about these with each review, but do not miss out on watching the BTS videos for each short included in the Extras section! Punkrobot’s video revealed they visit Patagonia for inspiration for the locales of “In the Stars,” while also incorporating as much of the native cultures who lived there into character design and even in the nifty paint sequence which detailed the kid’s history.
- Also, Visions Vol. 2 soundtracks are on Spotify! Andrés Walker and Patricio Portius’ score is often melancholy, but there’s plenty of hope hidden in the rather beautiful “Mom’s Song” track. Feel the Force inside yourself by checking out all 10 tracks now!
Punkrobot’s “In the Stars” might be too on the nose, but it’s with such core concepts to the Saga as a whole, it’s easy to fall in love with the short and the tale of Koten and Tichina.
+ Upholding the political underpinnings of the Saga
+ Tichina and Koten’s tale and journey
+ Lovely animation and mournful, yet hopeful score
– Just a tad too on the nose
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”
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)