– Slight Spoiler Review –
The first of two shorts from Studio Trigger for Star Wars Visions, “The Twins” cuts straight to the core of the franchise’s themes, if maybe too quickly and on the nose, but it builds such an over-the-top, thrilling, and packed take on the Saga that it leaves you curious on where the titular twins will go next.
“The Twins” doesn’t waste much time, bringing viewers up to speed on its spin of the galaxy far, far away with an expositional opening that works effectively and didn’t feel like it was just info dumping. This swiftness never goes away, as the story kicks into hyperdrive, literally later, from there until its sun-soaked ending with an exaggerated anime style that matches its intensity and only makes it more exciting. The speed of the tale does mean Karre’s switch, one of the titular twins, has already happened, and while we get details on why he switched to the light side during the fight between him and his sister Am, it’s so rushed it doesn’t always feel like his turn is earned. It’s easy to dismiss this though because “The Twins” is truly an anime spectacle which constantly surprises with galaxy-sized ideas in its big fight, going some wild, fun places that left me wanting more. In fact, it ends in such a way I’d be curious to see where the team at Trigger could take the story next, as Am and Karre’s conflict and exaggerated style of their world would continue to make for exciting shorts. Otherwise, even if its honoring of the franchises themes, from the battle of good vs evil, siblings of destiny, and the power of love are a bit too on the nose, the twins are the Saga’s story writ large after all, it’s still a fun way to see the familiar repurposed here.
I haven’t watched a lot of anime, but I was big into Dragon Ball Z for a time (mainly around the Majin Buu Saga as it aired here in the US and some of the video games), Pokémon of course, and Yu-Gi-Oh! as well, and this over-the-top style and aggressive, epic-sized lightsaber battle brought me back to watching those shows nearly 20 years ago. There are lightsaber shooting heels, Karre’s saber hyperextends and goes supernova, and Am makes General Grievous’ multi-sabers look like child’s play. It’s a brilliant blast of action that delights and surprises throughout, while the camera work with the 2D style keeps the action in focus and dynamic throughout. I also really loved their suit designs, a riff on Darth Vader’s suit that feels special to the story of Karre and Am, from their familial connection to the purpose the dark side bred them for, while it fitst well with the exaggerated style. Plus, the biggest deviation, but one of the most intriguing, is the look of their joined Star Destroyers, symbolizing their bond, connection, and once again their purpose, while I’m sure the Empire/First Order will be jealous they didn’t think of it first.
With the original Japanese cast, Junya Enoki (Karre) and Ryoko Shiraishi (Am) really match the energy of the animation, making it feel larger than life with the short’s bombastic, hyper-fun action. On the English Dub, Neil Patrick Harris doesn’t quite match Enoki’s enthusiasm, nor Alison Brie’s, who voices Am, who seems to be having an absolute blast with the material, but Harris still has a heroic feel to his Karre delivery.
Here are a few other things:
- I highly suggest checking out each and every Filmmaker Focus extra for these shorts, as it allows a sneak peek into the design process and dives into each anime team’s intentions with their short and its inspirations. In the Filmmaker Focus for “The Twins,” Hiroyuki Imaishi discusses why he wanted to go big with the typical anime exaggerations for this one.
Trigger’s first Star Wars Visions short “The Twins” goes big in so many ways, and while it leaves some aspects behind to do so, it’s a memorable ride with true visual spectacle like you’d expect from anime.
+ Twinning at its finest
+ Exaggerated, action packed duel
– Passes by certain things in hyperdrive
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
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