ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Alison Brie

Star Wars Visions: A Whole New World

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As a Star Wars fan, I’ve grown accustomed to a certain style of storytelling. Not necessarily because I wanted to… but because I knew that that was just how things were going to be.

Disney bought Star Wars and they had a formula that they wanted to maintain.

This was most evident when Disney first purchased Lucasfilm back in 2014. While the excitement was high for fans about the return of the franchise, the fallout was swift. With the House of Mouse’s desire to control its properties, any books, video games, and comics that were released under the Star Wars label (other than the six films) were no longer considered ‘canon’ and disappeared. (Sigh. Where did you go Dark Forces?) With a single blast from their proverbial Death Star, Disney vaporized such beloved characters as Mara Jade, Grand Admiral Thrawn and more from the Star Wars universe. While some of those characters have been reintroduced over the years, fans were left angered as their favourite tales were deemed unworthy of the next generation of stories. Admittedly, there’s certainly an argument for this decision (after all, Disney couldn’t possible may all these conflicting stories work within their continuity). However, it also limited the space for any real originality to the universe.

Then, along came Star Wars: Visions.

Now available on Disney+, Star Wars: Visions is a 9-episode series of shorts produced by six different Japanese animation studios. Directed in differing styles of anime by different directors, each episode feels like a completely new and exciting interpretation of the galaxy far, far away. 

What’s most impressive though is that, with the release of these shorts, Disney has injected a breath of fresh bacta into the Star Wars tank. Unhampered by the burden of ‘canon’, these visions rely on something much more important: creativity. Like a bolt of lightning, these simple stories have energized a world which had become a little stale. (Aside from Baby Yoda, of course.) For once, Disney allowed their storytellers to develop their own… well… vision for their closely guarded universe, create unique characters and styles that showcase the talents of their artists. Though it’s safe to say that there were certain boundaries given, every short differs wildly from one another and challenges our assumptions about the Star Wars universe. 

A samurai protects a small village from a Sith Lord.

A band of youth embark on a dangerous mission to rescue their friend from Jabba the Hutt.

Two twin siblings battle to redeem (or recruit) the other.

Each individual narrative is fully enclosed with no reliance on the other episodes. That gives each storyteller the freedom to simply dip their toe into the sands of Tatooine without being burdened by larger narratives or story arcs. Most importantly though, they allow the animators to tell their stories in their own voice in their own way. From Solo to Rogue One, there are multiple stories in recent years that site Disney’s penchant to control their IP and has resulted in the firing of numerous directors. However, with Visions, the House of Mouse has turned off the targeting computer and let their animators have the freedom that they need.

And the results are stunning. 

Featuring some truly eye-popping animation, it is refreshing to see the universe stretched with its interpretations. From their use of colour and style to their philosophical conversations, every individual episode feels like a masterclass in anime storytelling. (In addition, the voice cast features some impressive talent as well, including Shang Chi‘s Simu Liu, Henry Golding, George Takei, Alison Brie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and, of course, Tamuera Morrison returning as Boba Fett.)

In this way, although not quite the restoration of what was lost, these new visions of the Star Wars universe feel like Disney has given a gift to the fans. 

And not just the animators either.

Star Wars: Visions feels like a long overdue gift to those who have been clamouring to hear their own voice represented in the Star Wars universe. Frankly, this begs the question of what could be next? Could there be Star Wars stories told from an African perspective? Indian? Middle-Eastern? The possibilities are endless… and every one of them has the potential to bridge the cultural gap in storytelling as well. No, Visions hasn’t changed the game—but it has provided an opportunity for the world to share in a property that had previously only been told from one perspective.

So, maybe something old really can be new again.

Star Wars: Visions is available on Disney+ on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021

Happiest Season: Everyone’s Story has a Place

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I’ll get right to the point: if you’re looking for something charming and funny as we cautiously look to the end of 2020, Happiest Season is everything you could possibly need.

Personally, I can handle about zero angst in movies right now. Call it a casualty of 2020, but my tolerance for anything overly serious or dramatic is essentially nonexistent, especially if it’s in a movie I’ve never seen. Now granted, there is the relational angst that is often the central conflict in holiday films, and Happiest Season totally has that covered. But it was a good angst, and I’ll explain why.

But first, let’s start with the cast. I have two words for you: Dan Levy. Yes, THAT Dan Levy of sweeping Emmy wins for Schitt’s Creek, one of People magazine’s Sexiest Men of Alive, and all around beloved by basically everyone these days. I don’t even know if he’s considered a main character or not as best friend John, but his presence alone is a reason to watch. Of course, stars like Kristen Stewart, Victor Garber, Mary Steenburgen, Aubrey Plaza, Mackenzie Davis, and Alison Brie (what a cast, amiright?) elevate this heartwarming story into something special.

Perfect couple Abby and Harper (Stewart and Davis respectively) make plans to visit Harper’s family for Christmas. But there is one *major* wrinkle in the plan – Harper’s parents don’t know she is gay and in a relationship with the “orphan roommate” she has brought home.  Compounded by her parents’ stress surrounding Ted’s bid for major (Ted and Tipper are played by Garbor and Steenburgen), Harper keeps Abby at arm’s length and back in the closet. Naturally some old flames of Harper’s show up, including her first girlfriend Riley (Aubrey Plaza). Between sisterly competition, pressure to impress, and secrets uncovered, everything compounds on Christmas Eve, and this seemingly perfect family explodes into disarray.

I’m going to leave it there as far as plot, because I’m hoping you will watch the film. (Make sure that you watch the credits too for the pictures that continue the story.) From here, I’m going to get a bit personal, so I hope you’ll stick around and indulge me for a moment or two.

Representation in film is something that I am becoming increasingly aware of because I believe that film is for everyone. Everyone should be able to look up or at a screen and see themselves. As a straight, Christian woman, I am not at all offended by a lesbian-centric storyline. It’s about telling the stories that are happening every day all over the world. It’s totally ok for good stories to be just that – good stories. And those stories aren’t limited to heterosexual relationships.

Maybe there wasn’t necessary anything “new” per se in Happiest Season but it was genuine and sweet. But, most importantly, the film is about loving your own story and those who are a part of it. And that’s a lesson we can all embrace. 

Happiest Season is available on Hulu now.

The Lego Movie 2: The Toxic Gender Wars

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We all owe Disney a collective ‘Thank You’.

After their unceremonial firing as directors of Solo: A Star Wars Story, Phil Lord and Chris Miller were immediately offered involvement in two projects that needed guidance. One such project was Spider-Man: Into The Spider Verse, an animated spin outside the confines of the MCU that was met with critical acclaim and may well net a Best Animated award from this month’s Oscars. The other project was, of course, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, a sequel which clearly benefits from their unique energy and voice.

The Second Part arrives at an interesting point in the franchise. Despite the critical and financial success of the first film and its follow-up Lego Batman, the misstep of The Lego Ninjago Movie seems to have tempered anticipation for the world of Bricksburg. While the first entry felt like a fresh take on the importance of play (and its stunning connection to the human world), follow-ups have felt increasingly like extended toy commercials. Thankfully, The Second Part feels like a return to form for the series that almost achieves the same success as the first.

Directed by Mike Mitchell (Sky High) and produced by Lord and Miller, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part begins immediately following the events of Taco Tuesday in the first film. Here, the citizens of Bricksburg face a dangerous new threat when invaders from space begin to destroy everything in their path. When Lucy, Batman and their friends are kidnapped and taken to the land of DUPLO, Emmett must venture into unknown territory in an effort to save them from the villainous Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi.

Filled with Lord and Miller’s trademark whip-smart pop culture references and layered dialogue, The Second Part further embraces the interaction between the imaginative and human world by taking the beloved characters beyond the basement and into the vast unexplored region of the Systar system. While the first film was concerned with Emmett’s journey to discovering what it means to be ‘The Special’, The Second Part shifts gears to explore the dangers of toxic gender roles. As the now beloved characters darkly brood over the state of Apocolypseburg, the greatest threat to their world seems to be… brightly colored hearts and glittery musical numbers. Led by WyldStyle and Batman, the lost Legos do their best not to succumb to the suspicious nature of the female-branded toys. (After all, anything that causes Superman and Lex Luthor to become friends must be evil!)

On the other hand, Emmett’s journey to save his friends also brings him into contact with Rex Dangervest (also Chris Pratt), a galaxy-defending space cowboy that trains raptors. Without giving away any spoilers, the inclusion of the dual role for Pratt provides an opportunity to hilariously satire the more ‘masculine’ roles that he has played through his career and lampoon their perceived macho traits. (In fact, the film also includes a cameo by one of Hollywood’s most accomplished action heroes as he mocks one of his most famous characters.) By throwing these two very different gender stereotypes up against one another, The Second Part effectively explores the toxic nature of all labels, encouraging the value of celebrating people for who they are. As a result, there is a divine equality within The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part that acknowledges to our differences and also creates space for celebrating them as well.

While the sequel doesn’t quite carry the same resonance of the first film, the film remains sharp and entertaining with new thematic ground to cover. Thanks to the crazed brilliance of Lord and Miller, The Second Part is funny, self-aware, and more than willing to help children engage in complex topics worth discussion.

So, yes. In the end, everything is still awesome.

Special Features include “Everything is Awesome Sing-along,” “They Come in Pieces: Assembling The LEGO Movie 2,”​ “Emmet’s Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short,” “LEGO Sets in Action” (highlighting LEGO product), “LEGO Designers,” “Super Cool Music Video” (by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island), outtakes and deleted scenes, and promotion spots.