Star Wars has perhaps produced more fan films than any other fiction universe. Even Star Trek, which has existed much longer, is not nearly as rife with new material on the regular. That could have something to do with Paramount’s treatment of fan film producers but even that does not completely explain things. Regardless of the reason, there is absolutely no shortage of new material set in the Star Wars universe to watch by fans.
In that spirit I present three more short films inspired by Star Wars. I hope you enjoy!
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Star Wars: X-Wing-A Star Wars Fan Film
- Directed by Christopher Parks
- May 24, 2022
The New Republic launches an assault to liberate Coruscant with the pilots of Wraith Squadron rushing into the fray for support.
Star Wars: X-Wing-A Star Wars Fan Film is based off of the X-Wing video game series and Michael Stackpole’s X-Wing novel The Krytos Trap. It has been a very long time since I played the former and have never read the latter. I honestly thought this acted as an origin for Darth Vader’s ship Executor. You could go into this thinking what I thought and still enjoy yourself.
That is a strength. It is not so tightly anchored to its inspiration that you cannot enjoy yourself for the five minutes you will spend watching. It fits nicely into previously existing works without the viewer needing to be immersed in them. Canonical material could learn from that. The need for accessibility should trump the need to ensure returning customers. The former will create the latter.
The story takes place during a battle and it is one great sequence. Much like the best of Star Wars, it is a dynamic and intense dogfight that is as exciting and adrenaline pumping as one would expect.
Star Wars: X-Wing-A Star Wars Fan Film is certainly one of the finest Star Wars fan productions I have seen. It is most certainly worth a look.
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A Blaster In The Right Hands: A Star Wars Story
- Directed by Richard de Carvalho
- May 31, 2021 (Australia)
Two bounty hunters come to blows over a valuable cargo, only to discover they’re not the only ones hot on its trail.
With a few lines and some opening text, we know this film is set sometime shortly before A New Hope. There is not fistfuls of exposition or extended setup but rather they deftly set the stage and get right to the narrative.
I am not up on the minutia of the Star Wars expanded universe or the current canon itself. A great deal changed in a short period and the time I had to consume is not the same as I have as an adult. As far as I can tell the characters shown here are largely original characters though this film doesn’t set about creating its own lore. Rather it digs into existing or at least what I know of for its characters and events.
I found the featured Twi’lek called Ja’kar (Ben Hamilton) an interesting character. He came off as a bit of us Han Solo type but with more of a heart. He had enough given to him that I would have liked some more.
There are some humorous moments that fit in with the Star Wars universe such as references to the Black Sun and then the action kicks in and it’s at that point where a mysterious sharpshooter surprises everybody and takes pretty much everyone out.
The fight between Ja’kar and the other bounty hunter Sirik (Kirsty McKenzie) is a little slow. It needed to be sped up a bit. I know film fights are choreographed but the trick is not not APPEAR choreographed. This looked choreographed.
The big payoff though is the appearance of Boba Fett in what amounts to a duel with Ja’kar. They managed to give it a bit of a Western center of the town feel.
With its good production values and a good story, A Blaster In The Right Hands: A Star Wars Story is an enjoyable watch. While I do complain about the staging of the action overall it’s definitely worth taking a watch.
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Remnants of the Order
- Directed by Kees van Hattum
- March 24, 2018 (Netherlands)
A young woman who has grown up under the Empire and hardly notices the war raging will find that she cannot stay distanced forever.
Remnants of the Order is a lower budgeted film that manages to do a good yet small Star Wars story. It does so because it doesn’t reach beyond its limited resources. Rather it realizes what it has and gets the most it can out of it.
What special effects we do get are very good. They use them strategically. There is just enough to set up the world in which events occur. Effects are good but the story needs to be the focus. Effects are a tool to tell your story.
The narrative connects to Order 66 and has shades of the sequel trilogy in it. A young woman named Pai (July Janssen) and her Uncle Bolo (Abel Sanders) scrape a living by selling junk they find out in the world to the local Imperials. Why the Empire takes junk I don’t know. There are junk dealers and so forth in Star Wars, but the Empire has never been shown to have anything to do with them.
The acting is surprisingly good. We get fine performers in here. Fan films can be hit or miss with the quality of the acting but this one is by far some of the best I have. And the dialogue can hit hard. “You think life is simple because I have made it simple for you!” That bit of dialogue from Bolo was a little deeper than I expected.
Pai is friends with a Stormtrooper whom she sees as her best friend. One could see the events of this story as showing true friends or the reality of the world and her friend isn’t as much of a friend as she would expect. Not everyone is your friend and the world can be tough and complicated is a serious lesson.
There’s a scene where it appears Pai’s body gets taken over by the Force ghost of a Jedi that was killed on the planet during Order 66. There seems to be a new Jedi power every now and then. I’m okay with that but something about taking over a body rather than just coaching her like Obi-Wan might seems a bit Sith-like.
The pacing is good and story itself was entertaining. Remnants of the Order is one of those ones you should check out.
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YouTube is a source for a plethora of original Star Wars content. You can find stuff with legacy characters or even original creations. And best of all most if not all feels as if it belongs in Star Wars.
Warren Watched A Movie 