Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985) continues the adventures of Cindel and Wicket, plus it introduces and features Teek! It is of course the second television movie, the first one was Star Wars: Caravan of Courage (1983): http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2020/10/retro-review-star-wars-caravan-of.html. The setting was the Forest Moon of Endor and we are introduced to the Towani family. This was Cindel and Mace who have to ally with the Ewoks to free their parents, Jeremitt and Catarine, from the giant, Gorax. The movie is currently streaming on Disney+ as part of Vintage Star Wars. It is written and directed by Ken and Jim Wheats. They also wrote A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988). George Lucas provided the story for the film. We return to the Forest Moon of Endor, in the grassy fields, Cindel (Aubree Miller) and Wicket (Warwick Davis) play. Cindel had an all white clothes that looked like pajamas in the first movie, she has added a brown tunic.
On a hilltop, Cindel greets her father, Jeremitt (Paul Gleason), as he prepares the family’s star cruiser. Cindel explains to Wicket that they have to return home, unidentified, and go back to school. They head back to Wicket’s village, not on a treetop, but I hope they explain why the move to the forest floor. Wicket senses danger, they reach a hill, and hear the sounds of a battle! Marauders are capturing Ewoks and putting them in bone cage wagons. The Marauders are bony ridged aliens that wear armor cobbled together with ragged clothing. They carry blasters, but it seems their technology is cobbled together and they are in a sense stranded pirates. Their race was identified as Sanyassans in a 2002 article in the Star Wars Gamer magazine. I would actually prefer the Ewok’s enemies, the Duloks, green-furred, tribal warriors. They were in the Ewoks cartoon and I hope The Mandalorian makes them canon.
The wagons are being pulled by blurrgs. These are the bulky reptillian creatures with two legs and a short head. They entered canon with Star Wars: Clone Wars, “Liberty on Ryloth” (2009), and recently, the first episode of The Mandalorian. The Ugnaught, Kuiil, rode one. The leader of the Marauders is Terak (Carel Struycken). The actor was the Arquillian in Men in Black (1997). Wicket takes on a Marauder collecting Ewoks. Cindel finds that her life monitor warns her about her mother’s life. She races to find her. Cindel’s brother, Mace (Eric Walker), is busy defending the village with his blaster rifle. He warns her as Cindel finds her mother fallen at his side. He drags her to a hut. As Cindel runs, there is an explosion, and she finds Mace and her mother’s lights go out on her life monitor. The action may be typical for a fantasy movie, but the loss of family which was the whole point of the first film is just sad. After seeing the fantasy of Ewok Adventure, this gives some dramatic cred to the teddy bears taking on the Empire.
Jeremitt is being bashed around by Marauders at the star cruiser. He is met by the witch Charal (Siân Phillips). She played Revered Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam in Dune (1984). She wears a black-feathered coat and a metal breastplate like Morgan le Fay in Excalibur (1981). It was explained in Star Wars Illustrated Universe (1995) by Kevin J. Anderson that Charal is a Nightsister, these were women using the Dark Side of the Force and introduced in The Courtship of Princess Leia (1994) by Dave Wolverton. They entered canon with Clone Wars season three episode, “Nightsisters” (2011). Charal tells Jeremitt that Lord Terak is searching for what he possesses, but he is confused on what is the object. The Marauders begin tearing apart the star ship. Terak appears taking off a mask and he wants the Power. A Marauder has pulled free what looks like an energy canister from the ship. Terak holds it in front of the others.
Jeremitt uses a tree branch to knock down a Marauder and then picks up the pirate’s blaster to shoot another raider and try to escape. A Marauder shoots him in the back with his blaster rifle! Jeremitt reaches Cindel and runs with her. Terak sends his Marauders after him. Charal has a ring later identified as the Talisman of the Raven in Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side (2013) by Daniel Wallace. It had an indirect reference in Clone Wars. Charal twists the ring and throws her feathered cape to transform into a raven. Jeremitt has taken refuge with Cindel in a gap of a tree. The Marauders look for them. Jeremitt tells Cindel the story of the little bird and wants her to go to Deej and his family. The raven appears and croaks their location. Of course, this is like the raven in Willow (1988) and it does feel like there are elements of that film. Still, why doesn’t Jeremitt blast the bird? He sends Cindel off and shoots the Marauders. A rifleman fires and we see Jeremitt’s hand slide from the tree! Lucas’ story was to focus on an orphaned girl, but we have the tragedy of this beginning.
The raven flies after the running Cindel, kinda scary, and then runs into Charal who takes her away to the caged wagon. Wicket sees Cindel as the prisoner wagons start to move. It is interesting to see the blurrg effects, stop motion, on a television movie, this would Lucas’ early entry into television. The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) was turned over to other people. This eventually leads to The Mandalorian. At night, Cindel feels alone, and Wicket says he will watch over her. The Ewoks have broken the wooden floorboards and Wicket and Cindel are able to slip through the gap. They move to the side of the road, but two Marauders chase after them in the forest. They are escaping prisoners, but aliens blasting at little kids? Cindel and Wicket reach a mountain pass and Wicket has found a cave. The Marauders have an unfortunate end and should know not to play with blasters. Wicket assembles from bones and skins a glider while Cindel sleeps. He looks for the right bone in the cave and happens to waken in a dragon-like beast! It was identified as a condor dragon in The Illustrated Star Wars Universe.
Cindel throws a torch from the campfire, this would drive off the condor dragon! Still, it grabs Cindel and flies away! This action straight out of a Ray Harryhausen movie! Wicket takes the glider to rescue Cindel. They are able to reach the night forest and crash into the ground. He takes her to the safety of a gap in a tree. In the morning, while they sleep, a white-furry hand sneaks into Wicket’s bag. Wicket wakes up and we see the wizened, child-like face of Teek (Niki Botelho)! The actress reprised the part in the Star Tours (1987) ride video and also appeared in Batman Returns (1992)! He has buck teeth and long ears. The best part is that Teek can move at super speed more sustained than the bursts of speed by the Jedi. Cindel finds the little feller charming. Teek is the best character and very needed after the darkness of the beginning. Cindel tries to explain to him that they are hungry and Teek has them follow him. He leads them to the hut of Noa played by Wilford Brimley who passed away recently. Noa is a cranky explorer who has teamed up with Teek and may help the Ewoks win their freedom! Ewoks: The Battle for Endor expands on the story of the Ewoks, features incredible effects, and Teek!
Four Life Monitors out of Five!
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