Star Wars: Resistance, “The Recruit”, Review!

A moon, this resolves to the dome of a droid, AC-4, a nice twist to the Star Wars opening, then it picks up to three T-85 X-Wings racing ahead of a red TIE fighter.  They are carrying intel for the New Republic.  The pilot, Kazudo Xiono or Kaz (Christopher Sean), swings around to try to bide time for the others to go to hyperspace.  He blasts at the TIE fighter and his wing is clipped.  The TIE fighter closes in!  The droid panics as torpedoes head for the X-Wing, they are shot down by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).  It’s great that Isaac voices the role, but we know it’s a cameo part.  He engages the TIE fighter talking to BB-8! This is Star Wars!  The pilot wants to take on the TIE fighter even though he’s dead in space.  Poe leads the TIE fighter and then pulls up, the pilot strikes the TIE fighter cockpit, then it jumps to hyperspace.  A blockade runner offers the X-Wing fishers refuge.  Poe explains the ship is a classic from the Battle of Scarif to the Battle of Jakku so most likely it is the Tantive IV.   He offers Kaz to be a pilot in the Resistance.  Kaz explains that his father is a senator.  The animation style looks like soft watercolor, which probably makes it easy on the eyes for the younger audience, I don’t mind it.  This world is interesting, more so than what is in the Poe Dameron comic book, but I would like to see the new pilots of the Star Wars: Join the Resistance book series, this series takes place before Force Awakens so maybe later. The series is created by Dave Filoni, but I sense it is turned over to other creative hands. 

An announcement from General Organa for Poe and Kaz hands over the intel.  BB-8 converses with the droid.  Kaz heads over to refresher and then snoops around the ship.  Kaz stumbles into a room and sees BB-8 and a hologram of General Organa next to Poe Dameron. Poe explains the intel says there will be an attack by the First Order.  Now, Kaz wants to be a pilot.  Poe has a mission, but Kaz needs to contact his father first, it is a blurry transmission.  His father, Hamato Xiono (Tzi Ma) mentions that he helped Kaz into the Academy and the Navy so Kaz goes on his own. Poe Cameron explains that in the Outer Rim, is the planet Castellon, where he wants Kaz to be a spy for the Resistance.  He jumps a shuttle to Castellon. It heads down to the Colossus, a super tanker depot, Kaz knows it’s a hangout for pilots.  Poe says a First Order agent is there.  He lands the shuttle, BB-8 pops out first, Kaz sees a man thrown into the sea by a hulking alien.  Droids, aliens, it is rough place, Kaz sees three ships racing.  A Nikto, Neeku Vozo (Josh Brener) walks up to Kaz and introduces himself.  Neeku spreads Kaz’s boast around the base. 

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “The Recruit” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

The bartender, Aunt Z (Tovah Fedlshuh), greets the "best pilot in the galaxy", Kaz.  She slides a drink to Jarek Yeager (Scott Lawrence).  Poe goes to talk to him.  Kaz tries to sit down and a droid bumps him off.  Kaz tries a game of what looks like darts and makes a bet with an Aleena, Grevel (Dee Bradley Baker, stalwart Star Wars voice actor).  The alien (same as Ratts Tyerell) gives him a dart that he throws into the back of a large, Klatooinian, Bolza Grool (Fred Tatasciore).  It moves threateningly and growling at Kaz. On a balcony, Poe tries to explain that he is fighting for the future, but Yeager doesn’t want any of it.  Kaz is thrown around and a bar fight breaks out.  Bolza punches through a metal plate and knocks down Kaz!  Poe and Yeager see the Aleena splattered against the window, very funny.  Yeager fires his blaster to stop the fighting.  Kaz explains that he isn’t the best star pilot and Neeku is disappointed.  Kaz apologizes to Neeku and says that he could be the best pilot if he raced.  Neeku announces that Kaz will enter the race and believes in him.  Aunt Z takes bets against Kaz.  Poe leaves Kaz there and says that the race will bring him in to find the spy.  He has BB-8 watch over him.  A nice set-up, but they have to tie some blaster action in along with the ship racing.       

The seas of Castellon, ships race through rings around Colossus.  Kaz is frustrated with Neeku who says he wants to make Kaz’s piloting dream come true.  Neeku has the ambition to be on the best racing team and go to Goza Tower.  Yeager talks to Kaz about being a spy.  They head out to see the races and see Hype Fazon race ahead of the others.  It is great to see a Snivvian (same alien as Snaggletooth) and Ithorians, classic Star Wars aliens.  The holocams focus on Kaz as the best pilot in the known galaxy.  There are several pilots shown and Kaz picks the youngest pilot Torra Doza who has a smiling picture.  At the bar, Neeku is readying the Fireball for Kaz while Yeager says it’s a good ship.  The hangar opens and Kaz says it looks like “an explosion with wings.”  The mechanic, Tam Ryvora (Suzie McGrath), is angry that the Fireball is turned over to Kaz instead of her.  Yeager calls for the droid, Bucket, R1-J5.  It looks like the Star Tours pilot droid, RX-24.  Colossus, they are prepping the Fireball, Yeager goes over the missing parts for the ship.  They are met by the rival pilot, Torra Doza (Myrna Velasco).  Her design looks very anime.  She tells him not to hit the first marker.  Yeager tells him that the point of the race is not to win, but to survive. 

Neeku and Kaz head to a parts shop run by Flix (Jim Rash), a squat, white chicken-like alien, and Orka (Bobby Moynihan from SNL), a small Ugnaught, and a pit droid greets them.  Kaz has to pay for the parts and they bet over the race.  Orka will give them used parts in exchange for a meal of a gorg.  In the market, the two friends walk, Kaz walks over to a tank of creatures, it is run by Bolza.  He holds Kaz up and he makes a deal.  Kaz brings back the gorg that hops around.  They load up Kaz with the parts.  Tam and Yeager see the condition of the parts and Kaz walks out frustrated.  At night, Kaz talks about his father running everything, Yeager overhears him. Morning, the Fireball is loaded, Yeager is on the comm, and reminds him of his mission.  The Fireball is lowered as well as Torra’s ship.  Kaz starts up the engine and it fails, the ship falls, and then the engines kick in.  He closes in and is right underneath Torra’s ship.  The Fireball’s engine starts to sputter and then burns.  

The ship flies through the hoop and crashes, great action with the pov of the cockpit hitting the ocean. It always seems as if creators are trying to find a way to improve the Podracing scene in Episode I, but here I think the creative team knows how to get Lucas' love of speed and racing into a story so it works. Kaz recovers and thanks Yeager who gives him a place to stay.  We get a sunset scene with Kaz sitting next to BB-8.  The TIE fighter pilot, the mysterious Major Vonreg (Lex Lang), reaches a group of Star Destroyers above Star Killer Base.  He gives a report to Captain Phasma.  This is an excellent beginning for the animated series with great potential.  It seems like a cohesive universe with prequel and classic aliens in the Sequel Trilogy setting.  I hope they travel to other planets, like Batuu to be honest, and love that there is a main character, female pilot, but still animated, I would still like to see a live action, main character, female pilot.   

Four Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWarsResistance, #TheRecruit, #KazudoXiono, #TorraDoza