Remember the finale of the first season of the 2D Clone Wars series? Or the CG trailers for The Old Republic MMO? Like nearly everybody, did you absolutely adore those?
Good. Because that means you’re all the more likely to enjoy Darth Maul: Apprentice. Directed and written by Shawn Bu, this fan film very much feels like a live action response to those shorts. It’s a little bit of a different take on the Star Wars universe; bending the rules a little bit to allow for some badass action moments, despite its relative simplicity. Sure, it isn’t able to go as far as those animated pieces are, but that’s easily forgiven, considering the medium they’re working in, as well as how close the film makers came to approximating it.
Considering the film is just a shade under fifteen minutes long, the plot is quite simple. Darth Maul (Ben Schamma) is pitted against a group of Jedi as his final test, courtesy of Darth Sidious (Lee Hua). The ending is predictable, considering Maul shows up in The Phantome Menace. There isn’t actually all that much else to say about the short film’s plot. But honestly, that’s more than forgivable, since all it is is set up for the awesome lightsaber duel that ensues.
The choreography is incredible, perhaps better than that of the Star Wars films (though this can be chalked up to the fact that most of them were made over a decade ago). It’s an extended battle, and one that is super entertaining to watch unfold. That’s really the draw of this film; watching Maul take on multiple Jedi simultaneously is really cool. The combat is surprisingly dynamic, so the film actually feels like a duel, rather than a bunch of amateurs playing around with plastic lightsabers they found at Toys-R-Us. The cinematography helps with this a good deal, and the camera is able to capture every bit of the combat, giving the film a lively, visceral feel. The effects and acting are both incredible, and essential in order to sell the experience.
On the topic of performances, what little character development there isn’t doesn’t come in the form of dialogue. The script is minimal, and honestly, the dialogue that is here is shaky. The lines are delivered effectively, but the writing isn’t great. That being said, the performances are enough to compensate. There are subtle changes in certain characters’ body language and facial expressions throughout the film’s run time. These serve to bring the characters to life
The standouts here are Mathis Landwehr as an unnamed Jedi Knight and Svenga Jung as his also unnamed apprentice, in part because these are the two Jedi with the most screen time. Look, I get that it’s not much, but honestly, the fact that there’s any character development here is impressive.
Despite the fast-paced action, the film is bookended by monologues from Sidious. It’s here where all of the exposition (such that it is) is found. And while I complained about some elements of the script earlier, Shawn Bu does a really good job of getting it out of the way quickly. He also manages to make it interesting. Bu absolutely nails Sidious’ character for the most part, and throws in bits and pieces of the Sith ideology where appropriate. These two monologues serve to add a little bit more weight, and also further immerse the viewer in the experience.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, you should definitely seek this film out. It’s on YouTube, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Plus, it’s just free entertainment, and it’s far from low quality. If you’re not super into Star Wars, well, it’ll just be a fifteen minute action sequence, which you may or may not be into. Considering my love for the franchise, it was a nice surprise that I had a really good time with.
