The Acolyte

Take one of the most exciting and expansive fictional universes with iconic characters and storylines... then just tear it up without respect to its original mythos, lore, etc. That's the path of destruction that Disney has been on, save Andor, Rogue One, and to an extent, the Mandalorian.

It's sad because I'm sure lots of talented professionals worked on this. Tragically, the writing and acting is truly terrible. Special effects are great, but that's not enough to compensate for all its other flaws.

As a fan, I want to give it zero stars. Out of respect for the special effects artists, I'm giving 3.

Disney's latest foray into the Star Wars saga, "The Acolyte," is a disappointing addition that fails to live up to its potential. Despite its ambitious premise, the series stumbles in almost every aspect, making it a frustrating watch as a Star wars fan.

First and foremost, the storytelling in "The Acolyte" is a mess. The plot feels disjointed and poorly paced, with episodes dragging on without meaningful progression. Instead of building a cohesive narrative, the series opts for a convoluted storyline that leaves you more confused than intrigued. The characters, who should be the heart of any Star Wars story, are underdeveloped and lack depth. Their motivations while clear, however their actions often seem inexplicable, making it hard to care about their fates. Just aweful.

The dialogue is another major issue. It's riddled with clichés and uninspired lines that fail to capture the epic feel of the Star Wars universe. Moments that should be filled with tension and drama instead come across as flat and lifeless. The series also tries to inject humor inappropriately, breaking any semblance of immersion.

Visually, "The Acolyte" is a mixed bag. While some of the special effects are impressive, they can't compensate for the lackluster set designs and uninspired cinematography. The series does little to explore new and exciting worlds, instead rehashing familiar settings without adding anything fresh or innovative. Worse still, the entire production feels like a low-budget endeavor. The costumes look cheap, the practical effects are lackluster, and many scenes lack the polish one would expect from a major franchise like Star Wars.

The cast, despite their best efforts, struggle with the material they are given. Talented actors are wasted on poorly written characters and uninspired dialogue, resulting in performances that feel wooden and unengaging. The chemistry between the leads is virtually nonexistent, further diminishing the series' emotional impact.

In conclusion, "The Acolyte" is a missed opportunity for Disney and the Star Wars franchise. It lacks the compelling narrative, strong characters, and captivating visuals that fans have come to expect. Instead of expanding the Star Wars universe in meaningful ways, it feels like a hollow, forgettable addition. The low-budget feel only exacerbates its shortcomings, making it hard to recommend "The Acolyte." Save your time and look elsewhere for your sci-fi fix.

Quite literally the worst Star Wars project since the Holiday Special. It actively changes the Star Wars universe, the nature of the Force, and all of the canon that has come before. It's straight garbage, written by people with no respect for the franchise, and directed by people with no capability of creating a TV show. It's profoundly senseless.

Poorly written, poorly acted, poorly edited, and poorly paced. The entire show appears to be little more than a vanity project full of self-inserts rather than real characters. The decisions made by the characters don't make sense and break immersion constantly. The concepts introduced seem to be little more than whims, with no reasoning behind them and no explanation as to why they don't line up with franchise canon.

The idea behind the story may be decent, but the writer/showrunner is far too vain and inept to give it a proper attempt.

Episode 1 was hard to watch. Writing on this series so far is at the CW level, and toward the low end of that. The casting, or miscasting perhaps, is baffling. The lead looks too young for the character she portrays, and lacks seriously in presence. The character isn't interesting to boot. What was the thinking behind assigning her this acting task? Other characters suffer from the same mismatch problems. It's as if the characters and their actors were drawn out of a hat.

Onto other issues. Dialog is clunky. As an example during a fight, one character asks another why they are there. Answer: to kill you. If killing with excess cringe were STAR WARS canon, this would be a dangerous weapon for THE ACOLYTE.

Kung-fu action is another main theme for this series. Why? It doesn't look like STAR WARS. Could we get some explanation why the fighting style is suddenly front and center?

In sum, THE ACOLYTE is a poorly written mess out the gate, and it suffers from an apparent general lack of understanding in regard to the STAR WARS universe. Overall showrunning on this one is poor.

I hoped for the best when they announced the actors and actresses. I was hoping for good story telling and character development but I don't see anything like it. I'm not some Angry White Guy, I'm African American and this was a Huge Disappointment for the stars you placed in the line of fire.

"More of Us Campaign" was a waste of time.

"Star Wars is not for Everyone" it has a core audience and fan base and telling us to deal with Diversity, Inclusion and Equity- where it was already a thing is ridiculous. Billy D Williams wasn't a diversity hire- he was a skilled actor. There were powerful women characters and they were developed to a point we cared about them and got to know them. This series lack depth.