It seemed really childish and the animation and writing weren't on-par with the other Star Wars animated series. However, I remember feeling the same way about Rebels and even The Clone Wars when those shows first started, so I defended it on the grounds that the show would likely mature with its audience and get darker and more dramatic as the series progressed. By the end of the first season, that seemed to be the direction the show was going in. One of the main characters joins the First Order and now our heroes are on the run. What's going to happen next?? Mostly a bunch of stupid standalone adventures that don't really progress the plot or develop the characters. Yeah, the second season felt really meandering compared to the first season, most of the episodes didn't even have the main conflict set up at the end of the first season in them. Then it shows up again, and then the show just kinda ends before it really even got a chance to begin. This show was a whole lot of nothing, ultimately. For a show titled Star Wars Resistance, it does not really give any larger context to the Resistance and the sequel era the way Rebels did for the Rebellion and the originals or The Clone Wars did for the Republic and the prequels. It feels weirdly separate, most of the show technically doesn't even have the Resistance in it. It feels more like LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures than Rebels. To be very honest, I believe this show was cancelled behind the scenes. I think the show was supposed to go on for longer, but was cancelled prematurely because it wasn't successful enough. I don't have any evidence to back that up, but it just feels that way to me. There are some strengths to the show, the voice acting is good, it's designed well, the main setting is very well-developed and the characters are likeable and memorable, but that's still not enough to make up for the lacklustre writing. Overall, if you really like Star Wars and are starved for new content, check it out. Otherwise, I'd say skip it unless you're under the age of 12, but even then I'd recommend Rebels and The Clone Wars over this show any day. Very disappointing.
190 Reviews
Kaz just doesn't cut it.
simonpetercun2 August 2020
Although I liked the fact this series adds to the story of the last 3 films (kind of), the main star Kaz is just so damn annoying, so is his green friend Niko who is like this animated series version of Jar Jar. I watched all of season 1 and now on to 2 but Kaz is beginning to seriously ware thin. He is just too clumsy it's not even funny. Star Wars Rebels had some seriousness too it, this is like a piss take.
Reviews are way overly harsh. Misses the mark, but only barely.
etmachina31 March 2021
Overall, this show is massively disappointing, but not because it's really that bad - it just has such a vaunted legacy to live up to, and had such promise that it doesn't reach.
First, the artwork is beautiful. I only wish the the other Star Wars cartoons had anime-inspired artwork like this instead of the awful, dated, digital style they have.
But the other SW cartoons succeed in spite of their artwork, the writing is that good -- and the inverse is Resistance. In spite of the beautiful animation, the show never takes off, the writing is that directionless.
In contrast to the other SW cartoons, there's almost no tie-in to the specific plot of the SW movies, with an exception or two. It's just broad strokes about life in the SW universe during the time of "The First Order", centered around a "platform"/station. There's little about Jedi. It makes this cartoon into something else entirely. It's slow and mundane with occasional action. It's basically a lighthearted drama. Similar to SW Rebels, the main character isn't very likable. But it almost works.
While Resistance tries to keep it relatively light and humorous, it's rarely actually funny -- but admirably, it's not cringe-worthy either. There are some flashes of quite clever and unexpected humor with surprisingly nuanced comedic timing, in fact. Such as when a good-guy droid tries to get a prisoner to talk by submitting them to nails-on-chalkboard sounds..only to have another of the good guys abruptly tell them to stop bc it's annoying. Not easy to pull-off.
The character development is decent, like the other SW cartoons, and overall the writing is far better than the sequel SW movies - unfortunately that's the universe that this show operates in, so perhaps it's for the best it doesn't waste time trying to make sense of nonsense and cuts it's own path.
If they made a third season, I'd come back for it. For me, Rebels only took off in its 2nd season, before becoming my favorite over the Clone Wars series. Regardless, I appreciated this effort overall - when the beautiful artwork of Resistance gets paired with the writing success and compelling narrative of the previous SW cartoons, it's going to be an absolute winner.
First, the artwork is beautiful. I only wish the the other Star Wars cartoons had anime-inspired artwork like this instead of the awful, dated, digital style they have.
But the other SW cartoons succeed in spite of their artwork, the writing is that good -- and the inverse is Resistance. In spite of the beautiful animation, the show never takes off, the writing is that directionless.
In contrast to the other SW cartoons, there's almost no tie-in to the specific plot of the SW movies, with an exception or two. It's just broad strokes about life in the SW universe during the time of "The First Order", centered around a "platform"/station. There's little about Jedi. It makes this cartoon into something else entirely. It's slow and mundane with occasional action. It's basically a lighthearted drama. Similar to SW Rebels, the main character isn't very likable. But it almost works.
While Resistance tries to keep it relatively light and humorous, it's rarely actually funny -- but admirably, it's not cringe-worthy either. There are some flashes of quite clever and unexpected humor with surprisingly nuanced comedic timing, in fact. Such as when a good-guy droid tries to get a prisoner to talk by submitting them to nails-on-chalkboard sounds..only to have another of the good guys abruptly tell them to stop bc it's annoying. Not easy to pull-off.
The character development is decent, like the other SW cartoons, and overall the writing is far better than the sequel SW movies - unfortunately that's the universe that this show operates in, so perhaps it's for the best it doesn't waste time trying to make sense of nonsense and cuts it's own path.
If they made a third season, I'd come back for it. For me, Rebels only took off in its 2nd season, before becoming my favorite over the Clone Wars series. Regardless, I appreciated this effort overall - when the beautiful artwork of Resistance gets paired with the writing success and compelling narrative of the previous SW cartoons, it's going to be an absolute winner.
No Stars, No Wars, and no Resistance.
jacobjango17 December 2018
This new series is creatively bankrupt from the start. This is a Star Wars without any of the adventure, any conflict, character, or creativity. The entire series so far (up to episode 10) takes place around one system. The planet is just a platform surrounded by water, very similar to the Kamino planet from Attack of the Clones. There are no landscapes to explore. This is almost like a sitcom. The small cast of characters walks around this one area doing nothing of interest besides solving very watered down problems while weak slapstick goes on. It could have used a laugh track. The "just for kids" excuse is false. This show has the same TV-Y7 rating as Rebels. It is just made as a cheap cash-grab. I grew up watching the Clone Wars 2D and 3D cartoons. Those were perfectly age appropriate and still watchable as an adult. This is just the laziest thing. It is a disgrace.
Just okay
jwwalrath-227-8548728 January 2020
Resistance is the weakest of the three recent Star Wars cartoons (the others being Clone Wars and Rebels if you are unaware). It is content to be a basic children's show. There's nothing really wrong with the episodes; they are mostly decent. The show has a nice and diverse cast. I don't see any kid not being entertained by this.
It's just that from an adult Star Wars fan's view that the stories and characters never meet their full potential. Even the series finale felt like it could've been more.
As for the show's appearance, it shifts from regular 3D animation to a cell-shaded-type 3D. The spacecraft and locations look really nice but there is always something a little off with the characters. I think the issue is the lack of line work.
Overall, I can't either recommend this or say you should avoid it. If you want something for your kids to see, it'll do.
It's just that from an adult Star Wars fan's view that the stories and characters never meet their full potential. Even the series finale felt like it could've been more.
As for the show's appearance, it shifts from regular 3D animation to a cell-shaded-type 3D. The spacecraft and locations look really nice but there is always something a little off with the characters. I think the issue is the lack of line work.
Overall, I can't either recommend this or say you should avoid it. If you want something for your kids to see, it'll do.
I'm 24, I came to watch it excited that it would be just as good as Rebels, grew up with Star Wars, and...I just can't like it.
ajbman-4822223 October 2018
So first thing first, I created an account literally just to post this review.
I loved Clone Wars, I loved Rebels. I play the role-playing game by Fantasy Flight (as well as previous editions), X-Wing, and other Star Wars games. I grew up with it in my home. Unfortunately, as of 10/22/18 when i watched the 3 episodes that are currently out, I just could not enjoy this.
I will list my gripes.
-Main character Kaz is just unlikable: So Kaz could be described as rough around the edges because we're 3 episodes in. Truth be told, I could barely stand Ezra in Rebels early on because he was just a whiny kid, but the supporting cast let him grow into a wonderful character, worthy of respect, and admiration. Kaz is as old, or older than Ezra was when Ezra was respectable, but he's just a spoiled brat. I'll give him points for stating the fact that his father gave him everything, but when he starts whining about working, the magic kinda dies.
-The mentor is just garbage: So the mentor character, Jarek is an old soldier kind of guy. Without spoiling anything, he fought in the Galactic Civil War and truth be told, he probably lost some good friends back then. You can tell that he's sick of war and so he doesn't want to get involved in what is going on leading up to Episode 7. HOWEVER, he does not even begin to help Kaz with learning other than a "Why are you bad at this?" mentality. Like Kaz, he could grow. Kanan was not a good mentor at first but pretty early on he was admitting it to himself and wanting to improve.
-The animation style is a complete departure from what they did for Clone Wars and Rebels. So the animation style that they used for Resistance kind of reminds me of...Storm Hawks? If anyone remembers that. They seem to have departed from an outstanding animation style that looked to just be getting better. Maybe they wanted a different look for this one, or maybe the cost for that look just got too high. My bet is on the latter and I don't think I'll lose that bet.
-Supporting cast is meh: Neeku is over-the-top in his "I don't understand something non-literal and am thus easily-duped" mentality. Tam is just grumpy. Zeb was surly but you could see that there was more underneath. Bucket is just a cheap knockoff of Chopper. Chopper was rude and funny. Bucket is just...well he's over a century old and I guess there's respect there? I don't think so. Honestly, the 2 shop keeps that sell the parts are my favorite characters so far. They're funny and act like people I've met before as in those two are characters people can relate to.
My tl:dr of Resistance as of the time of writing this is: Star Wars Resistance could be a slightly better than mediocre kids show about a kid growing into a hero if it had not had the Star Wars name on it. Along the same lines that the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie and the Eragon movie could have been slightly better than mediocre movies if they didn't have those names. When something has the name "Star Wars" on it, the fans expect a certain level. Resistance just doesn't reach that level. Maybe it will get there, but I don't personally think so. I will keep watching, but not with glorious anticipation that I awaited Rebels with. Hopefully the continuation of Ezra's story is not A. marred by this series' reception, or B. a bad Rebels.
-The mentor is just garbage: So the mentor character, Jarek is an old soldier kind of guy. Without spoiling anything, he fought in the Galactic Civil War and truth be told, he probably lost some good friends back then. You can tell that he's sick of war and so he doesn't want to get involved in what is going on leading up to Episode 7. HOWEVER, he does not even begin to help Kaz with learning other than a "Why are you bad at this?" mentality. Like Kaz, he could grow. Kanan was not a good mentor at first but pretty early on he was admitting it to himself and wanting to improve.
-The animation style is a complete departure from what they did for Clone Wars and Rebels. So the animation style that they used for Resistance kind of reminds me of...Storm Hawks? If anyone remembers that. They seem to have departed from an outstanding animation style that looked to just be getting better. Maybe they wanted a different look for this one, or maybe the cost for that look just got too high. My bet is on the latter and I don't think I'll lose that bet.
-Supporting cast is meh: Neeku is over-the-top in his "I don't understand something non-literal and am thus easily-duped" mentality. Tam is just grumpy. Zeb was surly but you could see that there was more underneath. Bucket is just a cheap knockoff of Chopper. Chopper was rude and funny. Bucket is just...well he's over a century old and I guess there's respect there? I don't think so. Honestly, the 2 shop keeps that sell the parts are my favorite characters so far. They're funny and act like people I've met before as in those two are characters people can relate to.
My tl:dr of Resistance as of the time of writing this is: Star Wars Resistance could be a slightly better than mediocre kids show about a kid growing into a hero if it had not had the Star Wars name on it. Along the same lines that the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie and the Eragon movie could have been slightly better than mediocre movies if they didn't have those names. When something has the name "Star Wars" on it, the fans expect a certain level. Resistance just doesn't reach that level. Maybe it will get there, but I don't personally think so. I will keep watching, but not with glorious anticipation that I awaited Rebels with. Hopefully the continuation of Ezra's story is not A. marred by this series' reception, or B. a bad Rebels.
Great for Younglings
travthompson24 June 2019
This show leans towards the younger demographic which is great. My 5 year old daughter and I really enjoyed watching this together. The last quarter of the season really picks up plot wise and we look forward to season 2.
OMG....Disney....what have you done?
vorennaal15 October 2018
I have been a huge fan of TCW/Rebels and I think Dave Filoni absolutely deserves all the respect for what he has done on both Rebels and TCW. After watching 4 episodes of Resistance, my neurotransmitters stoped working and I have become resistant. Boring, unimaginative, poorly written and acted show, a big letdown for no reason. And please, don't come back with excuses. The number one excuse I am tired of hearing; "This is a kid show for kids." The most common excuse we hear from certain types of people. And we've heard this many times. I am so sick and tired of hearing excuses.
Disney....TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for your actions, for each and every decision you make. And don't blame us for bad writing because we're the FANS, your customers. There is no such thing as "Russian hacking conspiracy againts Star Wars." There is no such thing as Russian bots and trolls attempted to influence sentiment around Star Wars. There are bad writers, badly written characters, unimaginative storyline and most of all: bad leadership. A bad Star Wars show what it is and your lies, deceptions and broken promises don't make it any better. And I'm tired of the lies and the broken promises that were never meant to be kept. I had great expectations in 2015, and now i am terribly terribly disappointed. And I am not a ruassian spy, nor a paid troll....I have been a Star Wars fan sice I was BORN.
Facts:
This show is extremly BORING and your miserable excuse doesn't make it any better. Poorly written, unimaginative, boring. Can't compare to Rebels, which was a child show designed for and marketed to children but with great storyline and superb characters. Being a child doesn't make you stupid. if you can't make decent Star Wars don't blame the fans, Disney; this one's on you.
Disney....TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for your actions, for each and every decision you make. And don't blame us for bad writing because we're the FANS, your customers. There is no such thing as "Russian hacking conspiracy againts Star Wars." There is no such thing as Russian bots and trolls attempted to influence sentiment around Star Wars. There are bad writers, badly written characters, unimaginative storyline and most of all: bad leadership. A bad Star Wars show what it is and your lies, deceptions and broken promises don't make it any better. And I'm tired of the lies and the broken promises that were never meant to be kept. I had great expectations in 2015, and now i am terribly terribly disappointed. And I am not a ruassian spy, nor a paid troll....I have been a Star Wars fan sice I was BORN.
Facts:
This show is extremly BORING and your miserable excuse doesn't make it any better. Poorly written, unimaginative, boring. Can't compare to Rebels, which was a child show designed for and marketed to children but with great storyline and superb characters. Being a child doesn't make you stupid. if you can't make decent Star Wars don't blame the fans, Disney; this one's on you.
Harmless fun. What more do you want?
fcolson9 October 2018
Star Wars is a franchise that as if lately many people take incredibly seriously. And that's fine. If you enjoy something, then of course you're going to be serious about it. However, that seriousness has birthed an almost abhorrent toxicity within the fandom. Many people forgot why Star Wars exists in the first place. It's not supposed to be deep, or complex, or even exactly what people want or expect it to be all the time. It's supposed to be fun. Harmless fun. If Star Wars was consistently what the older fans wanted it to be, where would the new audience come from?
The beauty of a franchise like Star Wars is that even after years of ups and downs, it still managed to stay relevant. It breached the generational barrier, thanks to so much new media. However, this is exactly what makes the franchise so polarizing. At the time if it's initial release, many of the older fans hated The Clone Wars when the feature length pilot hit the screens in 2008. However, as the show progressed, many people started to love it, because the show grew with it's audience. As the years went on, stakes were raised significantly to match the matured mindset of the regular viewing population.
The same thing applied to Star Wars Rebels, Disney's first audio visual entry in the series, and a direct sequel to Clone Wars. The show presented itself in a lighter tone throughout the early half of Season 1, and it was bad enough when you had the older fans against Clone Wars, but having a new and nostalgic generation of fans birthed from Clone Wars left Rebels as an easy target for mass criticism and flagging. However, it did attract a new audience, and Rebels too grew with it's viewers, and even brought in important plot points from Clone Wars. Many fans refused to watch Rebels because they felt that it was too light in tone, and paid no respect to Star Wars or the fans.
This echoes the opinions of the new movies. As a more diverse cast of characters are introduced, many dedicated fans aren't pleased. What? A new range of characters designed to relate to a new and more impressionable audience don't appeal to you, a long time fan who already had their own heroes to look up to in their childhood? What a surprise! These characters however will become the heroes of a new generation of fans, and most of these new fans will be younger, just like many of you reading this now were when you first saw a piece of Star Wars media. Nostalgia is wonderful, but it is also dangerous. It clouds your perception and leads you to believe in something that honestly wasn't as good as you probably remembered it.
Star Wars Resistance could very well be the entry point into the series for alot of young Disney Channel viewers. After the fantastic Rebels, even I was sceptical of the show. I had no hostile feelings towards the cartoon, merely complete indifference. The animation wasn't catching my attention and the new characters seemed fairly generic. However, I gave the show a shot, because unlike alot of fans I don't have a needlessly merciless agenda against things that are new or different. And to my surprise, the show was fun. It was nothing mind blowing, and incredibly silly at points, but my God the show was fun. Seeing the animation in context really helped, and as janky and generic as the cell-shaded CGI style can be in many other shows that use it, it's surprisingly smooth and full of character in Resistance. The colours are bright and appealing with great lighting. The voice acting as expected in a Disney production is top notch stuff with a pretty impressive cast of notable actors lending their pipes to a charismatic group of characters. Fight scenes are gripping but the flying sequences when ships are involved are an actual delight. Every vehicle had a great sense of weight that makes every shipbound battle feel like, well, a Star War! Even the race scenes are exhilarating.
Sure, the writing isn't always that gripping, but I like how much the show focuses on the more political side of the events, for example the galactic opinion on the First Order outside of the Resistance. Unfortunately alot of this interesting stuff is counteracted by a dumb line of dialogue or some vaguely amusing but ultimately cliché slapstick.
However, I've enjoyed my time so far with Star Wars Resistance, though I probably won't be sticking around to see where this series goes. Not because I don't like it, but because ultimately it isn't made for me, and I honestly don't get alot out of it. At least, I won't get as much out of it as the target demographic will. Who is that target demographic again? Oh yeah, kids. The new generation of fans who've probably never seen a Tie Fighter or an Aluminium Falcon (If you get that reference I love you) or those who have just started to get invested with Star Wars through the new films or comics or even their parents or friends in the school playground. This is an opportunity that these new impressionable potential fans may never get again, so don't be a child about it a ruin this opportunity for them. The show may not be for you, but that doesn't give you the right to boycott it, slander it and ultimately ruin the fun for everyone else. Otherwise you become the cynical older generation of your time, the grandparent who called your Star Wars a "load of bloody rubbish". Star Wars Resistance, just like every other Star Wars thing out there, is a bit of harmless fun. And ultimately, what else do you want?
The beauty of a franchise like Star Wars is that even after years of ups and downs, it still managed to stay relevant. It breached the generational barrier, thanks to so much new media. However, this is exactly what makes the franchise so polarizing. At the time if it's initial release, many of the older fans hated The Clone Wars when the feature length pilot hit the screens in 2008. However, as the show progressed, many people started to love it, because the show grew with it's audience. As the years went on, stakes were raised significantly to match the matured mindset of the regular viewing population.
The same thing applied to Star Wars Rebels, Disney's first audio visual entry in the series, and a direct sequel to Clone Wars. The show presented itself in a lighter tone throughout the early half of Season 1, and it was bad enough when you had the older fans against Clone Wars, but having a new and nostalgic generation of fans birthed from Clone Wars left Rebels as an easy target for mass criticism and flagging. However, it did attract a new audience, and Rebels too grew with it's viewers, and even brought in important plot points from Clone Wars. Many fans refused to watch Rebels because they felt that it was too light in tone, and paid no respect to Star Wars or the fans.
This echoes the opinions of the new movies. As a more diverse cast of characters are introduced, many dedicated fans aren't pleased. What? A new range of characters designed to relate to a new and more impressionable audience don't appeal to you, a long time fan who already had their own heroes to look up to in their childhood? What a surprise! These characters however will become the heroes of a new generation of fans, and most of these new fans will be younger, just like many of you reading this now were when you first saw a piece of Star Wars media. Nostalgia is wonderful, but it is also dangerous. It clouds your perception and leads you to believe in something that honestly wasn't as good as you probably remembered it.
Star Wars Resistance could very well be the entry point into the series for alot of young Disney Channel viewers. After the fantastic Rebels, even I was sceptical of the show. I had no hostile feelings towards the cartoon, merely complete indifference. The animation wasn't catching my attention and the new characters seemed fairly generic. However, I gave the show a shot, because unlike alot of fans I don't have a needlessly merciless agenda against things that are new or different. And to my surprise, the show was fun. It was nothing mind blowing, and incredibly silly at points, but my God the show was fun. Seeing the animation in context really helped, and as janky and generic as the cell-shaded CGI style can be in many other shows that use it, it's surprisingly smooth and full of character in Resistance. The colours are bright and appealing with great lighting. The voice acting as expected in a Disney production is top notch stuff with a pretty impressive cast of notable actors lending their pipes to a charismatic group of characters. Fight scenes are gripping but the flying sequences when ships are involved are an actual delight. Every vehicle had a great sense of weight that makes every shipbound battle feel like, well, a Star War! Even the race scenes are exhilarating.
Sure, the writing isn't always that gripping, but I like how much the show focuses on the more political side of the events, for example the galactic opinion on the First Order outside of the Resistance. Unfortunately alot of this interesting stuff is counteracted by a dumb line of dialogue or some vaguely amusing but ultimately cliché slapstick.
However, I've enjoyed my time so far with Star Wars Resistance, though I probably won't be sticking around to see where this series goes. Not because I don't like it, but because ultimately it isn't made for me, and I honestly don't get alot out of it. At least, I won't get as much out of it as the target demographic will. Who is that target demographic again? Oh yeah, kids. The new generation of fans who've probably never seen a Tie Fighter or an Aluminium Falcon (If you get that reference I love you) or those who have just started to get invested with Star Wars through the new films or comics or even their parents or friends in the school playground. This is an opportunity that these new impressionable potential fans may never get again, so don't be a child about it a ruin this opportunity for them. The show may not be for you, but that doesn't give you the right to boycott it, slander it and ultimately ruin the fun for everyone else. Otherwise you become the cynical older generation of your time, the grandparent who called your Star Wars a "load of bloody rubbish". Star Wars Resistance, just like every other Star Wars thing out there, is a bit of harmless fun. And ultimately, what else do you want?
this doesn't seems like star wars
The-Last-Sith-Lord8 October 2018
I watched 3 episodes, it has spaceships, you got aliens, etc. but it didn't feel to be a part of the Star Wars universe. Characters are just stuck in a single place despise of a whole galaxy around it, no big story behind and the chemistry between characters were really bad. The dialogues are fast paced, which makes the characters looks silly and hard to establish a bond.
About the art, I don't like the 3d cell shading art style, but I can survive it. But the story and characters were pretty boring and dumb. I couldn't feel any big plot running on the background of the the episodes (maybe because the new movies/canon story sucks). Even on the movies or on this new serie, I really can't feel any threat from the First Order, they don't give any element to feel the "horror" that the first Order can be. And the characters really doesn't seem to have any motivation to fight against it. The story seems that same thing that happened with Solo, with a guy that want to become the "best pilot"(boring..).
The overall story really lacks the magic, the lore and mystery that real star wars movies and series had on it. The moments that could shiver your body and make you think for hours. It lacks humanity on the characters and the construction of the real "heroes journey" on the plot.
Some people can say "it's a show for kids", but it doesn't have any elements for a small kids show to justify it, and even shows meant for kids have many good stuff that the whole family can enjoy, like Toy Story, Cars, etc. Therefore, if someone say "it's a kid show", I can tell you, it's just an excuse for bad writing. And that's the real problem with this show, bad plot, bad writing, bad character development. Feels like Disney purchased a super big franchise and don't know what to do with it, they don't know their own product and audience.
The thumbs down on the trailers were really true, I don't recommend to waste your time on this and just wait for the new season of Clone Wars that are coming.
About the art, I don't like the 3d cell shading art style, but I can survive it. But the story and characters were pretty boring and dumb. I couldn't feel any big plot running on the background of the the episodes (maybe because the new movies/canon story sucks). Even on the movies or on this new serie, I really can't feel any threat from the First Order, they don't give any element to feel the "horror" that the first Order can be. And the characters really doesn't seem to have any motivation to fight against it. The story seems that same thing that happened with Solo, with a guy that want to become the "best pilot"(boring..).
The overall story really lacks the magic, the lore and mystery that real star wars movies and series had on it. The moments that could shiver your body and make you think for hours. It lacks humanity on the characters and the construction of the real "heroes journey" on the plot.
Some people can say "it's a show for kids", but it doesn't have any elements for a small kids show to justify it, and even shows meant for kids have many good stuff that the whole family can enjoy, like Toy Story, Cars, etc. Therefore, if someone say "it's a kid show", I can tell you, it's just an excuse for bad writing. And that's the real problem with this show, bad plot, bad writing, bad character development. Feels like Disney purchased a super big franchise and don't know what to do with it, they don't know their own product and audience.
The thumbs down on the trailers were really true, I don't recommend to waste your time on this and just wait for the new season of Clone Wars that are coming.
Very surprised with the current rating for this show.
msvensson4911 April 2019
I saw some of the reviews on here and just had to say something... so disappointed with the score this show has. I thought this show was terrible when I first watched it, but I was so wrong.
Just to give you some background information; I am a HUGE fan of everything Star Wars. Big fan of the prequels, the originals and a massive fan of Star Wars Rebels. My favourite SW movie is Rogue One. The only thing I haven't watched (completely) is Clone Wars, mainly bc after watching seasons 1 -3 I couldn't take some of the filler episodes any longer, found them too poorly written... but I plan to go back to finish the series at some point.
Anyway! Back to Star Wars Resistance! I was really hyped for this show, I was crestfallen when SW Rebels ended and I was super excited to get back into the Star Wars universe. I watched the first episode and was incredibly disappointed. The animation was too different and I got a really cheesy, childish, shallow vibe from it. High expectations can have that effect, and I was comparing it to the whole completed series of Rebels.
Months later I started to watch it again, as a lot more episodes were available. I had heard from various posts how it gets better after a few episodes and that the quality wasn't so far below that of SW Rebels and Clone Wars. I gave it a shot and since it had been months since I had thought about it/watched SW Rebels, I was able to view it with a very open mind and was a lot more accepting of the show being one centered around racing and flying.
After episode 4 I was hooked and completely interested. I even went back and watched the first 2 episodes. Sure it's quite childish but so was the first season of SW Rebels. The characters seem silly at first but they really grow on you and gain some depth. It is a lot more lighthearted in tone compared to the other shows but I ended up liking that about it and find myself enjoying the comedic elements quite a bit. The episodes tend to have interesting stories and some of them are quite well written and structured.
The animation grew on me immensely, in some ways it's a lot more impressive than the previous shows. Beautiful shading and lighting, good use of colours and as always with recent Disney works, very realistic facial expression.
I also really like the whole 'futuristic racing club' trope thing, seen in other movies such as Ready Player One.. It feels cyberpunk to me and personally I think it's cool!
I would recommend this to anyone who truly loves and is committed to the SW universe canon, loves Sci-Fi shows and enjoyed Rebels. It's not as good as SW Rebels (so far, I am on episode 10 right now) but has a lot good qualities and is definitely worth exploring. (watch at least more than 5 episodes before ditching!)
Just to give you some background information; I am a HUGE fan of everything Star Wars. Big fan of the prequels, the originals and a massive fan of Star Wars Rebels. My favourite SW movie is Rogue One. The only thing I haven't watched (completely) is Clone Wars, mainly bc after watching seasons 1 -3 I couldn't take some of the filler episodes any longer, found them too poorly written... but I plan to go back to finish the series at some point.
Anyway! Back to Star Wars Resistance! I was really hyped for this show, I was crestfallen when SW Rebels ended and I was super excited to get back into the Star Wars universe. I watched the first episode and was incredibly disappointed. The animation was too different and I got a really cheesy, childish, shallow vibe from it. High expectations can have that effect, and I was comparing it to the whole completed series of Rebels.
Months later I started to watch it again, as a lot more episodes were available. I had heard from various posts how it gets better after a few episodes and that the quality wasn't so far below that of SW Rebels and Clone Wars. I gave it a shot and since it had been months since I had thought about it/watched SW Rebels, I was able to view it with a very open mind and was a lot more accepting of the show being one centered around racing and flying.
After episode 4 I was hooked and completely interested. I even went back and watched the first 2 episodes. Sure it's quite childish but so was the first season of SW Rebels. The characters seem silly at first but they really grow on you and gain some depth. It is a lot more lighthearted in tone compared to the other shows but I ended up liking that about it and find myself enjoying the comedic elements quite a bit. The episodes tend to have interesting stories and some of them are quite well written and structured.
The animation grew on me immensely, in some ways it's a lot more impressive than the previous shows. Beautiful shading and lighting, good use of colours and as always with recent Disney works, very realistic facial expression.
I also really like the whole 'futuristic racing club' trope thing, seen in other movies such as Ready Player One.. It feels cyberpunk to me and personally I think it's cool!
I would recommend this to anyone who truly loves and is committed to the SW universe canon, loves Sci-Fi shows and enjoyed Rebels. It's not as good as SW Rebels (so far, I am on episode 10 right now) but has a lot good qualities and is definitely worth exploring. (watch at least more than 5 episodes before ditching!)
Not completely pointless
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews2 July 2023
In the lead up to The Force Awakens, The First Order is gaining power.
I think what went wrong here is that they were determined to try to find a completely different way to do one of these shows and just did not have good ideas for how. Each of these three cover a different trilogy and take a different approach. This came out just after they did the one for the original trilogy, Rebels. So they knew that if they just did the exact same one, it would seem like they had nothing fresh left to offer, not that many years into owning the property, after having bought it from George Lucas. Because obviously with how similar the sequel trilogy was to ANH, ESB and ROTJ, it would have been very logical to simply do the same thing again.
In my opinion this did not have to fail. And obviously it is more interesting to take a different approach. That was a lesson that they learned from the mcu, which was also taking at least slightly more chances when this was being developed. The idea to show the slow spread of fascism after the defeat of the empire, with the running time that this had to answer that question, which the three films were in too much of a rush to answer, makes a lot of sense. And I think that if that had been the primary goal of this, it absolutely would have succeeded.
Basically, they could have had every episode explore some aspect of people losing civil rights, having their communication limited and monitored, encouraged to hate those in the out-group despite that not being the cause of their problems, et cetera. Some of this does eventually show up, too little too late. A lot of this really doesn't seem that interested in examining what totalitarianism looks like.
This is set largely on the Colossus, a platform suspended over a massive body of water. It serves as a living area, garage, and racing arena. So it probably isn't going to surprise you when I say that a lot of it is based around doing mechanic's work and people trying to win races, whether in person or betting. And I'll definitely grant that I cared more here than I did during the pod race in The Phantom Menace. Heck, advertising and other marketing of this did make it clear that this was what it would be. Nobody forced me to watch it. It's just frustrating to see it not live up to its potential, when you have such a great chance to warn the younger generation against dictatorships, since there are a number of recognizable red flags and especially as America and England are moving in that direction.
The protagonist and audience insert character is Kaz. When he is in the cockpit, it's amazing what he can do. However, that makes up only a tiny amount of his screen time. The rest of it he is nearly constantly engaging in slapstick, which is especially bad because it is bland. Someone will easily carry something, hand it to him and he can barely drag it. He will be hit with a wrench by someone. Other times, he will trip, bump into things and get hit in the head. He will even pull others into it, such as when gorgs, fish with piranha teeth that are eaten and kept as pets - not in that order - go flying through the air, and attach themselves to people and bite them.
He is supposed to be a spy for the resistance, and he definitely does what he can to deliver on that. A lot of the time there is not anything near him for him to report on. So we'll get a lot of him learning basic lessons. I kid you not, they actually did an episode where he has to learn the equivalent of doing homework and not spend all of his spare time on leisure activities.
This is the first recent(I'm not counting droids and Ewoks simply because I haven't watched them) Star Wars show where there isn't really a serious threat or danger a lot of the time. I mean, it is actually set between major battles. Which was another fatal flaw. It's not that there is nothing in the way of conflict. Rather, it's that a lot of what there is, kind of feels like high school or maybe boarding school.
When he first arrives, he has to get to know all these people who already know each other, learn the interpersonal dynamics and effectively maneuver the social environment, and the things he learned at the Republic Naval Academy are not useful to him now so he has to basically start over on that similar to when you graduate to a new Grade. There's even a fight that you would think played out as a bar fight since that's where it's set but it really has much more the energy of the food fight, everyone's throwing stuff at each other, no one actually gets hurt, which is a bit of a theme here.
I do want to highlight the character of Neeku, a Nikto, who takes things literally, like Drax the Destroyer, or a kleptomaniac. He is a very open honest person, always happy to meet new people, even ones that others stay away from(and is thus able to appreciate perspectives others can't), sweet, and finds joy in little things like food. So he's coded as being on the spectrum and this positive depiction can help increase empathy. It doesn't make him out to be dangerous devoid of empathy for just plain weird the way that way too much Media handles autistic people - often made by people who have never met any of them.
I recommend this only to the people who are most devoted to the franchise. Certainly it's cool when Poe Dameron shows up, and it's easy to look up which eps that is. 7/10.
I think what went wrong here is that they were determined to try to find a completely different way to do one of these shows and just did not have good ideas for how. Each of these three cover a different trilogy and take a different approach. This came out just after they did the one for the original trilogy, Rebels. So they knew that if they just did the exact same one, it would seem like they had nothing fresh left to offer, not that many years into owning the property, after having bought it from George Lucas. Because obviously with how similar the sequel trilogy was to ANH, ESB and ROTJ, it would have been very logical to simply do the same thing again.
In my opinion this did not have to fail. And obviously it is more interesting to take a different approach. That was a lesson that they learned from the mcu, which was also taking at least slightly more chances when this was being developed. The idea to show the slow spread of fascism after the defeat of the empire, with the running time that this had to answer that question, which the three films were in too much of a rush to answer, makes a lot of sense. And I think that if that had been the primary goal of this, it absolutely would have succeeded.
Basically, they could have had every episode explore some aspect of people losing civil rights, having their communication limited and monitored, encouraged to hate those in the out-group despite that not being the cause of their problems, et cetera. Some of this does eventually show up, too little too late. A lot of this really doesn't seem that interested in examining what totalitarianism looks like.
This is set largely on the Colossus, a platform suspended over a massive body of water. It serves as a living area, garage, and racing arena. So it probably isn't going to surprise you when I say that a lot of it is based around doing mechanic's work and people trying to win races, whether in person or betting. And I'll definitely grant that I cared more here than I did during the pod race in The Phantom Menace. Heck, advertising and other marketing of this did make it clear that this was what it would be. Nobody forced me to watch it. It's just frustrating to see it not live up to its potential, when you have such a great chance to warn the younger generation against dictatorships, since there are a number of recognizable red flags and especially as America and England are moving in that direction.
The protagonist and audience insert character is Kaz. When he is in the cockpit, it's amazing what he can do. However, that makes up only a tiny amount of his screen time. The rest of it he is nearly constantly engaging in slapstick, which is especially bad because it is bland. Someone will easily carry something, hand it to him and he can barely drag it. He will be hit with a wrench by someone. Other times, he will trip, bump into things and get hit in the head. He will even pull others into it, such as when gorgs, fish with piranha teeth that are eaten and kept as pets - not in that order - go flying through the air, and attach themselves to people and bite them.
He is supposed to be a spy for the resistance, and he definitely does what he can to deliver on that. A lot of the time there is not anything near him for him to report on. So we'll get a lot of him learning basic lessons. I kid you not, they actually did an episode where he has to learn the equivalent of doing homework and not spend all of his spare time on leisure activities.
This is the first recent(I'm not counting droids and Ewoks simply because I haven't watched them) Star Wars show where there isn't really a serious threat or danger a lot of the time. I mean, it is actually set between major battles. Which was another fatal flaw. It's not that there is nothing in the way of conflict. Rather, it's that a lot of what there is, kind of feels like high school or maybe boarding school.
When he first arrives, he has to get to know all these people who already know each other, learn the interpersonal dynamics and effectively maneuver the social environment, and the things he learned at the Republic Naval Academy are not useful to him now so he has to basically start over on that similar to when you graduate to a new Grade. There's even a fight that you would think played out as a bar fight since that's where it's set but it really has much more the energy of the food fight, everyone's throwing stuff at each other, no one actually gets hurt, which is a bit of a theme here.
I do want to highlight the character of Neeku, a Nikto, who takes things literally, like Drax the Destroyer, or a kleptomaniac. He is a very open honest person, always happy to meet new people, even ones that others stay away from(and is thus able to appreciate perspectives others can't), sweet, and finds joy in little things like food. So he's coded as being on the spectrum and this positive depiction can help increase empathy. It doesn't make him out to be dangerous devoid of empathy for just plain weird the way that way too much Media handles autistic people - often made by people who have never met any of them.
I recommend this only to the people who are most devoted to the franchise. Certainly it's cool when Poe Dameron shows up, and it's easy to look up which eps that is. 7/10.
Garbage.
mhorg201817 October 2018
This is what Rebels was cancelled for? This trash? Dave Filoni and crew should be embarrassed to pass this crap onto the public. Horrible animation, bad stories, worse voice acting than even the usual Marvel direct to video movie. Why is this on at 10 at night? It's certainly a kiddy show and should be on at 7am. This can't be cancelled soon enough. Disney needs to leave the running of the Star Wars universe to the Lucasfilm people, because whatever they're doing - isn't working. If this is the future of Star Wars under the Disney umbrella, please sell the franchise to someone who will care more than just about money.
Dumbed down Disney trash.
nickerobertson8 October 2018
The trailers really were an accurate representation of how terrible this series was going to be. I had to see for myself and I was not surprised at all. Adds nothing but cringeworthy jokes to the lore and Star Wars universe as a whole. I know it's s kids show, but at least TCW and Rebels added elements for more mature Star Wars fans as well. This is just pure dumbed down Disney trash
It is Star Wars and it's not bad
kumadan23 December 2019
First of all I know this show is aimed at kids but as a massive Star Wars fan I wanted to check it out. Especially since Filoni has done other great Star Wars animated shows like Clone Wars and Rebels, which I love and think they are both amazing.
Resistance was a tough pill to swallow at first. It is definitely not as fun and engaging as Clone Wars and Rebels. Having rewatched all the films and shows I still had a Star Wars itch that I needed to scratch and the only thing I hadn't seen was Resistance. So I gave it a shot. The first season was okay, with some nice elements with BB-8, Leia, Poe, Phasma being involved. But I honestly think season two is a major improvement on the show, there is a lot more exploration and a lot more resistance elements. The whole point is that a group of people don't have to be officially affiliated with the Resistance to be a group of resistance freedom fighters. And season 2 is really building up on that as well as showing how an unsure impressionable young adult could be swayed by the First Order's beliefs.
I don't think the show is great or amazing, but I really don't think the show deserves a 4.8, I think it belongs more in the 6.5-7.0 range.
I genuinely feel most of the ratings and reviews are by people who just saw the trailer and said "nope that's not Star Wars" or people who saw the pilot/couple episodes and said the same thing. I agree it's not a masterpiece but it is very much Star Wars and it is an attempt at doing a larger world building in the Star Wars universe without depending and obsessing over the Skywalkers and romanticising over the Jedis being heroes.
I hope the show improves and makes better plot developments and I hope Disney make more expanded universe type shows in the animated space.
People are already loving The Mandalorian and we have the Obi-Wan show coming plus we have the next season of Clone Wars coming so things are looking up for us fans.
The show is very weak...
christian-kanika29 October 2018
Pretty okay, will probably get better when season 2 kicks off
davidkippy15 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The show was watchable, the first season had a great arc about the First Order slowly occupying a base called the Colossus. The second season will bring the Colossus into space so it will feel a little more like Star Wars and be more narratively interesting in general.
This is hollow & weak
mrwarcriminal31 October 2018
Not much
williamxbones7 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The show is clearly targeting a younger audience, it doesn't really goes in depth into anything and it has a childish tone.
The characters are likeable but it isn't enough to make the story interesting. It is in instances fun but it is mostly boring.
Season 1: 3.5/10 Season 2: 3/10.
The characters are likeable but it isn't enough to make the story interesting. It is in instances fun but it is mostly boring.
Season 1: 3.5/10 Season 2: 3/10.
Ignore the trolls; yes this show is aimed at kids (just like TCW AND REBELS)
legotech988 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Much better than originally perceived.
duelblader00726 February 2019
Don't listen to all the haters and elitists below. The characters are fun, the stories aren't bad and the plot grow on you. The animation style is different but not bad at all. The series is not what I thought it was going to be (a dumbed down kids show about racing). It's much deeper than that and involves the First Order and Poe Dameron with BB8 (which is reason enough to watch for that spunky droid).
I look forward to each new episode.
I look forward to each new episode.
Now, this turned out to be a nice surprise...
paul_haakonsen4 August 2020
RIght, well I initially skipped on the 2018 release of "Star Wars: Resistance", solely on the trailers, because they made it seem like a lousy animated show aimed at a very young audience. And me skipping on it is a bit odd, given my huge love and admiration for all things "Star Wars".
Then now in 2020, I opted to sit down and watch it, and I binge watched all 21 episodes of season 1 in about a day. I must admit that "Star Wars: Resistance" turned out to be way more interesting that I had hope to dream of. And actually I find it more enjoyable than the "Clone Wars" animated series.
While "Star Wars: Resistance" is set in the time of the New Republic, which is definitely not my favorite era in the "Star Wars" timeline, then this series was actually rather enjoyable given the characters and the storyline. So my disliking of the appearance of the First Order stormtroopers and such was pushed to the background, because the characters and the storyline dominated this series. And that was just marvelous.
The characters in the series are nicely fleshed out, and they have some really great voice actors and actresses to give life to the drawn characters. I can't really claim to be familiar with the voice performers, but they definitely were cast well, because they portrayed their individual characters quite nicely.
And the drawing and art style used in "Star Wars: Resistance" was also appealing to me, especially when compared to the style of "Clone Wars". There was a more linear, mainstreamed, and retro feel to the art here. Sort of reminiscent of the old classic 1980s cartoons in a sense.
What really impressed me in "Star Wars: Resistance" was all the background characters, because there were such a grand display of various known and lesser known races to be seen here, and that was just glorious. Especially to someone playing the "Star Wars" roleplaying games and being familiar with the extensive races of the galaxy.
There is a good amount of action throughout the series, mixed in with a great storyline and equally great character interactions and growth. There is a connection to the characters, even though they are just merely drawn characters. And there is also a good mixture of classic "Star Wars" space dogfights and on-the-ground action. Thumbs up on that.
One thing that was bothering me throughout the entire season one was the music score. While the music was adequate, it wasn't traditional "Star Wars" music, and it all together lacked the unique sound there is to the music in the movies. That was a shame, because it could have added just another layer of enjoyment to the series.
I am very, very pleased with "Star Wars: Resistance" and rating season 1 a six out of ten stars. And I am most definitely going to sit down for watching season 2 as well.
Then now in 2020, I opted to sit down and watch it, and I binge watched all 21 episodes of season 1 in about a day. I must admit that "Star Wars: Resistance" turned out to be way more interesting that I had hope to dream of. And actually I find it more enjoyable than the "Clone Wars" animated series.
While "Star Wars: Resistance" is set in the time of the New Republic, which is definitely not my favorite era in the "Star Wars" timeline, then this series was actually rather enjoyable given the characters and the storyline. So my disliking of the appearance of the First Order stormtroopers and such was pushed to the background, because the characters and the storyline dominated this series. And that was just marvelous.
The characters in the series are nicely fleshed out, and they have some really great voice actors and actresses to give life to the drawn characters. I can't really claim to be familiar with the voice performers, but they definitely were cast well, because they portrayed their individual characters quite nicely.
And the drawing and art style used in "Star Wars: Resistance" was also appealing to me, especially when compared to the style of "Clone Wars". There was a more linear, mainstreamed, and retro feel to the art here. Sort of reminiscent of the old classic 1980s cartoons in a sense.
What really impressed me in "Star Wars: Resistance" was all the background characters, because there were such a grand display of various known and lesser known races to be seen here, and that was just glorious. Especially to someone playing the "Star Wars" roleplaying games and being familiar with the extensive races of the galaxy.
There is a good amount of action throughout the series, mixed in with a great storyline and equally great character interactions and growth. There is a connection to the characters, even though they are just merely drawn characters. And there is also a good mixture of classic "Star Wars" space dogfights and on-the-ground action. Thumbs up on that.
One thing that was bothering me throughout the entire season one was the music score. While the music was adequate, it wasn't traditional "Star Wars" music, and it all together lacked the unique sound there is to the music in the movies. That was a shame, because it could have added just another layer of enjoyment to the series.
I am very, very pleased with "Star Wars: Resistance" and rating season 1 a six out of ten stars. And I am most definitely going to sit down for watching season 2 as well.
Such a Let Down
jtrupp-4769923 October 2018
After Rebels and Clone wars leading with great plots, characters, and truly enriching the Star Wars Universe, Resistance couldn't be a bigger let down. The animation is terrible (why change from something everyone liked?!).The story line thus far is pointless and simply childish.
Hopefully the Mandalorian is good and can fill in after Rebels, because this trash should be discontinued
finally a Star Wars i can hate
wolfdog-348519 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I love SW, in all it's forms right until this series. It's boring, basic and cheap animation. It reeks of "filler" for the Disney channel. If this is supposed to get kids interested in SW i'm really not sure how. An undercover teenage racing enthusiast is recruited by Poe to spy on the First Order by posing as a mechanic. He of course has no mechanical skill, has BB8 for his sidekick, is clueless to obvious and completely fails as its a prequel to force awakens - and we already know the new republic is destroyed in a single afternoon with one shot. So why are we bothering to engage in this desd-end?
After Clone Wars and Rebels this is a travesty. Where is the desired Ahsoka series? Where are the force users which fans want to see? Where is the fantasy? In one scene one supporting character is talking about how his pet died and he ate it - really bottom of the barrel stuff here. Way to uninspire an entire generation. But hey, obvious visual references to games so Marketing is at least in full swing.
With the Skywalker sequel trilogy failing to take advantage of the expanded universe we've now been given more unimaginative drivel. I could write better stories in my toilet breaks.
After Clone Wars and Rebels this is a travesty. Where is the desired Ahsoka series? Where are the force users which fans want to see? Where is the fantasy? In one scene one supporting character is talking about how his pet died and he ate it - really bottom of the barrel stuff here. Way to uninspire an entire generation. But hey, obvious visual references to games so Marketing is at least in full swing.
With the Skywalker sequel trilogy failing to take advantage of the expanded universe we've now been given more unimaginative drivel. I could write better stories in my toilet breaks.
See also
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