Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, the first Star Wars outing since the announcement of creator Dave Filoni's turn as the head of the franchise, is a stunner. It's a beautifully animated, complex-yet-breezy actioner with stellar combat and a great return to the screen for everyone's favorite double-bladed-lightsaber baddie. We're already getting a Season 2, so if this is any indication of the quality of Filoni's tenure, we're in for a treat.
When Darth Maul first graced the screen in The Phantom Menace, he was an instant smash with fans. Everything about the character worked. He had a cool, devilish look, a dual-bladed lightsaber, memorable combat prowess, and an intimidating aura thanks to Ray Park. When he was cleaved in two by Obi-Wan, there was a danger that fans would never see him again in the Star Wars universe.
Never one to turn down fan demand, Disney found periodic opportunities to incorporate Maul into a variety of its series and animated outings over the years. Most memorably, Maul's appearance in The Clone Wars cemented the dangerous Sith's survival, building toward Maul escaping prison in Season 7. It's been six long years since we've seen Maul onscreen, and we're well overdue.
Among the most powerful Sith in history, post-Clone Wars Maul is driven by vengeance against the Jedi and Emperor Palpatine's Sith order, which moved on without him. Maul - Shadow Lord breaks from tradition by centering its narrative on an established Dark Side villain.
While The Book of Boba Fett did follow a bounty hunter who had antagonized Rebel forces, Boba Fett was part of the galaxy's criminal underbelly instead of a dedicated Jedi antagonist or Dark Side Force user. It's a great time for Star Wars to expand its horizons into new kinds of stories.
Stellar Performances Cement a Great Addition to the Star Wars Galaxy
Maul - Shadow Lord is set around a year after the events of the Clone Wars. An angry Maul (Sam Witwer, reprising his role from The Clone Wars and elsewhere) seeks to rebuild his criminal syndicate on planet Janix and find an apprentice. He targets the Twi-lek Jedi Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon), who is on the run after Order 66 with her Jedi master, Eeko-Dio-Daki (Dennis Haysbert).
Hot on Maul's trail is Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura), a detective on Janix independent from the Galactic Empire, and his droid partner Two-Boots (Richard Ayoade).
It makes sense that Witwer, who has always been memorably good as Maul, excels again. He has a strong command of the character, who feels smart and cultured enough to be manipulative, with a simmering rage that leaks out under extreme pressure. It's a stellar and complex role.
Moura also gives a wonderful vocal performance as the business-first but inherently charismatic Brander. Serious, sure, but in Moura's hands (er, voice), there's a subtle relatability that grounds his scenes in this world full of superpowered laser-sword users.
Adlon is a good actor and delivers an emotive performance as the besieged, slightly angry Devon Izara. That said, her voice doesn't fully fit the character; at several points, it reads too young, smooth, and mellifluous for the context.
While it's ironic that Ayoade has gone from troubleshooting machines in The IT Crowd to being one in Shadow Lord, his command of vocal tone works as Two-Boots, and Haysbert's bassy and commanding voice adds authoritative gravitas to his aged, animated Jedi persona.
'Maul - Shadow Lord' Boasts Gorgeous Animation & Strong Combat
The various Star Wars animated series on Disney+ have largely maintained a high level of quality, but even in that context, Shadow Lord stands out. There are a number of factions with divergent interests, creating ample room for conflict, strange alliances, and surprises. Devon and her master are trying to escape. The Empire wants to hunt them down.
Maul wants to protect and convert Devon against the Empire, though she wants nothing to do with it. Meanwhile, Brander hates the chaos this conflict has created (and doesn't like the Empire much, either). It's a potent and well-utilized brew for drama, both for multifaceted battles and for realpolitik machinations.
The series additionally boasts some stellar lightsaber battles and other combat. That's a must for a series centering on Maul, given how famous and beloved the character is for being a skilled fighter. It's well choreographed and nicely balanced against the series' gun battles and escapes.
For example, I won't spoil the details of a key Episode 6 battle (I will say it involves Marrok), but its choreography is exciting and looks fantastic. The series' animation highlights the combat nicely as well; it consistently looks great, with ample use of light, shadow, and color.
While it's a strong series as a whole, there are small quibbles with various aspects. It largely balances these different dynamics well, but Brander's storyline isn't always adequately developed or folded into the rest of the narrative.
Most importantly, the fact that Adlon is arguably miscast with a vocal tone that doesn't feel 'right' in the role, though that's no mark against her performance. Nonetheless, it's an excellent addition to the Star Wars franchise and a welcome return for Maul.
Maul - Shadow Lord opens new territory and storytelling approaches for Disney's monumental franchise. We never need a Star Wars series rehashing the Empire as 'good guys' (which this surely doesn't do), but Shadow Lord smartly shows that there are other routes into following myriad interesting Dark Side-aligned characters (Count Dooku next?). It's a wonderful showcase for the characters, with powerful voice acting, engaging combat, and stunning animation, a real winner for the galaxy.
Final Rating: 8/10
The first two episodes of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord are streaming now on Disney+, with two episodes dropping each week until May 4.
