Streaming: New “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka” with Rosario Dawson

Since Disney took over the production company Lucasfilm and thus also the “Star Wars” universe in 2012, the company has produced a lot of mass, but also quality. The excellent series “The Mandalorian” by Jon Favreau and David Filoni is a flagship of the streaming provider. The spin-off The Book of Boba Fett didn’t fare quite as well, but it did have its moments. Now follows the next series from Favreau and Filoni, which is directly linked to “The Mandalorian”. “Ahsoka” starts on August 23rd.

The story takes place after the events of the 1983 “Star Wars” film “Episode VI – Return of the Jedi”. The galactic empire has fallen and a new republic is taking its place. In the background, however, dark forces are already working to bring back Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was thought to be dead. With Thrawn’s return, they believe, the remnants of the Empire could be mobilized again under his leadership.

The series takes its time

Former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), who was trained by Anakin Skywalker but never completed her training, wants to prevent that. With the support of her student, the Mandalorian Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), she wants to stop the plan of Thrawn’s ally Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) and has to face the renegade Jedi Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), whose student Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) and various other sinister figures confront.

The “Ahsoka” series takes its time at first. Maybe too much. Some scenes in the first two of the eight episodes are unnecessarily slow, sometimes even tough and lengthy. But whenever the plot finally picks up speed, things really get down to business. Then “Ahsoka” offers gripping action and real “Star Wars” feeling. The likeable droid Huyang, who lends his voice in a wonderfully British way to the “Doctor Who” star David Tennant in the original version, also provides good entertainment.

Women are at the center of the action

The “Mandalorian” spin-off scores with fascinating scenery, great pictures and atmospheric music by Kevin Kiner. The 64-year-old has already been responsible for the musical accompaniment of several animated “Star Wars” series. Kiner’s soundtrack for “Ahsoka” at times sounds like a dark reinterpretation of the music of legendary “Star Wars” composer John Williams, albeit without imitating the great maestro or using his melodies at all.

“Ahsoka” is the first “Star Wars” series to feature women. The character Ahsoka Tano enjoys cult status among “Star Wars” fans. She has starred in the animated adventures “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebel” and even had the voice in the movie “Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”. It was only a matter of time before this character would get his own series. The versatile Dawson – known from “Sin City” and “Men in Black II” – has already played Ahsoka in one episode each of “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett”.

Meanwhile, the highly acclaimed, but very dark, dystopian “Star Wars” series “Andor” is set to get a second season. “Obi-Wan” elicited mixed reactions, to say the least, and is unlikely to be continued. Filoni and Favreau are not involved in either series. However, her “Mandalorian” weakened a bit in the third season and disappointed some fans.

Unlike “The Mandalorian”, “Ahsoka” is not divided into individual stories, but tells a continuous story. It remains to be seen whether Filoni and Favreau can meet the expectations of the huge “Star Wars” fan base with their new series. The first two episodes leave you wanting more. But the characters are still too one-dimensional. It takes more than lightsaber combat and pounding speeder bikes to bring them to life. Only then is the power really with “Ahsoka”.