REVIEW: "Maul: Shadow Lord" ⭐⭐⭐1/2
Dave Filoni's latest animated "Star Wars" side story spotlights longtime fan-favorite Maul and does it quite well. The rest of the show around Maul, however, feels clunky and a little rote.
Happy Monday, friends! Welcome to my first-ever review of a Disney+ streaming show!
The kind folks at Lucasfilm Ltd and Disney allowed me to screen the first eight episodes of “Maul: Shadow Lord” last week. I’ll be right there with you watching when the final two episodes drop on May 4th, but for now, here’s my review of what I’ve seen so far.
As always, postscripts after the video.
Postscripts:
RE: Sam Witwer… Witwer’s genre TV and film credits span so many fandoms that it’s hard to keep track of them all. “Star Wars” TV series and video games seem to be his favorite projects to take on. The work that first brought him to my attention was his 11-episode run as “Crashdown” in “Battlestar Galactica” in 2004. That, along with his recurring role a few years later on “Smallville” as that show’s version of Doomsday, made his name one that always stood out whenever I saw him involved in future projects. However, none of that work, or even his work on the “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” video games, hinted at just how talented and versatile he turned out to be as a voice actor. In the booth, he’s a true chameleon.
Speaking of Witwer as a chameleon, you might have missed this little bit of iconic work, especially if you’re not a “Star Trek” fan. Yes, this is Witwer (along with William Shatner) as Captain Kirk as the character appeared at the end of “Star Trek: Generations” in a non-canonical short film involving what the Roddenberry Archive called “digital prosthetics.” Shatner’s physical features were digitally mapped to Witwer to create the performance — check it out:
Cut for time… As much as I came to enjoy “Maul: Shadow Lord,” I will admit it’s a bit slow to start. In some ways, its pacing issues mirror the sluggishness seen in other “Star Wars” live-action series like “Ahsoka” and “Andor.” In those shows, however, the relatively slow pace can be attributed somewhat to the writers developing ancillary characters and subplots. Not so here — aside from Maul himself, no other character gets nearly as much to explore in terms of character development. (Yes, the Palawan Devon has her own arc, but it’s basically a trope seen often in “Star Wars” with younger Force users.) “Maul” really hits its stride in Episode 4. Episode 7 is a high mark for action and pacing, while episode 8 is Witwer’s personal best of the ones I’ve seen.
Cut for time… In the video, I highlighted the voice performances of Gideon Aldon (Devon) and Richard Ayoade (Two-Boots). One other performance I really enjoyed was that of veteran character actor Dennis Haysbert, who plays Devon’s master, Daki. With any other voice actor, Daki wouldn’t have registered at all beyond a now very recognizable Jedi Master archetype. It’s Haysbert’s unmistakable voice — his resonant, effortlessly solemn yet warm delivery — that brings much-needed authenticity and gravitas to Daki. It’s a shame the character doesn’t get more in terms of a true character arc, but Haysbert does his best with what he’s got to make the character memorable.
Appearances of Maul in “Star Wars” films and TV:
“Episode I: The Phantom Menace” (Ray Park)
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (voiced by Witwer)
“Solo: A Star Wars Story” (on-screen Ray Park, voiced by Witwer)
“Star Wars: Rebels” (voiced by Witwer)