The Acolyte<\/strong><\/a> belongs almost entirely to this bunch of shows that offer magnificent scenarios, action, and rhythm, but in the end not really much more. Or at least anything different. After an entertaining fight sequence that seems to belong more to the Matrix universe than the Star Wars one (not only because played by Carrie-Anne Moss<\/strong><\/a> together with the protagonist Amandla Stenberg<\/strong><\/a>), everything that comes after is quite discouraging: unidimensional characters, lousy interactions between them, the usual introduction of a funny, endearing mini-robot as a sidekick. It is obvious that the Star Wars world has its internal rules set by the 1977 game-changing masterpiece by George Lucas<\/strong>, but it appears quite pointless to re-propose them in such a sterile way. What\u2019s the point in seeing over and over the same kind of show, just served on a different plate without adding any new spice?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/ins>\n Must be said that after the disappointing pilot, The Acolyte<\/strong> has a second episode which is way better, especially in screenwriting. The script in fact builds up tension and most importantly some depth to the characters. First of all, the protagonist Osha. It almost seems that the first episode was purposely realized as a way to hook the younger audience to the show because what happens in the next one is quite thrilling, raising the hope that maybe the intent is to appeal to a broader audience other than teenagers. <\/span><\/p>\n Such hope is not completely justified, since the next two episodes – especially the third one, entirely shot as a flashback – lower again the quality of the storytelling to levels barely acceptable for an adult viewer. The plot twists are predictable and not entertaining, and the characters are defined by relationships that don\u2019t really mean a lot in terms of empathy.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo by Courtesy of Disney – \u00a9\u00a0Disney<\/p>\n This of course doesn\u2019t help the cast of actors elevate their performances, quite the opposite to be honest. Amandla Stenberg<\/strong> is in our opinion one of the most talented actresses of her generation, but in The Acolyte<\/strong> is never capable of giving her acting that painful grip that we\u2019ve seen in some of her past performances, especially in The Hate U Give<\/strong> and The Eddy<\/strong>. Next to her Lee Jung-Jae<\/strong><\/a> (Squid Game<\/strong>), Dafne Keen<\/strong><\/a> (His Dark Materials<\/strong>, Logan<\/strong>), and Charlie Barnett<\/strong> (Russian Doll<\/strong>) look to be almost completely lost in characters who seem to be there just to make the story progress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Created by Leslye Headland<\/strong>, The Acolyte<\/strong> is a huge step back compared to her previous series as showrunner, Netflix\u2019s Russian Doll<\/strong>. In this specific case, it\u2019s pretty difficult to understand how much the freedom to develop her own ideas and vision about the series had to bend to what Disney wanted from The Acolyte. As written at the beginning of this review it is clear which target of streamers had to be reached through the show. <\/span><\/p>\n So the real question is: was Headland able to put something personal in it or she\u2019s just worked on behalf of the Major? No matter which is the answer, the first four episodes of The Acolyte<\/strong> don\u2019t stand as something really meaningful, nor add any new ideas to the Star Wars universe. <\/span><\/p>\n Nonetheless, we are actually curious to watch the other episodes because there could be room for improvement, especially because the real antagonist is going to take the stage and elevate the tone of the conflicts. It has always been like this with Star Wars: you need to look into the dark side of the Force to start feeling its power\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd.\/Lucasfilm Ltd. – \u00a9\u00a02024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n Rate: C-<\/span><\/p>\n If you like the article, share your thoughts below!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Check out more of Adriano’s articles.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Here’s The Acolyte Trailer:<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/The-Acolyte.png\")
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