a review of

If you don't have wonder and whimsy in your heart, why do you even watch Star Wars?

This is the most "Lucas" Star Wars film after the 6 episodes, with its semi-documentary style, visual storytelling and celebration of nature, life, innocence and hope. Philosophically and stylistically it aligns much more with the original 6 movies than anything Disney ever did.

After Episode 6 there's really only two directions you can take the franchise in:

1. Go full esoteric and metaphysical, which - from what we know of Lucas' sequel trilogy - seems like the direction he wanted to take.
2. Embrace the inner child and go further into fantasy and fairy-tale.

Anything else would be undermining the original saga. That's what both the Dark Empire and the Disney sequel trilogy did.

Caravan of Courage follows the second path and ends up being a wholesome little family film that teaches kids fundamental truths about life and simultaneously gives Ewoks more depth and character, which is something Return of the Jedi didn't have the time to do. We finally get to see them as more than just a faceless crowd of cutesy creatures, but as an actual society with its own traditions, values, rituals and classes. Even discover that some of them are Force-users. We also get to see more of the Endorian environments, learning that the planet is more than just endless forests and has various biomes and lifeforms, including places of Force concentration like the cave on Dagobah from Episode 5.

My favorite part were all the Ewok characters. Even speaking a made-up language, there is just so much personality conveyed through their looks and body language. By the middle of the movie I knew each of them by name and rooted for them alongside the main characters. The protagonist is a bit too impatient and rude at the start, as kids often are, but by the end learns his lessons and rises to the occasion. Seeing him bond with Chukha-Trok was just heartwarming.

I don't understand how anyone who hasn't lost touch with their inner child and has love and empathy towards children can hate this movie. Y'all must be dead inside from watching all that Disney slop.