asoka 1 movie review

A complete shift in style and genre from his acclaimed 1998 feature, "The Terrorist", Indian director-cinematographer Santosh Sivan's "Asoka" is a sprawling widescreen historical epic. And while the ambling nature of Indian storytelling makes crossover business unlikely in this case, some degree of arthouse attention appears indicated.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

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A complete shift in style and genre from his acclaimed 1998 feature, “The Terrorist” (a contemporary drama shot largely in intense closeups), Indian director-cinematographer Santosh Sivan’s “Asoka” is a sprawling widescreen historical epic laced with Bollywood musical numbers, melodramatic romance, spectacular locations and violent battle scenes. Opening Oct. 26 on the Hindi circuit in key international markets, this entertaining saga chronicles the odyssey of a young monarch in 3rd century B.C., whose journey of betrayal, love, power, war, victory and tragic loss leads him to spiritual enlightenment. Coming on the heels of Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India,” “Asoka” provides further evidence that Bollywood is poised for wider commercial impact beyond its already substantial established niche. And while the ambling, uneconomical nature of popular Indian storytelling makes major crossover business unlikely in this case, some degree of general arthouse attention appears indicated.

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World-premiered in Venice in the director’s cut at just over 2½ hours, the film also exists in a longer producer’s version, reportedly with three more songs. While narrative long-windedness makes for a sluggish midsection prior to the final act’s battle, the reintegration of excised musical numbers and removal of narrative flab could perhaps give the central reels the lift they need.

The third emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, who made Magadha the most powerful and prosperous kingdom in India during his reign, Asoka is best remembered for his mission to spread the teachings of Buddha throughout Asia. Since little is known of the monarch-monk prior to his conversion to Buddhism, Sivan and co-scripter Saket Chaudhary have fleshed out a fictionalized romantic fairy tale around the historical frame.

Action chronicles key chapters in the life of Asoka (Shah Rukh Khan), as ambitious aspirant to the throne, humble traveler, passionate lover, decisive ruler, mighty conqueror and, finally, peace messenger.

Opening act focuses on court intrigue as the prince’s enemies jostle for the throne. Rather than endanger his life in a duel, Asoka’s mother persuades him to go into exile, hiding his royal identity and masquerading as a common soldier. He meets and falls in love with Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor), a fellow royal runaway from the neighboring kingdom of Kalinga, raised as a princess but in reality an orphan taken in by the king. When Asoka is called back to Magadha, Kaurwaki and the young prince in her charge (Suraj Balaje) hide out in a village attacked by marauders. Returning to find no trace of her, Asoka believes Kaurwaki dead.

His heart hardened, he returns again to Magadha and marries a Buddhist girl (Hrishitaa Bhatt). Forced to deal with the treachery of his brother and his co-conspirators, Asoka ignores the urging of his pacifist bride, ruthlessly eliminating his enemies to become a powerful ruler.

In the eventful final section, Asoka goes to war for the unclaimed tribal lands surrounding Magadha, eventually clashing with the Kalinga army in a bloody battle. He finds the dying Kaurwaki among corpses littering the field, his remorse compelling him to embrace a new path.

While pace is uneven, the story unfolds in a solidly accessible style, driven by Sivan’s muscular camerawork and dynamic visual sense and by editor Shreekar Prasad’s agile cutting. Production values are highly polished. Romantic scenes are suitably overripe, battles are staged with bold assurance and the colorful, imaginative musical interludes are a delight, although the fact that all three of them come in the first half of the film creates an imbalance.

Khan cuts a dashing figure as a soulful hunk in the traditional Bollywood mold, while Kapoor plays ornately tattooed Kaurwaki as a lively mix of flirtatious coquette and feisty warrior woman, kind of like J. Lo meets Michelle Yeoh.

• Production: An Arclightz & Films production. (International sales: Wonder Films/Overseas Filmgroup, L.A.) Executive producers, Sanjiv Chawla, Mark Burton. Directed by Santosh Sivan. Screenplay, Saket Chaudhary, Sivan; dialogue, Abbas Tyrewala.
• Crew: Camera (color, widescreen), Sivan; editor, Shreekar Prasad; music, Sandeep Chowta; music director, Anu Malik; lyrics, Gulzar, Anand Bakshi; art director, Sabu Cyril; costume designers, Anu Vardhan, Manish Malhotra, Naresh Rohira; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS Digital); action coordinator, Sham Kaushal; choreographers, Farha Khan, Brinda, Geeta Kapoor; associate director, Vishnu Vardhan; assistant directors, Ghanteshwar T. Guru, Manika Sharma, Divya Pande. Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (noncompeting), Sept. 7, 2001. (Also in Toronto Film Festival -- Contemporary World Cinema.) Running time: 158 MIN.
• With: Asoka - Shah Rukh Khan Kaurwaki - Kareena Kapoor Virat - Danny Denzongpa Susima - Ajit Bheema - Rahul Dev Devi - Hrishitaa Bhatt With: Umesh Mehra, Gerson Da Cuhna, Subhashini, Suraj Balaje, Johnny Lever, Raghuvir Yadav, Suresh Menon.

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Ahsoka never bothered telling anyone it was just the middle of a story

What was Ahoska, besides eight hours long

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Let’s say you’re hanging out with some people who’ve known each other for a long time. Maybe longer than they’ve known you. They have all these hilarious in-jokes and constantly reference times they hung out together. Times which you were, notably, not present for. It’s all they do. They never bring you up to speed or endeavor to discuss things you might know about. What a bunch of assholes, right? Ahsoka is like one of those jerks.

Every week of Ahsoka has been more baffling than the last, to a degree largely dependent on your investment in extracurricular Star Wars . If you’re the type that’s deep in it, well-versed in the animated series and its implications, Ahsoka — while not a good show — is at least an opportunity to feel useful. Because for those that aren’t up-to-date on deep Star Wars lore, Ahsoka has been a slowly accumulating disaster, with its few bright spots (gorgeous space battles, cute turtle guys, Ray Stevenson) overwhelmed by a series so uninterested in entertaining the unconverted that it defeated my weekly struggle to enjoy it. I now know what it was like for Obi-Wan in the pits of Mustafar. Ahsoka was supposed to be the chosen one, the reason for me to tell others, See I wasn’t an idiot for watching all those Star Wars cartoons; you’d like them . Instead I feel like an idiot for watching all those Star Wars cartoons.

The current fixation on interconnected cinematic universes and the vertical integration that fuels streaming platforms does a lot to make the viewer feel like it is their responsibility to do homework. Like it’s their fault if a story doesn’t make sense, because answers are, ostensibly, attainable with a few taps on an app and several hours of your time. Let me do you a kindness: That is not on you .

Ahsoka ’s cardinal sin is a simple one: It’s the middle of a story that the viewer has no way of knowing they started. To make sense of Ahsoka , someone has to tell you that it is a sequel to Rebels , that it leans heavily on several bonkers arcs of The Clone Wars , that its big villain is a callback to decades-old Legacy novels and kind of a Big Deal . And one of the only ways to avoid being frustrated with Ahsoka ’s cliffhanger ending is by going in with the knowledge that creator Dave Filoni is working towards a film that will wrap up his “New Republic” story, and that real closure won’t come until then — regardless of whether or not Ahsoka gets a second season , or if its plot threads are continued in The Mandalorian .

The series does not stand on its own two feet. Absolutely none of its character or plot arcs make any sense without extensive background knowledge, and all of the cool stuff — and there is some cool shit in this finale — will come so far out of left field to the uninitiated that it may threaten to turn them off entirely. Imagine, for a moment, watching Ahsoka having only seen the theatrical films, or even just the live-action shows. How bananas would it be to abruptly learn there is necromancy and magic in Star Wars? How completely out of its gourd Ahsoka must seem. It’s the kind of leap that’s best made after making absolutely sure that your audience has been sufficiently onboarded, because it’s also the kind of leap that can turn them away.

It’s a storyteller’s responsibility to care for the audience and respect their time. That’s not to say that the audience shouldn’t ever have to work to understand what’s going on or that it’s wrong to expect them to engage with a narrative on a deeper level, but the text in front of them should give the viewer everything they need. And what’s on screen in Ahsoka largely feels like a waste of that time.

When you lay out the main plot beats of the last eight episodes, it is astonishing how little happens, and what is actually accomplished or made clear. Ahsoka begins with Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) on a quest that she began on another show to find Grand Admiral Thrawn, a guy lost in deep space so out there that several episodes are spent just finding a map to it. But it’s worth it, we’re told, because this guy is real bad , and also he’s stuck with Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), a guy so good that it’s worth the risk of giving Thrawn a ticket out of limbo. As the star of the show, Ahsoka gets a small arc where her former mentor Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christenson) appears as a Force Ghost to give her frankly baffling advice, which she pays forward in the form of even more cryptic advice to her apprentice, the Mandalorian Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). It’s worth noting, by the way, that Sabine and Ahsoka’s relationship of Master and Apprentice is entirely new, an off-screen dynamic no one has seen or heard about until Ahsoka premiered. You might think the thinness of their relationship is, like most of Ahsoka , something you missed from a cartoon you didn’t watch, but nope. This is all there is.

Tonally, Ahsoka even seems confused as to how it should deliver its big story beats. Because yes, while Ahsoka and Sabine end the season having accomplished their mission of finding and saving Ezra, they have also freed what’s supposed to be the biggest threat to the galaxy since the Emperor. Yet bafflingly, through gorgeous music cues from Kevin Kiner, perhaps the best of many John Williams interpolators to work on Star Wars, Ahsoka instead lingers on cheerful reunions and wistful moments, completely underselling that the worst thing that could have happened in its story has happened.

These are fundamental failings that would sink any show, and they don’t even account for nuts and bolts issues like stiff performances, stilted dialogue, and underwhelming action choreography. Fan service — even visually striking, fun-to-watch fan service — is not enough to build a show around and expect people to tune into the next one. I would even settle for a show that made sense , because from what’s on screen, very basic questions like “would Thrawn have escaped anyway without Ahsoka and Sabine finding him?” are incredibly unclear.

But what do I know? I’m just some chump who watched a bunch of cartoons.

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Ahsoka review – more bad Star Wars in a galaxy too far away to care about

Despite great potential for its all-female trio, the latest space series takes our interest in the franchise for granted. Even the David Tennant-voiced droid is a missed opportunity

S tar Wars TV shows have reached a point that was passed by Marvel superhero series a while ago: franchise fans still thirstily slurp down every new one in full, but casual viewers no longer have room in their schedules to blindly commit. So is Ahsoka a crossover thrill – like Andor , The Mandalorian (seasons one and two only!), and the last few episodes of The Book of Boba Fett ? Or is it a fans-only drudge, like most of Boba, recent Mando and all of Obi-Wan Kenobi?

After an opening double bill introducing us to the new adventures of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), we don’t really know. Ahsoka has plenty of flickers of what made Andor and the early Mandalorian such a ride, but it suffers from the same syndrome that makes Bad Star Wars bad: it’s so in awe of franchise lore it keeps taking our interest for granted.

Our heroine is a former apprentice to Anakin Skywalker, the man who became Darth Vader, who hasn’t followed her master to the Dark Side. Although exactly who Ahsoka is can be hard to pin down, which isn’t ideal for a lead character – she’s a sort of mentor/vigilante/fixer – she cuts a calm but stern figure in an era of fragile progress. The monstrous Galactic Empire has fallen, but fears of its imminent revival are well founded. Ahsoka’s quest is to find and neutralise Grand Admiral Thrawn, an exiled Empire stalwart, and she’s learned that an arcane map could reveal his hiding place. When two malign mercenaries who seem to be using Jedi-like powers for nefarious ends also show an interest in the map, a race is on. But it’s not a race in which anyone moves fast.

Ahsoka is set in a galaxy so far away that it is yet to receive word of the old screenwriting maxim about starting a scene late and leaving it early. Take, for instance, the sequence where Ahsoka searches an abandoned underground hub on a desolate planet. Like everything else in the show, this dusty, creaky lair is sumptuously designed, and there are pleasing Indiana Jones vibes as secret trapdoors are opened, artefacts are found hidden in sand, and stone obelisks are twisted into just the right position to awaken their mysterious power and spring them open. But it all happens at such a measured pace that if you haven’t come to the show primed to enjoy every little thing Ahsoka does – enthusiasts have spent more than a decade watching the character develop in the animated series Clone Wars and Rebels – you might wonder why you’ve just had to spend several minutes watching a woman find a map.

Eventually, despite a lot of gazing at admittedly impressive CGI backgrounds, and plenty more scenes where people walk around for a bit before they do anything, a gang emerges. Ahsoka’s need for help in decoding the map leads her to take a risk on her talented but unstable former protegee, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). More reliable assistance comes from Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a general in the benign New Republic.

The potential in this all-female trio is for a nuanced, character-driven take on space capers, as the maternal Ahsoka and the auntly Hera try to nurture Sabine’s wild warrior talents. Although Ahsoka is a little too inscrutable – she sometimes has the air of a sitcom mum, folding her arms in mute exasperation at the foolishness around her – and Hera’s main discernible trait so far is that she has a green face, the dynamic is there. Not that the show foregoes spectacular action: Sabine’s impulsiveness means that a hoverbike duel or running chase is never far away, and Ahsoka regularly shows off her cool trick of fighting with her lightsaber held in a reverse grip. A fact-finding trip to a bustling port, meanwhile, lends the action a bit of Andor-esque insight into how fighting fascism is a never-ending struggle, when it becomes apparent that although the gaff is no longer run by the Empire, not everyone who runs it has seen the light.

The foundations are in place, then, if the show can remember that Star Wars at its best is snappy and fun, not slow and serious. There’s another lost opportunity in the form of Huyang, a droid voiced by David Tennant (reprising his role from Clone Wars): he enjoys making the robot sound like a caring but fussy butler, with notes of PG Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Red Dwarf’s Kryten. But in a show where, when a scene needs to establish a thing, the characters often stand there directly, drily discussing that thing – “show don’t tell” being another writing rule that hasn’t survived the trip across the cosmos – Tennant is often left trying to say unfunny lines in a funny voice. Like everything in Ahsoka, he could be so much better if he were allowed to cut loose and entertain us.

Ahsoka is on Disney+

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Ahsoka Thrillingly Brings Back the Most Underrated Era of Star Wars Storytelling

The newest Star Wars series finally finds a balance between the franchise’s recent varying tones.

Ahsoka Tano has always had to fight to prove her worth.

Deftly inserted into Star Wars canon 15 years ago as Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, Ahsoka became an easy scapegoat for fans unimpressed by the animated storytelling of The Clone Wars . “All this new Ahsoka character brings to the table, other than a lightsaber-sized gash through the heart of continuity, are giggling one-liners,” one review said . “I just want to go up to that Padawan and slap her,” another said .

But while she may have started as a fresh-faced cartoon alien in an unfortunate tube top (voiced by the incredible Ashley Eckstein), Ahsoka grew into a powerful Force user, a Rebel leader, a wise mentor, and ultimately, a live-action character played by Rosario Dawson. Star Wars fans got to watch her entire arc play out in real time (not counting a few canonical blind spots). Now, she’s reached another critical inflection point: a starring role in her own adventure.

Ahsoka is the latest in a slew of Star Wars streaming shows and one of several that’s loosely connected to The Mandalorian . But if you’re worried we’re in for another disappointing spin-off like The Book of Boba Fett , you can rest easy. Under the careful watch of Dave Filoni (a disciple of George Lucas who’s shepherded Ahsoka every step of the way), Ahsoka achieves the perfect balance of new and old, giving hardcore fans the latest chapter in a 15-year journey without alienating an audience that’s just getting to know the former Jedi.

Along the way, Filoni and Dawson tap into something that we didn’t even realize Star Wars was missing: a return to the style, era, and aesthetics that spawned Ahsoka in the first place. By channeling the best parts of the prequels era (and ignoring the worst), Ahsoka brings fresh energy to the franchise to tell a story unlike anything we’ve seen before.

After many appearances in animation and one live-action in The Mandalorian , Ahsoka finally gets her own series.

Ahsoka begins the best way any Star Wars property can: with an opening crawl. As the blood-red text floating across a sea of stars explains, Ahsoka has turned over Morgan Elsbeth (the villain introduced in The Mandalorian Season 2) to the New Republic to pay for her crimes. Meanwhile, our hero is investigating the early evidence of a new threat: the return of Grand Adm. Thrawn. While Ahsoka looks for clues, a new threat begins to emerge, forcing her to rally her old allies for a new-yet-familiar fight.

For a certain type of Star Wars fan, this means the return of a lot of familiar faces. Ahsoka could be considered a sequel to Rebels , the animated series in which she played a supporting role to a ragtag rebel cell. This new show brings back many of those characters (now in live-action), but it smartly avoids picking up where the cartoon left off.

We pick up many years after the Rebels finale. While Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, and even Ezra Bridger appear in the series, enough time has passed that it feels like these characters are starting fresh. Most of the events referenced in the first two episodes provided for review aren’t even from Rebels, instead drawing from the unexplored time in between the two shows. This makes it easy for casual audiences to keep up, though some hardcore fans may feel confused when the show introduces new backstories — like Sabine receiving Jedi training from Ahsoka.

The legacy of Rebels is very present in Ahsoka , but it’s not a prerequisite.

There’s a lot of pressure on Ahsoka ’s cast not to mess up these characters. While Rosario Dawson already earned her role in that one episode of The Mandalorian , other newcomers like Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Hera) and Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine) more than rise to the challenge. The time skip also helps smooth over any changes in demeanor. If Sabine seems a little different, it’s just because she’s been through a lot since Rebels .

Behind the scenes, however, Ahsoka ’s true hero is composer Kevin Kiner. Best known for his work on The Clone Wars and Rebels , Kiner’s contributions to the franchise are vastly underrated especially due to John Williams’ long shadow. Finally working in Star Wars live-action, Kiner instantly cements himself as a legend. From the almost tribal drums under the opening crawl to the energy coursing through every combat scene, he single-handedly brings this series from good to great.

Ahsoka manages to put the focus on the worldbuilding of Star Wars in a way that enriches its story and characters.

Thanks in part to Kiner, Ahsoka has the feel of classic Star Wars. There are star maps, MacGuffins, mysteries steeped with political intrigue, and mysterious masked villains who are almost definitely recognizable faces. And despite all that, it’s also a simple enough story that the characters can take center stage. It might be thrilling to watch Ahsoka cut through assassin robots, but it’s just as fun watching her share a knowing smile with an old friend.

While the bar for new Star Wars stories might not be particularly high at the moment (even The Mandalorian Season 3 felt uneven at times), there’s one entry that every new show will unavoidably be compared to: Andor . Tony Gilroy’s spy thriller set a new standard with its morally complex storytelling and use of practical sets. But that’s not really a fair comparison. Andor was a singular story about one man, while Ahsoka zooms out to the galaxy as a whole. It brings back the space opera tone that has been missing throughout Andor ’s prestige TV and The Mandalorian ’s space western, all while finding the perfect balance of character-driven story and worldbuilding.

It’s never been enough for Ahsoka Tano to just exist and be a badass. She’s always compared (sometimes unfavorably) to other Jedi, from Anakin and Obi-Wan to Luke and Rey. So why should Ahsoka be any different? But just as the character eventually won over even the harshest Star Wars fans, the series seems likely to do the same in just eight live-action episodes.

Ahsoka premieres at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, Aug. 22, on Disney+.

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Common sense media reviewers.

First female-led Star Wars series has sci-fi violence.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Be patient. Friendship is worth fighting for. Help

Ahsoka is steadfast and willing to fight for what'

Star Dawson is of Puerto Rican and Black ancestry.

Lots of light saber battles and guns, and nameless

Lots of Star Wars merch is available.

Parents need to know that Ahsoka is a series set in the Star Wars universe. Former Jedi Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) -- who originally debuted as an animated character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- and her crew are on a mission to face the evil General Thrawn. Expect sci-fi violence, including…

Positive Messages

Be patient. Friendship is worth fighting for. Helping others has its rewards.

Positive Role Models

Ahsoka is steadfast and willing to fight for what's right. Sabine can be impetuous but is devoted to her training.

Diverse Representations

Star Dawson is of Puerto Rican and Black ancestry. The supporting cast includes actors of Chinese and Filipino descent. Many of the main actors are female in roles with agency and power.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Lots of light saber battles and guns, and nameless villains getting attacked.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Parents need to know.

Parents need to know that Ahsoka is a series set in the Star Wars universe. Former Jedi Ahsoka Tano ( Rosario Dawson ) -- who originally debuted as an animated character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- and her crew are on a mission to face the evil General Thrawn. Expect sci-fi violence, including light saber battles, guns, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat. The main characters in this series are female, a Star Wars first, and they demonstrate lots of courage and teamwork .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (5)
• Kids say (6)

Based on 5 parent reviews

Star Wars Story Telling - Next Level

What's the story.

Former Jedi Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) finds a star map that will guide her to the evil General Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). On the way, she reconnects with young Mandalorian Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), her old prot ég é, who's reluctant to get involved until it's revealed that the map may also help her find an old friend, Ezra (Eman Esfandi). Will Ahsoka and her crew find what they're looking for without the interference of nefarious forces in Thrawn's service -- and prevent another war while they're at it?

Is It Any Good?

This stellar, female-driven series provides much more than fan service to Star Wars devotees. More of a playful Mandalorian -style action/adventure than the political Andor , Ahsoka gives the live-action treatment to some of the franchise's deeper lore. Many of Ahsoka 's characters have only been seen before in animated form in shows like Star Wars Rebels and Tales of the Jedi . This series, once again written and created by Dave Filoni, introduces just enough fresh blood into the already packed canon.

There are a few clichéd scenes that feel out of place, like a rebellious teen wildly riding a motorcycle out of town with a rock song playing in the background. That's Sabine, Ahsoka 's manic pixie Jedi girl. She ends up being a worthy foil to Ahsoka herself, who's slightly detached, wryly bemused, and the series' most intriguing character. It's also exciting to see two women in a light saber battle, while another (Ahsoka, of course) swoops in to save the day. These moments keep Ahsoka fresh, making it yet another fun entry for young Padawans and their parents, too.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Star Wars . Why do you think it's been so popular for so long? Which characters and stories are your faves?

How does Ahsoka work with other members of her crew? What do they have in common? What sets them apart?

Characters in Ahsoka are often courageous . Why do you think this is an important character strength?

• Premiere date : August 22, 2023
• Cast : Rosario Dawson , Natasha Liu Bordizzo , Wes Chatham
• Network : Disney+
• Genre : Science Fiction
• Topics : Adventures , Space and Aliens
• Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
• TV rating : TV-14
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : December 7, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

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In the Ahsoka Premiere, the New Republic Comes With Old Baggage

Even in live-action, Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan can’t outrun her own regrets.

After all, Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano does not breach the milestone of her own live-action series unencumbered. There’s the character’s baggage to consider: a doomed apprenticeship to Anakin Skywalker (a.k.a. Darth Vader); the trauma of the Clone Wars and the fall of the Republic; the annihilation of her fellow Jedi in the genocide of Order 66; and the battles surrendered and celebrated amidst the Galactic Civil War. Then, of course, there’s the meta baggage to contend with: Numerous animated and live-action series, as well as comic books and a novelization, feed into the debut of Ahsoka on Disney+. The canon is so extensive as to require hours of study, were you to truly devote yourself to the biography of Anakin’s one-time Padawan learner.

Thankfully, Ahsoka does a mostly commendable job of appeasing both ends of the Star Wars fandom spectrum: those with an extensive memory bank on all things Tano, and those grasping the character’s history for the first time. The premiere episode opens with the classic Star Wars opening crawl, informing us that we are entering the era of the New Republic, still in a fledgling state following the recent victories of Luke Skywalker and his fellow Rebel leaders (including some we’ll be introduced to shortly). Ahsoka is on the hunt for Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen)—a beloved Star Wars villain with extensive lore of his own—who could bring what remains of the Imperial Army back into power. Ahsoka believes she’s one step closer to finding Thrawn after having tracked down one of his allies, Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), during the events of another Disney+ series, The Mandalorian .

From Elsbeth, Ahsoka’s learned of a secret map to Thrawn’s location, and in her first scenes of her own TV show, she removes it from “an ancient temple” built by the witch-like Nightsisters of Dathomir. She narrowly escapes some self-destructing droids with the help of her own droid companion, Huyang (David Tennant), who—like Ahsoka herself—was first introduced as a character in animated form, in Star Wars: The Clone Wars . (Without traversing too far into the black hole of Star Wars mythology, it’s important to know two things: Huyang aided the Jedi Order at the height of its strength, and he’s therefore thousands of years old. His protocol runs deep .)

But as Ahsoka and Huyang exit the planet’s stratosphere, they learn that two unnamed villains—both wielding the characteristic red lightsabers of the Dark Side of the Force—have attacked a Republic ship. So Ahsoka goes to meet with General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a character from the animated series Star Wars: Rebels and a key Republic leader. They both examine the locked orb in which the map is contained, and Ahsoka reveals her concerns that these new Force-using antagonists are accomplices of Elsbeth, and therefore also gunning to find Thrawn. Hera is similarly interested in another possibility: that if the map leads to Thrawn, it could lead to Ezra Bridger.

For those not already acquainted with the animated Star Wars shows, you might want to bookmark Wookieepedia in an effort to distinguish all these characters. (Rest assured, it gets easier.) Ezra (as played by Eman Esfandi in Ahsoka ) is another Rebels protagonist, and all you must know about him right now is as follows: He was a Jedi hero who sacrificed himself during the Galactic Civil War; he operated with the crew of the Ghost, which included both Hera and the soon-to-be-introduced Sabine Wren; and his final act of defiance banished both himself and Thrawn deep into hyperspace. Hera and Ahsoka have more than just a political incentive to find Thrawn; they have a personal one. Where Thrawn is, there might Ezra be also.

“You know who could help you with this?” Hera asks Ahsoka.

“I do,” our protagonist replies. “I’m not sure she’ll want to help.”

Of course, they’re talking about Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), currently speeding away from her boring ceremonial responsibilities on the planet Lothal. A Mandalorian Rebel leader who now operates out of an “old communications tower,” Sabine is not what I’d describe as the tidiest homeowner, but her dusty boxes do reveal an old hologram of Ezra, which she watches as she makes dinner for herself and her (adorable, if unnerving) loth-cat. In this transmission, Esfandi appears, telling Sabine, “You’re like a sister to me. I know your fight isn’t over, and I won’t be there to help you, but I’m counting on you to see this through.”

What, exactly, Ezra wants Sabine to “see through” isn’t clear. Perhaps the Rebellion itself? Consider that checked off the to-do list, sweetie. Regardless, Sabine’s clearly haunted by Ezra’s memory—and the possibility that wherever he might be outside her galaxy, he’s trapped there. So when Ahsoka arrives on Lothal with a lead on Ezra’s location, Sabine agrees to help unlock the space orb-map. (Which, I swear, is a direct rip-off of the space orb-map in another Disney classic, Treasure Planet . But I digress.) Finding Ezra means Sabine’s forced to brush shoulders with Ahsoka, who turns out to be the former’s erstwhile Jedi master. Oh, hey, that’s new!

Rebels fans will likely digest this information with some shock, if not expletive-ridden outrage. In Rebels , Sabine was never a Force-user; her background was in blasters and explosives and other military technology. If she’s now Ahsoka’s one-time Padawan learner (a.k.a. apprentice), then Sabine must have demonstrated some affinity for the Force at one point or another, even if it’s Ezra’s lightsaber with which she sliced and diced. (To be fair, she’d be far from the first Jedi to wield another’s lightsaber: Luke Skywalker used his father’s until he built his own.) It seems possible that Ahsoka noticed Sabine’s dormant Force skills after the collapse of the Empire, decided to train her, and then abandoned the project when her pupil proved too...what? Anakin-like? Sabine would never .

Either way, something went awry between these two, as Sabine is eager to escape her old master’s presence; she swipes the orb-map and takes off for the comfort of her roost. Meanwhile, Huyang runs a scan on the lightsabers used by the aforementioned villainous Force-users, and he learns that one is owned by Jedi Knight-turned-mercenary Baylan Skoll (the late Ray Stevenson), and the other by his apprentice, the blonde-bobbed Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). Naturally, it’s Shin whom Sabine encounters after unlocking the map, Shin who steals it with the help of a few droids, and Shin who stabs Sabine through the stomach after a brief lightsaber duel. Ahsoka arrives just as her former apprentice collapses, a big glowing hole in her abdomen, while Shin heads off into the night sky with the precious map intact—and Sabine’s renderings of its contents destroyed.

’Tis a high-stakes beginning for what Lucasfilm undoubtedly views as a high-stakes investment, grafting much of the franchise’s beloved animated IP onto the unique aesthetic (and visibility) of its live-action films and TV series. Thus far, the Ahsoka experiment is a solid one, though it threatens to boil over from the mix of its many ingredients. As of the end of episode 1, Ahsoka feels promising but unfocused, as yet undecided on its tone or its objectives.

What will ultimately matter most is not, necessarily, how well Ahsoka Tano and her friends slot into the existing New Republic canon. What will determine Ahsoka ’s success is how well the series can replicate and expand upon the character dynamics that made the animated shows must-watches, even for those outside the cartoons’ targeted age demographic. The Clone Wars and Rebels were more than adventure-of-the-week programs; they were clever takes on the traumas of war, but rendered in a more youth-friendly manner than, say, Rogue One or Andor . Ahsoka has the opportunity to bridge the distance between these two poles, gifting the cartoon characters with more space in which to clean their deepest wounds—and to build a government that won’t repeat the same brutalities. That, to me, is a premise as exciting as anything Star Wars has teased recently, and a fascinating answer to Andor, in particular.

It remains to be seen if the show can rise to such an ambitious concept. But my hopes were spurred by one specific conversation between Ahsoka and Hera in the premiere episode. As Ahsoka bemoans her former Padawan’s antics, Hera tells her, “I bet your master found you difficult at times.”

After a long, pointed pause, Ahsoka replies: “Anakin never got to finish my training. Before the end of The Clone Wars, I walked away from him. And the Jedi. Just like I walked away from Sabine.”

Hera, gently, says, “I’m sure you had your reasons.”

Ahsoka then sets up what I’m sure will be the theme for the entire series: “Sometimes even the right reasons have the wrong consequences. What do we do then?” If Ahsoka takes that question seriously, it could become much more than the sum of its many parts.

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Ahsoka : release date, trailer, cast & more, who's in it where and when is it set who are the creators and other behind-the-scenes talent when does it premiere.

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UPDATE: July 11 trailer (above) added.

Ahsoka Tano’s rise to prominence is one of the great Star Wars feel-good stories. Voiced by Ashley Eckstein , the Togruta was introduced as Anakin Skywalker’s (voiced by Matthew Lanter ) precocious Padawan learner in the ill-received Star Wars: The Clone Wars theatrical film. But across the first five seasons of the subsequent animated series, the character grew from that initial depiction into a strong and dependable Jedi-in-training. Along the way, she also developed a devoted following among viewers who were all dismayed when The Clone Wars was cut short, leaving Ahsoka on a cliffhanger as she chose exile from the Jedi Order.

(Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd.)

Click here to open full poster in a new tab.

Thankfully, Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni , who is also credited as her co-creator alongside Star Wars originator George Lucas , immediately went from Clone Wars to a new animated series: Star Wars Rebels . There, he introduced an older and somewhat wiser Ahsoka (still voiced by Eckstein) who spent the 15 or so years between the two programs helping the nascent Rebel Alliance prepare for their eventual war with the Empire (among other things, of course). Her return and consistent presence on Rebels (for a few seasons, anyway) cemented the character as an important aspect of the overall Star Wars story; in fact, the fans even had a rallying cry for whenever she vanished: “Ahsoka Lives.” It got them through Clone Wars ’s cancellation, her seemingly climactic confrontation with Darth Vader on Rebels , and her return in that program’s final episode.

(Photo by Merrick Morton/TM and ©copyright Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved/Courtesy Everett Collection)

Then in 2020, Ahsoka fans received a couple of gifts: a final season of The Clone Wars to wrap up her story during that conflict , and word that she would be coming to the live action TV series, The Mandalorian . The latter became a reality later that year (with Rosario Dawson taking over from Eckstein), followed by a surprise announcement at the Disney Investor Day revealing Ahsoka Tano would be getting her own series. And just to sweeten the deal, the series would eventually join The Mandalorian and other Star Wars series for a crossover event now slated to be a feature film with Filoni directing.

Following the announcement, though, word about Ahsoka went pretty quiet until October 2021, when word broke indicating Star Wars prequel star Hayden Christensen would return as Anakin Skywalker, marking the first time the former Jedi Master and his former Padawan will share the live-action screen.

Of course, that moment is still in the (near) future, but it served as impetus to compile everything we know about Ahsoka so far. And in the years since we first investigated Ahsoka’s potential future, a lot has come to light.

What Will Ahsoka Be Up To?

The series, carrying on from Ahsoka’s appearance on The Mandalorian , will see her continuing to chase down Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn ( Lars Mikkelsen , reprising the role he voiced on Rebels ). He went missing during the final liberation of Lothal, just prior to the events of the original Star Wars . But more important than his fugitive status is the person who went missing alongside him: would-be Jedi Ezra Bridger (voiced by Taylor Gray ). As mentioned in Rebels ’ final moments, Ahsoka made good on her promise to find him and her friends; although it would take her the entire Galactic Civil War to really dedicate herself to the quest.

Except, as Filoni told Vanity Fair , the final scene of Rebels — which saw the Jedi exile in all-white robes and brandishing a staff — may occur after events of her Mandalorian appearance, indicating  Ahsoka may also take place before that moment. If that’s the case, then Ahsoka’s search for Thrawn may somehow be unrelated to the search for Ezra. Or, perhaps, she’s chosen not to include the members of Ezra’s Rebel cell. Based on her reticence to train Grogu and Dawson’s comments at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, we imagine huge elements of the show will be Ahsoka’s loneliness and reluctance to connect. It is a nice source of drama as she continues her quest.

Adding some fuel to that fire: a trailer released on July 11 in which Ahsoka claimed she is unwilling to dwell on her past, but nonetheless took on an apprentice whom she walked away from just as she walked away from Anakin during the Clone Wars. And as her presumed apprentice is a beloved Rebels character, it may explain way she continues to walk alone in the post-Empire galaxy.

When and Where Does Ahsoka Take Place?

(Photo by 20th Century Fox)

Ahsoka’s search will be set in the New Republic era five or so years after The Return of the Jedi . As we’ve seen in The Mandalorian , the Republic’s attempt to restore of law and order is already in trouble; it allows the Imperial Remnant to fester. But with the Outer Rim of the galaxy the stomping ground of The Mandalorian , Ahsoka’s journeys will take her far and wide – from former imperial capital Coruscant, to Lothal, Onderon, Ord Mantell, and even some new worlds.

We also expect her dealings with Republic officials to be different from Din Djarin’s ( Pedro Pascal ) more precarious entanglements on The Mandalorian . Or, perhaps, we’ll discover the rank-and-file are as susceptible to the Jedi Mind Trick as their Stormtrooper predecessors. Also, there are higher ranking individuals in the Republic who must remember Ahsoka as “Fulcrum.” One has to wonder if she’ll call on them as part of her quest.

Who Stars in Ahsoka ?

(Photo by Suzanne Tenner/Lucasfilm Ltd.)

After her debut as the live-action Ahsoka in the second season Mandalorian episode “The Jedi,” Dawson returns as the character. Natasha Liu Bordizzo joins her in the series as Sabine Wren, the Mandalorian artist and demolitions expert from Rebels originally voiced by Tiya Sircar . The July 2023 trailer adds an interesting wrinkle to Sabine’s story as, in one moment, she derisively calls Ahsoka “Master.” Combined with previously released clips of Sabine wielding Ezra’s lightsaber, it appears the series will answer a question Rebels fans have asked for a long time: is Sabine Force-sensitive?

Other audio in the trailer also makes it clear that Ahsoka and Sabine had some sort of falling out in the years since Rebels ended. If Sabine was Ahsoka’s apprentice, what could lead the two to part? Also, how did Sabine convince Ahsoka to train her? At the very least, it’s clear Sabine will be equipped to hold her own against a foe brandishing a lightsaber, even if that opponent claims she has “no power” in the July trailer.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo reacts to Sabine wielding Ezra's lightsaber in #Ahsoka . pic.twitter.com/Fv2nfE0enF — Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) June 7, 2023

At the 2023 Star Wars Celebration, Mary Elizabeth Winstead confirmed she plays Hera Syndulla, another Rebels character who went on to become a general in the Rebel Alliance. As the character notes in the July trailer, she has spent most of her life fighting a war and hopes to avert another by pleading with the New Republic senate and reuniting with Ahsoka.

An extended version of the first series trailer also revealed Lars Mikkelsen’s live action look as Grand Admiral Thrawn, the first member of the Rebels voice cast to return in a role they originated on the animated series. Also, irascible but lovable droid C1-10P, aka Chopper, will also join in on the adventure.

Watch Rosario Dawson and the #Ahsoka cast react to the first teaser trailer shown at #StarWarsCelebration . pic.twitter.com/if7rVH9EbQ — Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) April 10, 2023

Eman Esfandi will reportedly play Ezra, although this has not been confirmed and the voice of Ezra heard in the July trailer sounds a lot like Gray’s. Of course, some online believe an older Ezra will be revealed as the Inquisitor Ahoska fights late in the newer preview.

Additional cast — thanks to the trailer and Lucasfilm messaging — include Genevieve O’Reilly in her first New Republic-era appearance as Mon Mothma while Maurice Irvin , Jacqueline Antaramian , Nelson Lee , and Erica Duke join her as a gaggle of Republic senators. Also, David Tennant will once again lend his voice to Huyang, the lightsaber-crafting droid he first voiced on The Clone Wars .

Thrawn will also be reinforced by Morgan Elsbeth ( Diana Lee Inosanto ), the Beskar spear-brandishing servant Ahsoka first faced in Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian . During the Ahsoka -focused panel at Celebration 2023, Inosanto called her character a “complicated woman.” Subsequently, The Expanse ’s Wes Chatham also emerged as a part of the admiral’s circle.

The forces of darkness will also find aid from Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, a pair of Force-sensitives played by Ray Stevenson (in the late actor’s final role) and Ivanna Sakhno , who are neither Jedi nor Sith. But their lightsabers prove they will be formidable opponents even for an accomplished blademaster like Ahsoka. Although, the extended version of the trailer revealed Sabine will also wield a saber to face off against Shin. A glimpse of the scene featured in a TV spot released in June and yet more of the battle appears in the new trailer.

That recent preview also reveals Skoll and Hati are in search of Thrawn, too, with the former claiming the Admiral will offer them undreamed-of power. Many online have pointed out that their last names are direct references to wolves of Norse mythology — continuing Filoni’s own obsession with lupine imagery — who chase the sun and the moon. A successful conclusion to their hunt means Ragnarok, but we doubt the same will be true should these Star Wars characters link up with Thrawn.

(Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)

Other potential characters from the animated show who could make their live action debuts in Ahsoka include Hera’s son, Jacen, and perhaps Temuera Morrison as the beloved Clone Captain Rex (voiced on Rebels by Dee Bradley Baker ), who would still be alive at this point in Star Wars history. Some reports indicate Morrison will play the part, but this has yet to be confirmed. Additionally, an older Jacen is featured in an upcoming LEGO set, suggesting the character will appear as well.

Christensen — who already returned as Darth Vader on the Obi-Wan Kenobi   limited series — will also appear on Ahsoka as Anakin Skywalker. It is unclear how he will appear as Anakin died five or so years prior to the presumed setting the series, but a galaxy of flashbacks, Force Ghosts, and a certain timey-wimey World Between Worlds makes his involvement relatively easy to explain. Instead, Christensen’s part in the show further cements Ahsoka’s importance to the overall Star Wars story despite debuting after Lucas completed the Prequel Trilogy.

In fact, Filoni recalled during the 2023 panel that Ahsoka came into existence because the Star Wars creator wanted Anakin to have an apprentice.

Who Is Creating Ahsoka ?

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

The Mandalorian brain trust of Filoni and Jon Favreau continue on with Ahsoka , although Filoni takes the primary writing role while Favreau serves as executive producer. The arrangement totally makes sense considering how central Ahsoka has been to Filoni’s work in the galaxy far, far away.

At Celebration 2023, Filoni confirmed a list of directors joining him on the series: Steph Green, Peter Ramsey, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Patel, and Mandalorian executive producer Rick Famiyuwa. He also revealed Clone Wars and Rebels composer Kevin Kiner returns to score Ahsoka . “I needed that music. It’s a throughline from Clone Wars to Rebels [to Ahsoka ],” he explained.

When Does Ahsoka Premiere?

The series will premiere on August 23 with its first two episodes. During the Celebration 2023 presentation, Dawson said she only recently calmed down from shooting the program and let slip that she hopes the series will get a second season.

Read also:  Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and Series — With Key Details and Dates

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Ahsoka Review: It's Time to Say Goodbye to the Star Wars You Knew

The newest entry in the galaxy far, far away is Ahsoka —which could use a little more of the franchise's signature simplicity, charm, and heart.

The latest Star Wars series, Ahsoka —which debuted its first two episodes Tuesday night—won't hold your hand. It doesn't even bother to help answer questions like, Who is Ahsoka ? If you slept through the time The Book of Boba Fett morphed into The Mandalorian Season 2.5 ? Well, good luck understanding Ahsoka .

Catching up on Disney+'s Star Wars offerings isn't even enough to place yourself in Ahsoka 's world, either. Ahsoka Tano was created long before Disney's Lucasfilm acquisition. Ahsoka first appeared in 2008's animated The Clone Wars series. She then appeared in four seasons of Star Wars Rebels , before making her live-action debut in The Mandalorian 's second season. Other characters from Rebels— such as General Syndulla, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, and Grand Admiral Thrawn—also play key roles in Ahsoka . Oof. One (or all) of those names sound unfamiliar to you? Have fun at Wookiepedia .

The opening crawl, meant to be an exposition dump for casuals, does nothing to help. Much like The Mandalorian , we're in the dead space between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens . "A plot is underway to find the lost Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn," the text reads, about the blue alien whose return could potentially start another war. We're also on the hunt for one of Thrawn's allies—a prisoner named Morgan, who is immediately captured by a mysterious red-lightsaber-wielding third party. If that's not enough, we also need a "secret map which is vital to the enemy's plan." Got all that? Because that's just the text you read before Ahsoka even begins.

So, after killing some robots to obtain the secret map, Ahsoka reveals that the map needs a special key to unlock its data. It feels like I'm playing a video game—and not a very well-designed one. Every little accomplishment is instantly hit with a roadblock that would make the player groan. How did it come to this? Star Wars was once about a struggle between a father and his son—and a galaxy full of the franchise's signature simplicity, charm, and heart. In today's Star Wars tales , Macguffins reign supreme. But this convoluted "wayfinding," as The Rise of Skywalker once called it, isn't the actors' fault. Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka was one of the first modern Disney roles to be cast solely on fan service alone, and it was the right choice. Dawson is charming, poised, and truly treats the character with respect.

In the end, Star Wars is—to put it simply—cool. As a viewer, you're imagining yourself flying around space, playing with futuristic weapons, and maybe even donning some weird tentacles on your head. At the very least, a Star Wars series should feel as fun as it looks. But when you develop a whole series solely for fans to see animated characters walk around in live action, that's where we run into some issues.

Most stories aren't meant to last forever. It's often best to reach for stories at the outer rims of the galaxy than to painstakingly work toward maintaining continuity. That's why a story like Andor — which could have fit into any science-fiction universe—hit with audiences who were about to give up on Disney+'s Star Wars projects entirely. Sure, Disney gave us Babu Frik and Baby Yoda . The Mouse House even let them meet, thank the lord! But at this very moment, Ahsoka isn't a story that's one more Babu Frik appearance away from making any sense.

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Star Wars: Ahsoka

Where to watch.

Watch Star Wars: Ahsoka with a subscription on Disney+.

Cast & Crew

Dave Filoni

Rosario Dawson

Ahsoka Tano

Natasha Liu Bordizzo

Sabine Wren

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Hera Syndulla

Ray Stevenson

Baylan Skoll

Ivanna Sakhno

More Like This

Tv news & guides, this show is featured in the following articles., series info.

• Aug 22, 2023

Summary The Mandalorian spin-off centers on Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) as the former Jedi knight investigates a new threat to the galaxy.

Created By : Dave Filoni

Season Episodes

Rosario Dawson

Ahsoka tano.

David Tennant

Natasha Liu Bordizzo

Sabine wren.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Hera syndulla.

Ray Stevenson

Baylan skoll, ivanna sakhno.

Diana Lee Inosanto

Morgan elsbeth, eman esfandi, ezra bridger.

Hayden Christensen

Anakin skywalker, nican robinson, first officer vic hawkins, paul darnell, marrok, performance artist - marrok, dawn dininger, performance artist - lieutenant beyta, lieutenant mowaat, performance artist - lt. beyta, evan whitten, jacen syndulla.

Lars Mikkelsen

Grand admiral thrawn.

Genevieve O'Reilly

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee

Captain carson teva.

Wes Chatham

Captain enoch, jeryl prescott.

Claudia Black

Jane edwina seymour, critic reviews.

• All Reviews
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• Negative Reviews

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• User reviews

After the fall of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Ahsoka Tano investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. After the fall of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Ahsoka Tano investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. After the fall of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Ahsoka Tano investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

• Dave Filoni
• Rosario Dawson
• David Tennant
• Natasha Liu Bordizzo
• 833 User reviews
• 25 Critic reviews
• 1 win & 20 nominations

• Ahsoka Tano

• Sabine Wren

• Hera Syndulla

• Baylan Skoll

• Morgan Elsbeth

• Ezra Bridger

• Anakin Skywalker

• First Officer Vic Hawkins

• Performance Artist - Lieutenant Beyta …

• Jacen Syndulla

• Grand Admiral Thrawn

• Captain Carson Teva

• Captain Enoch

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia The handheld device Sabine Wren plugs the droids head into in the hospital is an old retro games console called Galaxy Invader CGL from 1978. For filming, she holds it upside down.
• Connections Featured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Rat of All My Dreams (2020)

User reviews 833

• The music is decent at first but gets kinda forgettable after a couple of episodes
• The action scenes are well-choreographed and surprisingly well-thought-out, but ultimately get dull
• The visuals and CGI is pretty good
• Ahsoka's style of fighting is pretty cool
• Sabine not being a superhero and gradually getting better but still getting hit nonetheless
• There are some setups and payoffs and things don't just magically come to aid the characters and also they don't always succeed on the first try
• The flashback episode was pretty good
• Bad guys getting a decent screen time as much as the protagonists
• Ray Stevenson
• Thrawn's intro
• Dave Filoni's writing and not having other writers work with him on the show
• Ahsoka being a black void of a character and having zero personality whatsoever. She's just devoid of any characterization.
• Sabine getting more screen time and character arc than Ahsoka. Might as well call the show Sabine instead.
• Sabine's baffling decision-making and having zero plan gambling the fate of an entire galaxy over one person
• The barebone story and plot that could've even been a 3-episode mini-series
• Main characters having the biggest plot armor in recent years
• Bad guys/good guys having the clear opportunity to end each other multiple times but doing nothing
• Thrawn being wasted and turned into something even worse than a cartoonishly evil character. He is a forgettable terribly-written villain that does nothing and basically runs to his grandmas for help every 5 minutes. They did a terrible job of making him intimidating or powerful.
• The trope of bad guys having every opportunity to kill the good guys and even getting the orders to shoot but still standing around looking at each other and doing nothing. Even worse is when they do decide to shoot, they stop because the good guy said "Wait"!
• Maybe too much use of nostalgia-baiting and random name-throwing and references for its own good. It's basically all for the hardcore Star Wars fanboys to lose their mind because they name-dropped Glup --ito and now they think the show is a masterpiece because an old character had a cameo.
• Ahsoka not feeling like the main character at all and having less and less screen time every episode
• Ahsoka having a semblance of a character arc which turns her into a worse character with having a more baffling mentality of actually agreeing with Sabine's stupid choices
• Introducing the element of witchcraft which makes it feel less like Star Wars. I understand that the Jedi are basically space wizards. But this is just too un-Star Wars-y, and feels like they don't know how to make interesting stories with Star Wars anymore, so they resort to throwing every genre at it.
• The story is more like a video game, especially in the finale, because there isn't much meat to the story so they have to resort to video game storytelling and level design instead of actual good writing
• Forgettable dialogue and sometimes even childish
• The pacing is pretty bad especially in the beginning with many pointless drawn-out scenes where characters just stare and do nothing
• Too many action scenes in the second half of the season that get boring and dull after a while
• No tension whatsoever. There are no stakes because you know the outcome every time and an action scene without any tension of stakes is a boring one.
• Not giving a good characterization to the main protagonists, or a reason as to why the audience should care about them for those who haven't seen the animated shows.
• Uninteresting story a show overall since you don't care about any of the characters.
• Unfinished storylines and plot when the show is advertised as a mini-series. So basically the nothing sandwich of a story also didn't have a conclusion.
• Did I forget to mention how awful and forgettable the characters are and how terribly written they are?
• MamadNobari97
• Oct 4, 2023
• How many seasons does Ahsoka have? Powered by Alexa
• When does this take place in the Star Wars timeline?
• Should I watch any particular Star Wars film or TV show to prepare for this one?
• Since when did Anakin Skywalker have an apprentice?
• August 22, 2023 (United States)
• United States
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• Golem Creations
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 54 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital

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Why are TikTokers suddenly obsessed with a 2001 Bollywood film?

Bollywood is having a moment on social media.

If you’ve been on Instagram or TikTok of late, chances are high that you’ve either scrolled past or watched at least one video of users trying the #AsokaMakeup trend.

Content creators are now lip-syncing to lyrics of the song “ San Sanana ” from the 2001 Bollywood film Asoka while creating intricate looks in full South Asian bridal regalia.

Asoka is a heavily dramatised retelling of the life of Mauryan emperor Asoka, who ruled over a vast expanse of the Indian subcontinent in the third century BC, played by Shah Rukh Khan . Kareena Kapoor plays Kaurwaki, a princess with whom Asoka falls in love.

The film’s costume designer Anu Vardhan, while admitting she took liberties with the costumes for the film, said her research led her to discover that body art was used liberally in Asoka’s time and chose to incorporate it in the way Kaurwaki dressed.

Clearly Vardhan did something right, because Kaurwaki’s makeup inspired content creators to experiment with and recreate the look.

What is particularly intriguing about this trend is that it goes beyond recreating looks from the film. It is now seeing beauty enthusiasts from all over the world create detailed South Asian bridal looks, both modern and traditional.

The trend’s appeal has drawn attention to the original film and song, as is clear from the comment section on YouTube.

“Who else is here because of TikTok makeup video?” asks one user while another points that the song “is trending after 23 years of release”.

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Iconic Bollywood movie inspires TikTok trend

• Dinna Chan Vasquez
• April 27, 2024
• 3 minute read

IF you’re an active TikTok user, you must have heard of the Asoka makeup challenge and how a number of Filipino content creators have slayed the trend. You must have waited for TikTok content creator Leni Aycardo, who is known for her viral videos doing the hottest online trends, upload her second attempt of doing the Asoka makeup challenge on April 22 at 10 am.

Side note: Aycardo had already uploaded an Asoka makeup challenge video, which was stunning and did really well. It showed her wearing cool-toned makeup, silver jewelry, and an embellished lavender sari. These clothing choices and her perceived fatigue (she and her boyfriend had just come back from a vacation when she did the challenge) led to criticisms from certain online personalities.

But Aycardo, in my opinion, did a really great job in both videos. She looked beautiful and was committed to the challenge, which was not an easy thing to do. At presstime, her two Asoka videos had over 135 million views and over 16 million likes on TikTok.

There were also TikTok users who compared Aycardo’s videos to others. I’d like to think of the challenge as something fun, instead of a competition. Everyone who did it was amazing and beautiful.

Anyway, the point of this column is not to pit one against another, or to say that the Filipino creators are better than those from other countries. The point is that I was curious where the trend originated (India) and how it came to be.

Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor are the stars of Asoka, which was released in 2001.

The movie is based on the life of ancient Mauryan emperor Ashoka the Great, who ruled in the Indian subcontinent during the third century B.C.E. Of course, the movie showcases ancient Indian styles of dress and makeup such as dark eyeliner and geometric patterns drawn on the face and body. The bright colors, bold eyes, dramatic makeup, and gold jewelry of the Asoka trend on TikTok were obviously inspired by the movie.

The movie Asoka was one of the biggest and most ambitious films of  Shah Rukh Khan’s distinguished career. Kapoor, on the other hand, made an impact in that part of the movie where she dances to the song being used in the Asoka trend dressed in a maroon blouse and matching lehenga.

The song used in the movie is titled “San Sanana,” which was performed by Alka Yagnik, Anu Malik, and Hema Sardesai.

In the movie, director Santosh Sivan did not use any special effects, demonstrating that technical expertise and creative artistry can make a film epic.

The Asoka makeup challenge celebrates the rich colors and intricate designs of Indian wedding culture. TikTok content creators use creative transitions to transform themselves into stunning Indian brides, revealing the final look as the song culminates.

What I love about the Asoka makeup challenge is that it educates people about Indian culture. Many creators were at first hesitant to do the trend, fearing it might be cultural appropriation. People pointed out that it was cultural appreciation instead of appropriation.

The creators spend money and exert so much effort in making their videos so beautiful and their posts are like tributes to Bollywood and Indian culture.

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'Asoka' makeup trend on TikTok inspired by 2000s Bollywood movie

A Bollywood throwback is resurfacing on social media this week as thousands of TikTok users participate in the viral “Asoka” makeup trend.

The trend takes inspiration from a 2001 Hindi film of the same name, and it has creators styling themselves in Indian bridal hair, makeup and outfits to the beat of one of the movie’s songs. Creators of several cultural backgrounds are partaking, many amassing tens of millions of views and likes.

“Asoka,” which stars Bollywood heavy hitters Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, tells a fictionalized story based on the ancient Mauryan emperor Ashoka the Great, who ruled in the Indian subcontinent during the third century B.C.E.

The movie showcases what are meant to be ancient Indian styles of dress and makeup, including dark eyeliner and geometric patterns drawn on the face and body. Though modern Indian bridal wear isn’t used in the movie, the bright colors, bold eyes, dramatic makeup and gold jewelry have become the main pull of the Asoka trend.

On TikTok, creators use transitions to document styling their look, getting ready to the beat of “Asoka” song “San Sanana.”

Some South Asian creators have taken the Asoka trend one step further, not only recreating the modern bridal looks, but also the traditional ones used throughout the film.

Some said they want to see more of that.

“I just want one person to do that Asoka transition trend with the actual makeup Kareena had in the film and not Asian bridal because as impressive as it is what is the correlation,” one person said on X.

The attention the trend is gaining across the world is bringing more people to the original “Asoka” movie too, with dozens of new comments appearing under the “San Sanana” video on YouTube.

“Who else is here because of TikTok makeup video?” said one comment, which has 39,000 likes.

Some TikTok users from other parts of the world said this trend is their first exposure to Hindi music. Many shared a similar sentiment in the comments: they’re now Bollywood fans.

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Screen Rant

"it's a big deal": rosario dawson hypes up ahsoka season 2 with a hopeful update.

Ahsoka Tano actress Rosario Dawson shares her excitement about Ahsoka season 2 and provides a brief update on the progress of the upcoming story.

• Ahsoka Tano actress Rosario Dawson is excited about Ahsoka season 2 and hopes to see new costumes and the continuation of the story.
• The upcoming season promises new storytelling and a thrilling addition to the Ahsoka TV show with old characters making a return.
• Ahsoka season 2 will set up the cinematic culmination event of this era, with Dave Filoni leading the movie to take on Thrawn and his forces.

Ahsoka Tano actress Rosario Dawson has provided a brief update on Ahsoka season 2, and has also taken the chance to share her own excitement about the Star Wars story that's still to come. It was confirmed earlier this year alongside the announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu movie that Ahsoka season 2 was in development. There haven't been many other updates as of yet, though viewers are curious to see what happens to Ahsoka and Sabine Wren , who have both been stranded on Peridea. As it turns out, Dawson herself is just as ready to see their return.

Ahsoka Season 2: Story, Updates, Everything We Know

Speaking to Comicbook.com , Dawson's asked if she's read the scripts for Ahsoka season 2 yet, to which she says " no ." She still, however, hypes up the prospect of this upcoming story, insisting that it's " a big deal " for her. Dawson shares her love for the cast and her hopes for what she and viewers might get to see in the next installment of Ahsoka's story. One thing she's especially hopeful about is an array of new costumes - but above all, she just wants to " know what's going on ."

Hugely so. I mean, it's a big deal. It's huge. I love everyone. It's an incredible cast. It's a great group of people and we get more Ahsoka, we get more Sabine. We get more of these characters in a way that – and as much as we've watched all of the previous shows and everything – it's new storytelling, which is just insane to me. So I hope there's new costumes and I want to know what's going on.

Ahsoka Season 2 Is Still In Development

But its stars are more than ready to return with new adventures.

While the scripts for Ahsoka season 2 may not be ready yet, there's still every reason to be as excited as Dawson is for the next chapter in this story. The Ahsoka crew has proven to be both a dedicated and a close-knit one, with the stars often being spotted together or sharing many great memories on social media and at cons and other fan events. This closeness amongst the cast, as well as their shared excitement for what's to come, already promises a thrilling addition to the Ahsoka TV show.

This is especially true when recalling the Ahsoka season 1 ending , which sees Grand Admiral Thrawn 's - as well as Ezra Bridger 's - return to the main Star Wars galaxy. A new galactic conflict has quite literally just arrived , and yet some of Star Wars ' most formidable heroes are trapped in another galaxy. This not only sets up the greater future of this Star Wars era as a whole, but it also foreshadows the even grander scale of storytelling that's still to come in Ahsoka season 2.

It foreshadows the even grander scale of storytelling that's still to come in Ahsoka season 2.

Any other details about Ahsoka season 2 are limited, as Dawson's own update reveals, but it's more than likely that it will continue to set up the upcoming cinematic culmination event of this era . Dave Filoni will be leading the movie that will see the heroes of the Ahsoka series team up with those from The Mandalorian , such as Din Djarin and Grogu , and The Book of Boba Fett to take on Thrawn and his forces. First, however, will be Ahsoka season 2, and viewers can take Dawson's own excitement as a very good sign of what's still to come.

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Source: Comicbook.com

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‘Cabaret’ Review: What Good Is Screaming Alone in Your Room?

Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin star in a buzzy Broadway revival that rips the skin off the 1966 musical.

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By Jesse Green

Just east of its marquee, the August Wilson Theater abuts an alley you probably didn’t notice when last you were there, perhaps to see “Funny Girl,” its previous tenant. Why would you? Where the trash goes is not usually part of the Broadway experience.

But it is for the latest revival of “Cabaret,” which opened at the Wilson on Sunday. Audience members are herded into that alley, past the garbage, down some halls, up some stairs and through a fringed curtain to a dimly lit lounge. (There’s a separate entrance for those with mobility issues.) Along the way, greeters offer free shots of cherry schnapps that taste, I’m reliably told, like cough syrup cut with paint thinner.

Too often I thought the same of the show itself.

But the show comes later. First, starting 75 minutes beforehand, you can experience the ambience of the various bars that constitute the so-called Kit Kat Club, branded in honor of the fictional Berlin cabaret where much of the musical takes place. Also meant to get you in the mood for a story set mostly in 1930, on the edge of economic and spiritual disaster, are some moody George Grosz-like paintings commissioned from Jonathan Lyndon Chase . (One is called “Dancing, Holiday Before Doom.”) The $9 thimbleful of potato chips is presumably a nod to the period’s hyperinflation.

This all seemed like throat clearing to me, as did the complete reconfiguration of the auditorium itself, which is now arranged like a large supper club or a small stadium. (The scenic, costume and theater design are the jaw-dropping work of Tom Scutt.) The only relevant purpose I can see for this conceptual doodling, however well carried out, is to give the fifth Broadway incarnation of the 1966 show a distinctive profile. It certainly does that.

The problem for me is that “Cabaret” has a distinctive profile already. The extreme one offered here frequently defaces it.

Let me quickly add that Rebecca Frecknall’s production , first seen in London , has many fine and entertaining moments. Some feature its West End star Eddie Redmayne, as the macabre emcee of the Kit Kat Club (and quite likely your nightmares). Some come from its new New York cast, including Gayle Rankin (as the decadent would-be chanteuse Sally Bowles) and Bebe Neuwirth and Steven Skybell (dignified and wrenching as an older couple). Others arise from Frecknall’s staging itself, which is spectacular when in additive mode, illuminating the classic score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and the amazingly sturdy book by Joe Masteroff.

But too often a misguided attempt to resuscitate the show breaks its ribs.

The conception of Sally is especially alarming. As written — and as introduced in the play and stories the musical is based on — she is a creature of blithe insouciance if not talent, an English good-time gal flitting from brute to brute in Berlin while hoping to become a star. Her first number, “Don’t Tell Mama,” is a lively Charleston with winking lyrics (“You can tell my brother, that ain’t grim/Cause if he squeals on me I’ll squeal on him”) that make the Kit Kat Club audience, and the Broadway one too, complicit in her naughtiness.

Instead, Frecknall gives us a Sally made up to look like she’s recently been assaulted or released from an asylum, who dances like a wounded bird, stretches each syllable to the breaking point and shrieks the song instead of singing it. (Goodbye, Charleston; hello, dirge.) If Rankin doesn’t sound good in the number, nor later in “Mein Herr,” interpolated from the 1972 film, she’s not trying to. Like the cough syrup-paint thinner concoction, she’s meant to be taken medicinally and poisonously in this production, projecting instead of concealing Sally’s turmoil.

That’s inside-out. The point of Sally, and of “Cabaret” more generally, is to dramatize the danger of disengagement from reality, not to fetishize it.

The guts-first problem also distorts Redmayne’s Emcee, but at least that character was always intended as allegorical. He is the host to anything, the amoral shape-shifter, becoming whatever he must to get by. Here, he begins as a kind of marionette in a leather skirt and tiny party hat, hiccupping his way through “Willkommen.” Later he effectively incarnates himself as a creepy clown, an undead skeleton, Sally’s twin and a glossy Nazi.

Having seen Frecknall’s riveting production of “Sanctuary City,” a play about undocumented immigrants by Martyna Majok , I’m not surprised that her “Cabaret” finds a surer footing in the “book” scenes. These are the ones that take place in the real Berlin, not the metaphorical one of the Kit Kat Club. She is extraordinarily good when she starts with the naturalistic surface of behavior, letting the mise en scène and the lighting (excellent, by Isabella Byrd) suggest the rest.

And naturalism is what you find at the boardinghouse run by Fräulein Schneider (Neuwirth), a woman who has learned to keep her nose down to keep safe. Her tenants include a Jewish fruiterer, Herr Schultz (Skybell); a prostitute, Fräulein Kost (Natascia Diaz); and Clifford Bradshaw (Ato Blankson-Wood), an American writer come to Berlin in search of inspiration. Soon Sally shows up to provide it, having talked her way into Cliff’s life and bed despite being little more than a stranger. Also, despite Cliff’s romantic ambivalence; over the years, the character has had his sexuality revamped more times than a clownfish.

The Schneider-Shultz romance is sweet and sad; neither character is called upon to shriek. And Rankin excels in Sally’s scenes with Cliff, her wry, frank and hopeful personality back in place. The songs that emerge from the boardinghouse dramas are not ransacked as psychiatric case studies but are rather given room to let comment proceed naturally from real entertainment. Rankin’s “Maybe This Time,” with no slathered-on histrionics, is riveting. It turns out she can properly sing.

The interface between the naturalism and the expressionism does make for some weird moments: Herr Schultz, courtly in a topcoat, must hug Sally goodbye in her bra. But letting the styles mix also brings out the production’s most haunting imagery. The intrusion of the Nazi threat into the story is especially well handled: first a gorgeously sung and thus chilling version of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me,” then the swastika and then — well, I don’t want to give away how Frecknall stages the scene in which Schultz’s fruit shop is vandalized.

That so many of these moments arise from faithful attention to the original material should be no surprise. “Cabaret” hasn’t lasted this long for nothing. Created at the tail end of Broadway’s Golden Age, it benefited from the tradition of meticulous craftsmanship that preceded it while anticipating the era of conceptual stagings that followed.

All this is baked into the book, and especially the score, which I trust I admire not merely because I worked on a Kander and Ebb show 40 years ago. That the lyrics rhyme perfectly is a given with Ebb; more important, they are always the right words to rhyme. (Listen, in the title song, for the widely spaced triplet of “room,” “broom” and, uh-oh, “tomb.”) And Kander’s music, remixing period jazz, Kurt Weill and Broadway exuberance, never oversteps the milieu or outpaces the characters even as it pushes them toward their full and sometimes manic expression.

When this new “Cabaret” follows that template, it achieves more than the buzz of chic architecture and louche dancing. (The choreography is by Julia Cheng.) Seducing us and then repelling us — in that order — it dramatizes why we flock to such things in the first place, whether at the Kit Kat Club or the August Wilson Theater. We hope, at our risk, to forget that, outside, “life is disappointing,” as the Emcee tells us. We want to unsee the trash.

Cabaret At the August Wilson Theater, Manhattan; kitkat.club . Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes, with an optional preshow.

Jesse Green is the chief theater critic for The Times. He writes reviews of Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, regional and sometimes international productions. More about Jesse Green

'Boy Kills World' review: A midnight movie not worth staying up for

Bill skarsgård stars in ultraviolent fanboy fantasy..

Hi kids, do you like violence?

"Boy Kills World" is a bloody action thriller revenge comedy built for hyperactive, video game addled 12-year-old boys who think that blood and punching and Uzis spraying bullets while being held sideways are so, so awesome and the pinnacle of this thing we call life. Maybe some of them will see this movie and have all their beliefs reaffirmed. Others are likely to find this fanboy fantasy an agonizing and dreary barrage of hyperviolence, devoid of anything approaching human emotion.

Bill Skarsgård stars as he who is known as Boy — this world is so cruel he doesn't even have a name! — a deaf and mute man hellbent on revenge after his family is murdered by the evil Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen). Van Der Koy is the head of a dynasty in a dystopian future where enemies are picked off for fun and sport in an annual event dubbed "The Culling." Reference points include "The Hunger Games," "The Running Man," "Kill Bill" and "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," among others.

Boy is tutored in the jungle by a shaman, played by Yayan Ruhian, who trains him to be a killing machine and sends him on his path of rage. Meanwhile, Boy's inner voice is supplied by H. Jon Benjamin ("Archer"), who essentially narrates the film in the Movie Trailer Guy voice, an effect that immediately wears out his welcome.

Credit is due to the fight choreographers and stunt crew, who work overtime to elevate stylized fighting into a sort of ballet of violence. But in the hands of first-time feature filmmaker Moritz Mohr, it's literally overkill: The endless punching and kicking and shooting and killing is all numbing and loses its impact, a reminder that one meaningful punch lands harder than 10,000 pointless ones.

Skarsgård looks the part, his gaunt features and lanky frame accentuated in a sleeveless vest that is the same color red that Michael Jackson wore in the "Thriller" video. But boy oh boy, "Boy Kills World" is a slog, a movie built for midnight audiences that proves it's sometimes better to just go to bed.

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'Boy Kills World'

Rated R: for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, language, some drug use and sexual references

Running time: 111 minutes

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