MARU
Web site

review written 1/4/2004

This fan film was around before fan films even existed, back in the earliest days of TFN Fan Films, when dinosaurs roamed the plains. As such, it's a true piece of history. But not one that's aged well.

The lightsaber effects are pretty good for such an early excursion into homemade digital magic. Good costumes, too. But I can see sneakers. Jedi do not wear sneakers, and if they did, they'd try to hide them. Choreography is all right. Nice flip. Cool location.

But what makes this film interesting is its dialogue. Every single line is lifted from pre-existing Star Wars dialogue in a clever cut-and-paste job. It's really quite a joy to watch, for me. It completely reinvents the idea of making homage to lines from the movies. It's a delightful pastiche. It's nearly postmodern.

The film ends with a very harsh music edit bringing in the Rebel fanfare without anything for it to segue from. And we are treated to truly ugly typography.

Maru is a good idea with flaws in the areas not surrounding that good idea. It's not a structure I'd like to see repeated. But an inventive idea, even when flaws about, is welcome, even when an art form is young.