This week, T7 Production, a German team led by Vi-Dan Tran and Shawn Bu, once again showed us what a bunch of dedicated Star Wars fans can do. Their production team’s motto is that they wish “to create Hollywood quality in Germany”, and the newly released Darth Maul: Apprentice is certainly a creation they can be proud of.
Visually, the film is no less than perfect: costumes, setting, all special effects (where are the times when fans made films on old camera using pieces of garbage as props?). The first time, I actually had to watch it without sound, and I would maybe say it was better, as nothing distracted me from enjoying the visual aspect. I mean, one does not need to hear the Jedi grunting in battle, and like every action-centered fan film, the dialogue was limited to almost zero.
It is obvious to everyone who remembers Episode I‘s final fight that Darth Maul’s mere presence calls for wonderfully choreographed battles, and the makers were well aware of this. There is no need to go into lengthy descriptions, see it for yourselves. What I should perhaps call your attention to are all the small details the makers took care to implement, such as lightsaber marks on the trees and rocks (especially in the mid-film pursuit sequence).
If you like this film (I don’t see how you couldn’t, honestly), I suggest looking also at the behind the scenes videos. It will make you fully appreciate all the hard work the folks from T7 put into this. May The Force Be With Them.
