WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
There are specific circumstances which can define who we are from the point of experience to the years that pass beyond. How we conduct ourselves in the midst of said events can also allow a reflection upon exactly what it means to be a part of something over and above just our individual contributions, witnessing sacrifices and steadfast dedication to a larger cause. There is likewise the intersection of choices made in these times that paints the picture of an unfolding mission in the eyes and mind of a young rebel soldier named Quinn (Mitchell Smalenski), even as the voice of his ship’s Captain (Scott C. Reynolds) rings in his conscious thoughts like a resounding drum.
As Quinn and the team he’s a part of, including fellow rebel fighters Jashop (Michele Garren), Kavis (Michael Christopher Rodney), Baric (Jason Louder), Taska (Katharina Daue), and Myles (Paul D. Morgan), stealthily make their way successfully through the task at hand, their exfil is halted by an unanticipated occurrence that causes Quinn inward pause as the upcoming outcome is grim. A moment of decision arrives, abruptly initiating a new sense of duty and obligation in Quinn’s heart and soul, which accomplishes a good deed, but makes the happenings which follow that much harder to endure as the team makes a dash for safety and transportation off the ground to the safety of space. Is this what Quinn has experienced, or has it all been simply a hopeful, desired vision?
Next, my Mind:
It is the burden of alternatives, the reality of the now, the gravity of actions taken, and the inspired resonance of true leadership’s heartfelt and challenging proclamations that all become paramount in this 12-minute fan-made indie short film from director Mark Alex Vogt that transports us to the ever-expanding “Star Wars” universe, doing so with an impressively executed narrative that, for this critic, heralds back to “Rogue One” tone and delivery in telling the tale of a young idealist who’s both questioning and just trying to fully understand the commitment to being a direct part of the Rebellion, and by default the associated war he’s made. What makes this so effective is exactly these varying sentiments he communicates within his own unspoken thoughts, rather “lived” fully through the calm but commanding words of his ship’s Captain echoing in his head, even as a mission of critical importance is carried out against the Empire he’s grown to realize truly needs stopping.
Additionally, it readily brings to mind a generalized awareness of how often it might be we encounter definitive moments where we are required to weigh the options we have in order to serve something greater than ourselves, perhaps even just a little prematurely, in order that we might see a greater good achieved once we’re in the midst of the fray, allowing our own hesitations and fears to fade in times of absolute assurance the deeds we’re about to enact will have meaning, the ramifications of it all impacting a higher purpose we believe wholeheartedly. despite the loss that might come as well. It that selfless and admittedly heroic sensibility which dominates the film, while also providing a small side story to the greater mission being depicted that puts an even deeper emotional and almost anthemic majesty to the proceedings, though it also instigates the film’s darker side, while the accompanying orchestral-style music score and truly fantastic visuals very much make you feel as the filmmaker, I believe, intended–that you’re seeing some brief, lost chapter of the grander “Star Wars” story, which is just plain awesome for die hard and casual fans alike.
Smalenski offers up a very solid performance here in his role as Quinn, a young member of the Rebel Alliance who’s having his first real taste of the realities that come with being a soldier during wartime, trying to rely on the words of his ship’s Captain to be the fuel that drives him forward to see his part of what is supposed to be a routine recon mission be achieved. However, when the unforeseen incident he witnesses causes him to take unilateral action, it sets off the subsequent chain of events that become a harsh reminder that decisions in war can have a high price, even if the ultimate victory in the given operation belongs to the Rebel team he’s a member of. It’s lessons of both triumph and defeat in conflict while attempting to maintain one’s focus on what is believed to be the worthy intentions of a higher cause, and without saying anything, Smalenski does make us feel the myriad of emotions Quinn experiences decently and plausibly enough.
The other primary role here is that of Reynolds who portrays the Rebel Captain, a veteran leader and ship commander who has the equally difficult but necessary duty of speaking to the Rebel troops as they approach their mission launch in order to inspire them to greatness. Yet, he remains a realist in addressing what he knows from his own direct experience is the range of doubts, anxieties, and other trepidations the soldiers might be feeling, his words sticking in Quinn’s head with particular acuteness even as the mission begins one way and ends another. It illustrates that depth of responsibility a leader feels when sending men under their charge out into danger of any sort, knowing full well some might not return, even if the expectation is that all should or will, and it’s the implications of the worst that actually makes the words the Captain speaks so potent and formidably exceptional to hear over the visuals we witness, much to the credit of Reynolds’ performance.
Key supporting players abound here thanks to the film’s wonderful ensemble cast, first through Garren, Rodney, Louder, Daue, and Morgan in their roles as Quinn’s Rebel teammates on the mission at hand and whose own previous experience and know-how are evident as they maneuver through the assignment with poise and precision, everything going to plan until one critical point when Quinn’s decision puts the whole team into battle mode and on the defensive while trying to make their exit from the planet, during which it becomes apparent this was not the situation they were expecting to have to face. Trying their best to fight their way to the escape ship, it’s not a road traveled without injury and grief, which each actor does a great job expressing via body language and facial expressions to elicit the intended effect. The other key supporting characters come via Coleman Christian and Jeremy Carr as Corran and Anquit respectively, residents of the planet who’ve run afoul of the occupying forces the Empire has established and whom the Rebel team was there to scout and provide vital information on. The pair’s appearance plays an integral part to the events that transpire after the Rebels had already accomplished their main goals.
The additional supporting roles come mainly from a host of actors–Charlie Candela, Paul Clatfelter, Ashley Despot, Carlton Gray, Ricky Harper, Christopher Jung, Robert Lentz, Drew Menard, B.J. Savage, and David Steinweg–playing the all-too-familiar menace known as Stormtroopers, who stop at nothing to prevent this ragtag group of Rebel soldiers from being able to leave the area once their presence has been revealed, as well as Nick Morbitt who plays an Alliance pilot. In total, “Odyssey: A Star Wars Story” is a fun and engaging piece of fan-made creativeness that presents itself in a manner worthy of “Star Wars” canon while being an example of what exactly indie filmmakers can conjure in this contemporary age of online efforts and resources that can touch an entire community of existing fans worldwide while making new ones along the way.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
