STAR WARS: YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES: Episodes 2.1 to 2.3

STAR WARS:  YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES is an animated series on Disney+ for younger children. The first three episodes of Season Two follow three child apprentices and their friends as they train to become Jedi Knights and fall into adventures trying to stop pirates from stealing spaceships and spaceship parts, doing research on a small unique creature for a zoology book, find peaceful solutions to local conflicts, and help a princess doing a test flight of the new spaceship she built. YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES is set 200 years before the main STAR WARS movies.

YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES centers on three elementary school-aged students training at a remote Jedi Temple. The first member is Kai Brightstar, a human boy with endless optimism. His second in command is Lys Solay, an alien girl who’s outgoing and clever. The third member is Nubs, a blue alien bear who can’t speak English, but has a big heart. The trio, their classmates, and their Jedi Masters go on missions from across the galaxy. Each episode of JEDI ADVENTURES is split into 12 minute segments.

The first episode of Season Two begins with “Heroes and Hot-Shots” and ends with “A Jedi or a Pirate.” In the first segment, the three Jedi trainees team up with Wes, a cocky high school-aged padawan. The four of them stop a band of pirates from stealing precious starships. Wes’ “program off” routine puts the group at risk. In the second segment, Bren, a lonely transfer student from Coruscant, accidentally hangs out with a young pirate. Kai tries to rescue Bren before it’s too late.

Episode One has brilliant animation but doesn’t offer much for seasoned STAR WARS fans. The first segment offers a lesson of “learning to stick together,” while the second segment cautions “be careful who you befriend.” This episode offers a decent introduction to the cast and the status quo for new viewers. However, it will not blow anyone’s socks off.

Episode Two comprises “The Rustler Roundup” and “A New Discovery.” In the first story, Kai and Master Bell visit a western town planet to track down stolen “nerfs” or alien cows. The two Jedi bump into the space rustlers, who claim to be the rightful owners of the nerfs. Can the Jedi defeat the bandits? In the second story, Lys and her Jedi classmate, Myra, search the forest for the rare “leepur” animal for study. Myra tries to “expedite” the search, putting her and Lys’ life in danger.

Episode Two shakes up the STAR WARS formula by having two stories not resolved with flashy combat. The “alien cow” segment ends with the Jedi completing a civil negotiation between the nerf rustlers and the alien town. It has a fantastical “old western” setting and a great action scene with the Jedi rescuing the cows. However, this segment has a blatant “space bandits want reparations from the town” message, where the town mistreated the bandits for hoarding their limited resources. The “reparations” message almost ruins an otherwise decent story. The “leepur adventure” storyline is a great breath of fresh air but lacks the stakes of the previous story.

The third episode is split into “A Pirate’s Pet” and “The Secret Ship.” In the first segment, a gang of young pirates try to impress their pirate superiors. The young pirates try to sell a wild alien warthog on the black market. The Jedi trio try to rescue the animal before it’s too late. In the second segment, Nash, the trio’s trusty female space pilot, helps Princess Inaya with the opening of a royal library. Inaya invites Nash on a test flight on a ship she built all by herself. The test flight goes awry, and the two girls must repair the ship before it is too late.

Episode Three offers the best writing so far. The “gangul” storyline has great action scenes, the Jedi convince the pirates-in-training to free the animal and has a scene with the Jedi empathizing with their antagonists. The “Princess ship” storyline stresses that royal children can be capable beyond their royal titles. It showcases Princess Inaya’s technical proficiency and quick thinking with spacecraft. In the end, Inaya’s royal parents discover about her designing a working spacecraft. The parents admit they’re proud of their daughter’s achievement.

In terms of worldview, JEDI ADVENTURES mixes Christian-adjacent morality with pagan ideas. The main characters are young Jedi warriors who wield laser swords and space magic. There is no God, but the Jedi focus on keeping peace and protecting innocent people. The three leads share the values of loyalty, honesty and friendship. The program also favors female characters who are strong, brave and self-sufficient. The series does not belittle men like other Disney properties, but the feminist bent is deeply ingrained in the writing.

In terms of production values, the first three episodes of YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES knocks it out of the park. The animation and lighting are both excellent. Unlike STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, which uses a mature “marionette” style of design, JEDI ADVENTURES opts for a “big baby” art style. This art direction is not for everyone, but it keeps the “rundown metallic” aesthetics of the main STAR WARS movies.

The second season of YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES is an enjoyable time for young STAR WARS fans. The first three episodes embody the virtues of friendship, empathy and standing against dishonest behavior. The program also features a colorful illustration style, great voice acting and decent action. However, it has some moderate sword combat and intense space-flight scenes. Also, the characters sometimes use occult space magic involving telekinesis.

MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children.