Screecher's Reach

I absolutely love Cartoon Saloon so this was easily my most anticipated episode, and even then I was completely caught off guard. This was incredible. I knew at least the animation would be stellar, Cartoon Saloon makes the most beautiful 2D animation in my opinion- but the characters were lively, real, and immediately drew me in, the setting and antagonist were very unsettling and well done, a few brilliant moments in particular really surprised me and gave me chills, and when it ended all I could think about was I need more!! Lucasfilm needs to greenlight full feature films like this! 10/10. Turns out Cartoon Saloon makes excellent Star Wars as well!

This reminds me a bit of the clone wars episode 5x20. I admit that the end had me and I even found this end emotional. The music is absolutely simple but sublime. The graphics are also very well done. At first I wondered if it was indeed the star wars universe as it did not look like star wars at all. But I very quickly understood that this episode represented the star wars as I like it. I felt that frustration at the end like I got at the 5x20 or 7x12 end of the clone wars. People will probably find it too superficial or "it's not star wars" but I felt a lot of emotions watching this magnificent episode. I would have liked a whole series on this style of episode!

I am so proud.

This felt like an episode of 2003 Star wars clone wars by Gendry Tarkovsky, which i believe is a triumphant in 2d animation cartoon standards.

I introduced this episode to all of my close friends( they don't know what Star wars is) and they adored this tremendous episode. Beautifuly made , fantastic storytelling, not rushed , perfect characters with a hidden moral and of close an enigmatic cliffhanger This episode alons could give run to J. J. abrams & his ideology of Storytelling. Copying old movies story & make it for new public.

But in this i found no flaws Absolutely no flaws .

The episode had thrill , tediousness, joy , horror, hope , friendship, freedom everything which Star wars is based on. Plus the European artwork of stars & planets , the mural in front of the cave , the factory areas in background & the score ; Such a melancholic tone!

Makes you feel bad about the antagonist.

All within some minutes .

Wow Absolutely wow. I am awestruck, i have got zero comments & zero demands. Thank you. Thank you studio saloon . What a joy!

I have been looking forward to Screecher's Reach since the announcement of which studios would be participating in this season of Star Wars: Visions.

As expected of Cartoon Saloon, it is visually stunning. I absolutely loved the background design, and immediately found myself wondering whether the watercolour textures were hand painted and scanned, or digitally painted. An incredible achievement from Art Director, Almu Redondo.

The quality of the FX design and animation was somehow seemless and standout. The animation in the cave sequence was technically impressive and genuinely quite frightening at points.

This piece is further elevated by it's incredible and haunting score.

Without giving away spoilers, the story itself is well paced and gripping.

Another lovely project from the studio.

Now this one I enjoyed quite a bit. From Irish studio Cartoon Saloon this epsiode takes a particular aspect of the series, one which isn't often revisited, and gives it a spin (and a twist).

Daal (Eva Whittaker) a young girl living a life of toil, convinces three of her friends to join her on a trip to Screechers Reach, a cave that is rumoured to be haunted. When they arrive, they discover than within the cave is indeed a malevolent screaming entity. Whilst her friends escape, Daal, driven by a talisman around her neck and an associated mantra stays. Alone with the creature she finally gets a good look, then it draws a red flaming sword.

So it is, I thought, a play on the scene when Luke Skywalker heads into the cave of Dagobah and sees the spectral Darth Vadar and I'd assumed that Daal would see something like that. But (spoilers) it turned out that that spirt was actually a Sith apprentice and a challenge, set before Daal, before she could join up with a Sith Master, who had been guiding her with the talisman. The Sith Mother is voice by Angelica Houston, who is presumably evoking the rule of two to both find a new apprentice and eliminate her old one.

Cartoon Saloon made the film "Wolfwalkers" which I watched on Apple TV when it was released and enjoyed very much. This has a similar art style, that of imitation pencil and ink (I assume imitation anyway) and Eva Whittaker also had a key role in that film. There's an Irish mythology bent to this story too, with the screeching and wailing Sith in the cave reflecting a banshee.

A fun, mildly scary and well-made version of the villains descent. Good Stuff.