FAN FILM - THE TWELVE PARSECS STARE (Review)

  The Finnish joined the fanfilm community with The Twelve Parsecs Stare, an almost completely silent movie about Boba Fett. The music, setting and camera shots compliment the Western genre, and the abundance of aliens and props deliver an unmistakable Star Wars vibe. 

  The opening shot shows us Mos Eisly, with the sound of an approaching speeder. I really like that only its shadow enters into frame, followed up by a classic Western pose of which we only see the legs. Enter the cantina, with its diverse crowd of aliens. Specifically the Quarian smoking a waterpipe is awesome. The slow slide up when Boba enters is excellent, and the droid's whistle of "Man with no name" draws a chuckle.

  The interaction with the bartender speaks volumes without a single word. The reflection of the hologram in Boba's helmet is a pretty cool reference to a reflection in sunglasses, in a Western movie which name momentarily eludes me. The next shot features two Jawa of which one is, interestingly, around 5'8". Boba Fett takes a seat at the Sabacc table that the bartender pointed him to. The tension builds up nicely with the hostile patrons sizing him up. He presents the hologram of his target to them, which is incredibly well reflected in the glass. I realize how hard it is to do this with computer generated images, so small details like this are very much appreciated. I love the slow build-up in tension that's dripping off the screen. They take their time showing everyone's weapons, in good Western fashion.

  The next shot of other patrons watching a podrace breaks that tension for a second, diverting Boba Fett's attention momentarily. Then his target walks in, and Fett notices him in the reflection of the glass. Showdown. Fast and short, like good Westerns. It ends with the Kiffar falling dead onto the table, breaking it in two. The one survivor can count himself lucky to walk away with only a bruised hand. Boba approaches the body of his target and takes a scan to verify and log his death. It's nice to see that part of the lore represented. And then Imperial March played on a guitar when the Stormtroopers walk in; perfection. 

Article by: Joel "Mith" Storms