Title: Animal Icons: Star Wars Creatures
Produced By: Discovery Communications
Air Date: May 18, 2005
Length: 1 hour
Reviewed by Matril
Much like History Channel's Star Wars Tech explored the real world implications of Star Wars technology, Animal Planet's television special considers the sources of the myriad creatures in a galaxy far, far away. Airing just before the release of Episode III, the most exciting aspect may have been a glimpse of scenes from the final movie of the saga, specifically of Obi-Wan's giant lizard mount on Utapau. However, creatures from the other films are considered just as enthusiastically, including the Taun Tauns on Hoth in Episode V, the Ewoks from Episode VI, the enormous monsters set to execute our heroes in Episode II, and of course Chewbacca the Wookiee.
The creatures origins are examined from a storytelling standpoint, helped along by interviews with many of the actors and filmmakers, including George Lucas; and from a biological standpoint, thanks to scientists who examine the anatomical and physiological implications of such things as a bantha's size or a dewback's lizard-like movements. Most of us know, by now, that Chewbacca has his origins in a certain dog named Indiana. But what about the nexu, Padmé's formidable foe in the arena on Geonosis? Apparently its frail, easily-broken skeleton is a payoff for its great speed and agility, a concept that has some biological credence for all the nexu's strange appearance.
Overall the tone of the special is fun and entertaining, much like other "Animal Icons" shows that feature such characters as King Kong. As a nice touch, the narrator is Anthony Daniels. The biological aspects are interesting without being so pedantic as to suck the life out of Lucas's fanciful universe. It is one more way to appreciate the meticulous care that was put into the details of the saga's worlds and their inhabitants, in order to create something simultaneously believable and wondrous.
