Wingman: An X-Wing Story fan film sweeps the Star Wars fandom
‘Star Wars’ has always had its share of fan films. Audiences have added their own takes on stories that have taken place in a galaxy far far away, and post them online to show their adoration of George Lucas’ work.
‘Wingman: An X-Wing Story’ does this, posted on December 30, 2023, and created by Michael Koepff and his team from Germany.
They tell the story of a Rebel Squadron consisting of Y-Wings, X-Wings, and a U-Wing as they abduct an Imperial Officer.
They have to weave through dozens of TIE Fighters and eventually TIE Bombers to reach and protect their target, with the film being unafraid to shy away from the carnage such a fight can cause.
The story, however, is much more than that, as it’s apparent that the film explores the devastating effects prolonged battle can have on a person, such as moments of PTSD and even desensitising those involved to violence, meaning that they revel in it, and only see victory as killing all the enemy.
It’s a film that manages to give an insight to what the ill-fated ‘Star Wars’ film ‘Rogue Squadron’ might have looked like had it not been indefinitely delayed.
It gives off a deeper look at what the inside of a cockpit might actually look like, giving audiences a view into a sight they rarely see. For example, the X-Wing’s flight stick is visible, and the actors realistically jerk about when they turn in different directions.
The editing is stylistic, knowing when to cut to long, medium, and close-up shots to ramp up tension or give the audience a clear view of the action without sacrificing fluidity.
It’s a 50-minute experience that, as it says in the description, marries ‘Star Wars’ with ‘Top Gun,’ and gives audiences a closer relationship with the universe’s pilots.
Unsurprisingly, this has swept across the ‘Star Wars’ fanbase, with reactions being shared online from YouTube creators and even Polygon commenting that “it goes harder than any Star Wars fan film.”
‘Wingman: An X-Wing Story’ is a great demonstration of what fans can do when they put their minds to it.
