By 1985 standards, Ewoks is a run-of-the-mill cartoon meant to capitalize on a popular movie using cute characters that are popular with children to sell toys. By modern standards, it’s a work of art. The painted layouts are rich and beautiful, and bouncy traditional animation is a joy to watch after decades of cheap, ugly computer animation.

Ewoks is set on the forest moon of Endor where the second half of Return of the Jedi was set. In this cartoon, Endor is a magical place filled with all sorts of creatures: brave tree-dwelling Ewoks, Grinch-like swamp-dwelling Duloks, giant Phlogs, traveling Jindas, witches, wizards, fairies, spider monsters and night spirits. It is less of a science fiction epic and more of a fantasy fairy tale world. Wicket, Kneesa, Teebo, Latara and the others are ordinary, well-meaning kids who do chores, play games and go on adventures out in the forest unsupervised by grown-ups. There is plenty of humorous slapstick, but the cartoon is not very violent. There is a sense of age-appropriate danger and peril, and the solutions frequently rely on the Ewoks using their wits as well as their courage, not just their brawn, and the Ewoks are actually pretty intelligent creatures. In the first season, the Ewoks stand up and fight to protect their way of life from dangers such as forest fires, cruel and thieving Duloks, and the evil witch Morag. The second season is slightly more “cutesy” than the first: the show changes from a 22 minute format to two 11 minute episodes, and many conflicts are less urgent and more about the kids proving to themselves that they can be capable, but it’s no less enjoyable.

There is a late season episode where the Empire finally comes to Endor because a warlord wants to steal the powerful Sunstar from the Ewoks and present it to the Emperor. His Imperial officers scoff at him for thinking that furry creatures actually have a magical stone. Back in the ’80s, Star Wars used to be goofy like that. I also appreciate how in the ’80s kids could be trusted to find their own way and make their own mistakes without too much hand-holding. Teebo learns from Logray that a wizard relies on himself before relying on magic. Kneesa learns that being a leader means observing carefully and making wise decisions. Wicket not only rebuilds an ancient war wagon by himself to prove his tenacity, but when he threatens to run away from home because he doesn’t like being treated like a kid, his mother kindly sends him off and hopes he lasts longer on his own than his older brothers did. It’s little things like those that encourage autonomy by allowing children to practice being responsible adults on their own.

No agendas, no cringe humor, no aggressive smiling and no hyperactive screaming. Just pure good-natured goofiness, which I adore.