Star Wars Celebration has returned, and with it the highly anticipated “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” This is a show that fans of Star Wars have been waiting for for a very long time. Does it live up to the hype? Let’s take a look!
Non-Spoiler Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi hit me in ways that I wasn’t expecting – both good and bad. The first episode began with a surprise that hit me emotionally, and I was struck both by the set and costume design. This is a marked difference between this show and the Book of Boba Fett – streets feel populated again, instead of strangely empty. Performances are a mixed bag, but standout performances are given by Ewan McGregor, Joel Edgerton, and Jimmy Smits. There are some questionable narrative and tonal decisions – if these continue, they will hamper the show. If they fade into the background, it could be something quite special. Overall, I was pleased with the first two episodes – but I’m not 100% on board yet. I do think the show is worth the watch if you already have a subscription to Disney+, or can watch it at a friends house. It’s not worth subscribing for – yet.
Positive Performances: Ewan MacGregor, Joel Edgerton, Jimmy Smits, Moses Ingraham Negative Performances: Rupert Friend, Sung Kang, Vivien Lyra Blair, Kumail Nanjiani
SPOILERS BELOW: * * * * * * * * * * * * *
First – a note: I have done my best to avoid spoilers about this series, and wanted to go in knowing as little as possible. I have intentionally not read leaks and rumors regarding the show, though I wasn’t able to avoid third-hand speculation. I have watched both episodes twice now, and will try to be as even-handed as possible in this review. Obi-Wan Kenobi begins with a recap of the prequel trilogy, highlighting the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. This was a promising start, and I hope the show keeps this relationship squarely in mind as the series progresses. Beginning with Order 66 was a surprise, but also effective. I had tried to keep my expectations low after The Book of Boba Fett, but seeing Coruscant, The Jedi Temple, younglings training, and the execution of Order 66 hit me emotionally in a way I wasn’t expecting. This had me invested from the start. As the children decide to flee, and Palpatines Order 66 echoes throughout the chamber, pay attention to the children – the focus character is important. Unfortunately, the next scene undermined the opening.
The Inquisitors have made the transition from animation, but I don’t believe they’ve transitioned well. The cranial markings on the Grand Inquisitor look like they’ve improved slightly, and they do show his eyes as yellow, sometimes – but his characterization is all wrong. Rupert Friend has said that he loves to talk, and this is true – but where in Rebels he came across as sinister, arrogant, and deadly, here he comes across as a buffoon. This is a mistake. The costumes also are on the verge of looking silly. I’m not sure how this could have been fixed in live action, but it just read as “off.” The only character in this opening scene who works for me is Reva.
When we finally meet up with Ben, he is working at a meat packing operation that is carving up what appears to be a crashed sand-fish? (I ask no questions, at this point.) There is a confrontation between the operations manager and another butcher, which Ben wisely doesn’t get involved with. (I have good news for WDW Pro – there is precedent for southern accents in Star Wars! I’m guessing this operations manager hailed from Wildspace or an adjacent area of the Outer Rim. Likely candidates are Agamar or Ringo Vinda.) We make our way to Bens home – a cave out in the desert. This is a great location, and a place I hope we get to visit at some point in a game. We get to see Ewans further transition of Bens voice to something closer to Alec Guiness, a funny interaction with a jawa, and a nightmare that is quickly intercut images of Ben and Anakin, out of chronological order and with a sinister edge. This is a very effective scene, and shows how haunted Ben is by his failure. Ben reaches out to Qui-Gon, who is predictably silent. The next day we see Ben keeping an eye on the Lars homestead, and leaving some gifts for young Luke. An encounter in the desert with a fugitive looking for him reveals just how broken Ben is. It also reveals another problem I have with the show – how casually it is treating lightsabers. The inquisitors are relentless and the inhabitants of Tatooine are desperate.
I have a hard time believing that anybody wearing a lightsaber on their person wouldn’t be ratted out immediately, so I wish characters would stop wearing them on their hip or flashing them in the open – no matter how alone they are, who they are with, or what time of day it is.
We end up transitioning to Alderaan, and being introduced to a young Leia. I feel the age of the actress playing Leia is far too young. She says she’s 10, but I don’t think she could be any older than 8. This is a girl who is supposed to be a senator at 12, and I’m just not buying it. They also are trying to play up Leias independent nature, but they’re pushing some of the gags too far – falling into typical Disney tropes where the precocious child is a mixture of sassy and wise beyond her years. This could work if it wasn’t overplayed, but it becomes tedious and unbelievable – Leia is my least favorite thing about this show.
We flash back to Tatooine after the introduction to Leia. An interaction between Owen and Ben is amazing, and I hope we see a lot more of Owen in this show. His love and care for Luke really come out here, and show a side to Owen that Luke couldn’t see in Episode 4. The Fifth Brother and Reva have another scene, trying to flush out the fugitive that is played a little too over the top. If they were pushing this much harder, they’d be entering Power Rangers territory. This is one of the problems that also plauged The Book of Boba Fett – tonally, they veer into Saturday Morning Cartoon territory. Some of that has always existed in Star Wars, but the shows can’t seem to find where the line is. From here, we go bakc to Alderaan. I had heard rumors that Ben would be enticed to leave Tatooine to deal with a threat to Leia – this turns out to be true. This doesn’t sit right with me for a few reasons – if there is a threat to Leia, the first thought should be that there could also be a threat to Luke. It makes no sense whatsoever to then leave Tattooine, no matter what protestations Bail makes.
The actual kidnapping of Leia is another scene that doesn’t work – it’s a “Disney” chase, where a very small little girl is somehow outrunning and temporarily outsmarting her attackers, who should be able to catch her with little to no effort. One funny thing that hit me was that the chief kidnapper is played by Michael Peter Balzary. This is the bassist for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, but I know him best as “Needles” from the Back to the Future movies. Every time he was on screen I kept thinking “How’s it hangin’, McFly?” Even though I don’t think it makes logical sense for Ben to leave Tatooine to find Leia, I’ve softened on the position for a few reasons. The first is that Alderaan is only seen at the tail end of Episode 3, and blown up in Episode 4. It’s an important location, and we finally get to see some of it. It also allows for a more concrete relationship between Ben and Bail Organa. While there are a few episodes in the Clone Wars that show Obi-Wan helping out Bail, I never felt it rose to the level of “years ago you served by Father in the Clone Wars.” It’s good to see this relationship built up, and I think Jimmy Smits knocks it out of the park.
Finally – if we’re going to have an Obi-Wan show, there has to be something that causes him to enter the action. We’ve spent so much time on Tatooine in the other shows that they really did need to give us a different planet, so I’m willing to concede it if the story ultimately works out.
The episode wraps up with Bail leaning on Ben to engage in “one last fight” to protect Leia. This scene is hamfisted, but necessary. Episode 2 is mostly a chase episode. It introduces some new characters, who mostly don’t work for me. Particularly problematic is Kumail Nanjiani, who plays a con-artist pretending to be a Jedi. He arranges transport off-planet for people trying to escape, and shakes them down for credits for the opportunity. He’s also revealed to be a really good guy who’s willing to help Ben. So which is it? If he’s a good guy, why is he shaking down people for credits? Why the charade about the Jedi at all? And who is he working with? Is the officer working at the spaceport an imperial that he’s paying off? This plot point feels like he’s SUPPOSED to be a con artist who isn’t really providing the serviecs he claims to be, leaving his “clients” high and dry – but if he’s actually getting them off the planet, why the Jedi ruse? Wouldn’t that just attract the attention of the authorities? It doesn’t work, it’s played too broadly, and I don’t believe anybody would buy into this guys cons.
Another issue during this epsiode is that Ben asks Leia after he rescues her “How old are you?” Well – wouldn’t he know? He was there at the delivery!
The chase scene drags on for too long, and feels like it’s padding the length of the episode. Weird choices about having Reva do rooftop Batman parkour (badly) almost made me laugh. Finally, Reva attacks (and appears to kill) the Grand Inquisitor – but why? We already know he lives, and this scene doesn’t really seem to have any point – other than to reveal to Obi-Wan that Anakin is alive, as Darth Vader. But how does Reva know this? Isn’t this one of the most closely-guarded secrets in the Empire? My guess is that it will be revealed that she is one of the younglings who fled during the Order 66 scene at the beginning of the first episode. It would explain why the other Inquisitors say she came to them from the gutter, and could explain her rage at Kenobi – if Kenobi created Vader, and Vader created the Inquisitors, she could view him as the cause of her suffering. It would also explain the OTHER rumors involving Reva that have leaked.
If those are true, the show will have to be VERY careful about how it plays them. If Reva does overshadow Kenobi, this show will go down in flames. If they play it in a believable fashion, it could work, but it could also be too close to the ending of Jedi: Fallen Order. Only time will tell – for now, I can say that I liked the first episode much more than I liked the second. When the show is working, it feels like it’s REALLY working, but when the show isn’t working it feels like Saturday Morning Cartoon Star Wars.
I was very impressed by some of the performances, the costume and set designs, and LOVED the practical effects I was seeing. I’m always happy to see practical aliens, and I thought there were some great ones on display here.
Overall, I liked the show – but I’m not loving it yet. Here’s hoping the show overcomes some tonal issues, and the remainder centers on the conflict between Ben and Vader. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Did you love it, or hate it? What do you want to see in the remainder of Obi-Wan Kenobi? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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