Obi-Wan Kenobi Premiere Review

Sci-fi as a genre can be a gift just as much as it could be a curse. It makes one feel that every story has a place in this world. Some of the tentpoles of the genre have been pop culture phenomena and must-see events on a global scale. If the MCU, the Snyderverse, and other noteworthy films such as Dune and Blade Runner just to name a few have defined the current generation, Star Wars defined the late 1970s and 1980s. They were the cultural phenomenon of that era but over the years, the franchise has tried to recreate the hype of the original film trilogy held. As far as the franchise’s recent offerings are concerned, they appear to be still figuring it out. Its film adaptations have been divisive while its relatively recent expansion into animated and live action series are slowly rekindling some of that aforementioned hype. Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series (or at least for now) does exactly that.

While the Star Wars film franchise is essentially regular sci-fi, its many classic elements are hard to ignore or forget. As a series, Obi-Wan Kenobi brings the feel of the classic prequel trilogy era with its world building and its continuation of that original story. The first two episodes certainly taps into nostalgia such as Obi-Wan’s failure and the story of Luke and Leia along with offering a little tease of Darth Vader. Meanwhile, the cinematography and CGI are very impressive, but even though it does capture these classic elements, it doesn’t really do anything extraordinary for the franchise.

Some stories are better left to the interpretation of the audience and though it may be early, it feels like one of those stories. It feels like the subject matter of Obi-Wan Kenobi would have benefited more as a future film rather than a deeper exploration that delves into each and every possible story thus ruining the essence of the saga and rendering it into something less impactful. 

The series begins with Obi-Wan (McGregor) in hiding. However, it was clear that this would not be the case for too much longer as he’d inevitably become a Jedi once again. Though whenever that moment came, he would surely be a little rusty and understandably so since it would have been the first time in a long time. Taking a simple approach in terms of story, things get much less interesting once it delves into the politics of the time. A noteworthy moment of the second episode involves an interaction between Obi-Wan and a younger Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) where the latter doubts whether he is actually a Jedi because he can’t make her float and only Jedi can. That moment was inevitable where she would interact with the Force and the episode was not so subtle in its intention of having it happen, something along the lines where she would be proven wrong about Obi-Wan. Therefore once that moment finally happened, to the surprise of absolutely no one, the emotional impact just wasn’t there. This was the case solely due to the subpar execution of that moment. At the end of the day, the real surprise is how the series creators believe that overall bland storytelling would ever be enjoyable for viewers.

The plot as a whole is simplistic and the script was not groundbreaking by any means which was par for the course as far as the franchise is concerned. Meanwhile, the score was also underwhelming as it could never quite fit while failing to convey the general emotion within scenes.

In terms of performances, Kumail Nanjiani’s Haja Estree might be the most intriguing character though not because he was the comic relief but rather because of his own personal agenda. He’s silly and wrong and yet he’s a good guy. McGregor’s Kenobi, on the other hand, comes off as a bit generic. However, he still has the potential to improve over the latter episodes given a properly fleshed out character arc. Moses Ingram’s Inquisitor Reva is given a few good bits despite being a very basic character while Vivien Lyra Blair’s Leia feels witty and interesting. Rupert Friend delivers a good performance as the Grand Inquisitor. Although the combination with Reva was disappointing.

In the end, Obi-Wan Kenobi delivers a regular hero’s journey story basically akin to any other Star Wars story and frankly, it’s just content to pass the time. Through its first two episodes, the series does very little to justify itself in the grand scheme. That being said, it still has the potential to do so. For those looking for some nostalgia, they will be right at home but just don’t go in expecting much more.

*still courtesy of Lucasfilm*

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Guest Writer