OBI-WAN Series - May - Trailer

[AndyDursin]

Looks better than Boba Fett...a low bar to clear...but still.

Duel of the Fates still gets the blood pumping!

[Monterey Jack]

McGregor was one of the few highlights of the Prequels, so it's nice that he's getting another crack at the character, and even being able to "age into" the role in the fullness of time.

[AndyDursin]

We watched REVENGE OF THE SITH over the weekend so this is coming at a good time for us to watch together with Theo. That movie still holds up pretty well -- the last 30 minutes especially are superior to any of the Disney films by a wide margin -- the rest of it has the same clunky dialogue of its predecessors but unlike CLONES and parts of PHANTOM MENACE, the movie keeps moving at a steady clip so the momentum isn't lost or bogged down in the romance or galactical political infighting. And the climax and payoff does deliver, the editing and execution of it is tops, down to Williams' scoring, which is leaps and bounds superior to his work on the Disney movies.

This actually fills in a part of the story that COULD be interesting, but we'll see how it fares. Amazing though Disney can't get away from Tattooine. Every focus group they've had with STAR WARS must have told them so...no matter what they make, they all end up there!

[Monterey Jack]

Amazing though Disney can't get away from Tattooine. Every focus group they've had with STAR WARS must have told them most of the stories need to take place there...no matter what they make, it all ends up back there at some point!

It's because Nostalgia, that's why. Aging nerds just want to see the same planets used in the OT over and over, instead of seeing NEW worlds. And Tatooine is the most visually-dull world in the OT, intentionally so. Even the Rebels cartoon was stuck on Tatooine for long stretches.

Say what you will about the forthcoming Avatar sequels, but at least Cameron's gonna show us NEW eye-candy visuals.

[AndyDursin]

So what began as a show supposed to explain Kenobi safeguarding Luke has clearly been rewritten/overstuffed with him battling Vader (even though STAR WARS was supposed to be the first time they battled since Anakin became Vader) and saving little Leia also, which makes no sense because Leia doesn't know Kenobi at all in the original trilogy beyond his relationship with Bail Organa. What's the point of that? "We can't have Luke seem that important, Leia's the one that really matters!" I mean the hell. The female gender push of most of these Disney Star Wars products is simply ridiculous.

Oh and it's a stealth origin series for a "new kickass female character" too? The best part is she's irritating and yet Disney has already sounded the "racism!" Alarm that there's a lot of "hate" in the Star Wars fanbase that's going to dislike the character. So this way any criticism can be deflected as racism even though the character is badly written and her performance is annoying. Got it!

So far the show is watchable but not what it could have been or reportedly was supposed to be.

Kathleen Kennedy sure knows what she's doing when she doesn't have Filoni or Favreau around to guide the material!

[Edmund Kattak]

So what began as a show supposed to explain Kenobi safeguarding Luke has clearly been rewritten/overstuffed with him battling Vader (even though STAR WARS was supposed to be the first time they battled since Anakin became Vader) and saving little Leia also, which makes no sense because Leia doesn't know Kenobi at all in the original trilogy beyond his relationship with Bail Organa. What's the point of that? "We can't have Luke seem that important, Leia's the one that really matters!" I mean the hell. The female gender push of most of these Disney Star Wars products is simply ridiculous.

Oh and it's a stealth origin series for a "new kickass female character" too? The best part is she's irritating and yet Disney has already sounded the "racism!" Alarm that there's a lot of "hate" in the Star Wars fanbase that's going to dislike the character. So this way any criticism can be deflected as racism even though the character is badly written and her performance is annoying. Got it!

So far the show is watchable but not what it could have been or reportedly was supposed to be.

Kathleen Kennedy sure knows what she's doing when she doesn't have Filoni or Favreau around to guide the material!

I thought I was watching diversity cosplay with some known actors. And sorry, William's theme is weak and Natalie Hoult's "score" is terrible. But hey, at least we have forced diversity in the workplace and female empowerment behind the camera.

[Paul MacLean]

And sorry, William's theme is weak and Natalie Hoult's "score" is terrible.

I think Williams theme is...ok, but it sounds like something he banged out in an afternoon.

[Edmund Kattak]

It doesn't really have a counterpoint, which is odd. There was some thought into it, as it sounds like a somewhat solemn version of his original "force theme." But without his sensibilities for scoring the series, it is hard to get a feel for its ability to set the overall tone. Not too many composers today leverage those old sensibilities of taking a theme or motif and bending/weaving in appropriate places to re-enforce the character. As much as I am not a fan of the Disney Trilogy, Williams did use that sensibility with Rey's theme - whether people liked the theme or not is a different discussion. Powell did the same thing with Williams "Han" theme. The cue/scene called "Maul's Call/Parting Ways" worked very well for me because at least it followed that sensibility: take Williams' theme and bend it into the cue to convey that emotion of the moment.

So far, I hear Hoult's using total electronics in some scenes, small orchestra music in other. Overall, it seems a bit disjointed.

[Monterey Jack]

Oh and it's a stealth origin series for a "new kickass female character" too? The best part is she's irritating and yet Disney has already sounded the "racism!" Alarm that there's a lot of "hate" in the Star Wars fanbase that's going to dislike the character. So this way any criticism can be deflected as racism even though the character is badly written and her performance is annoying. Got it!

Usual craven defense against justified criticism of any POC actor's performance from Woke Disney. "Ya'll just racist/sexist/transphobic/homophobic!" And the hell of it, it ALWAYS works, because it's impossible to not sound racist/sexist/homophobic when expressing annoyance that a role is being cast for no other reason than to tick off a diversity box, no matter how eloquently you phrase it.

As for Obi Wan...it's okay, so far. The actress playing L'il Leia looks far too l'il, however...she's supposed to be ten years old, yet doesn't look or act a day over six. It's weird.

[AndyDursin]

I don't know how to say it but this theme sounds like it has "too many notes". It's a lot of huffing and puffing, and a flourish here or there that sounds like some kind of elegaic Force theme variant or a little motif from The Phantom Menace. But like a lot of his scoring for the Disney movies beyond Rey's Theme, it doesn't have much of a center to pull you in. It's "busy" but kind of meandering and not very appealing.

[AndyDursin]

Here they go!

[AndyDursin]

Lots of good replies

[Monterey Jack]

"This poorly-written, annoying character is not being well-received, but ya'll racist if you pile on!"

[Edmund Kattak]

I only have two words for these moronic, woke, and racially-focused frauds:

Lando Calrissian.

A much better performance by a much more likeable character.

[jkholm]

I have to admit that if I didn't know about the controversy involving the new character, I wouldn't have thought there was anything to get worked up about. She seems fine to me although I can't remember her name other than she's the "third sister." That other villain who seems to be second in command is far more annoying.

Anyway, I asked my teenaged son what he thinks of the series so far and his only complaint is that "Leia is annoying," which just goes to show that boys and young men were not Disney's intended audience for this particular storyline. Of course a teenager is going to find a little kid annoying. let's get on with the light saber duels! I'm fine with Obi-Wan rescuing young Leia. If we're going to watch Obi-Wan try to keep a Skywalker child safe and hidden from Darth vader, going off to different planets with Leia is more interesting than watching kid Luke through binoculars.