Obi-Wan Kenobi returns to exorcise demons of prequels past
Ewan McGregor slides back into his Jedi robes with ease in this event series on Disney+ Hotstar
THE last Star Wars prequel, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, was released way back in 2005. To say that those movies received a mixed response would be putting it lightly, but thanks to the generation that grew up on them and watched the Clone Wars cartoon show, their reputation has been rehabilitated – at least according to the more vocal corners of the Internet fandom.
One aspect of the prequels that even critics liked was Ewan McGregor’s performance as the iconic Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was played by legendary British actor Alec Guinness in the Original Trilogy.
You could sense he was enthusiastic in playing that part (especially if you see the behind the scenes documentaries), and that translated despite the clunky dialogue and having to act against tennis balls and green screens.
Set 10 years after the events of Episode III – and 9 years before Episode IV – we meet an Obi-Wan hiding away on Tatooine, haunted by visions of his past failures. The Jedi Order has been shattered with its remnants sent into hiding.
The Galactic Republic is now the Galactic Empire, and his student/friend turned to the Dark Side without him realising it until it was too late.
The first episode of this six-episode ‘event’ series is a pretty slow affair, with a good bit of throat-clearing to set the table. Obi-Wan is keeping his head down, while keeping an eye on Luke Skywalker from a distance.
He trades barbs with Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton), who does not want Luke to train to be a Jedi, lest he follows in his father’s footsteps.
Meanwhile, Inquisitors led by the Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) are scouring Tatooine for runaway Jedi, though they are unaware of Obi-Wan’s presence. One of the Inquisitors, Reva (Moses Ingram) is particularly overzealous.
This dynamic is a bit under-explained in the first two episodes, but the showrunners seem to be setting up a mystery here.
Probably the biggest surprise, that the trailers kept hidden, is the prominent role played by a young Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair). She’s precocious, to put it lightly. Under the care of Bail Organa (a charming Jimmy Smits), she’s well on her way to being the princess fans know and love.
Her kidnapping (by Flea, of all people), sets the plot in motion and is the justification for Obi-Wan to leave his protective perch.
Mostly set on the neon-soaked cyberpunk inspired Daiyu, the second episode has Obi playing detective. It’s hard not to think back to the subplot from Episode II that saw him investigating the Clone Army. Eventually, Leia comes under his care and they have to leave the planet while the Inquisitors are in hot pursuit.
The episode ends with Obi-Wan in a state of shock, realising his old apprentice is still alive, followed by a shot of an unclothed Darth Vader floating in a bacta tank with his iconic breathing serving as a mic drop.
Despite it being almost 20 years since he last donned the Jedi robes, McGregor slides right back in, playing a more worn-down version of the character.
Star Wars has always worn its Western and samurai influences on its sleeve, and that is especially apparent with this Obi-Wan. He’s a warrior who has given up, but is drawn back in for one last fight.
As Reva, the biggest antagonist up to this point, Ingram plays up the menace and anger, but because of the mystery behind some of her actions and her testy relationship with the other Inquisitors, there’s just something being held back. She might have some personal connection to Obi-Wan or Anakin that has yet to be revealed.
Probably a more questionable aspect is the prominence of the young Leia in the plot. It’s nothing against the actor’s performance, but given Star Wars’ less than stellar history with child actors – specifically Jake Llyod in The Phantom Menace – it’s a big gamble to put so much of the narrative weight on someone so inexperienced.
It’s also hard not to think of The Mandalorian, which also featured the hero becoming the protective father figure to another child.
Despite his lack of presence in the show thus far, Hayden Christensen has been doing the promotional rounds and he’s definitely being held back for a big dramatic reveal. Hopefully, it will be appropriately epic.
In general, the show feels like it’s still in the setting-up phase, taking its time to reveal parts of the Star Wars universe that haven’t been seen before, as well as revisiting beloved characters. Obi-Wan Kenobi is nothing mind-blowing so far, but for fans, just getting to spend time in the galaxy far, far away is pleasant enough.
source – The Vibes
