Disney/Lucasfilm's OBI-WAN KENOBI limited series drops today. They are releasing the first two episodes, then it will be one a week each Friday for a total of six episodes.

I had thought the show was just going to be called KENOBI, but they've changed it to OBI-WAN KENOBI.

I'm still watching the first episode, so no comments for now.

In keeping with our usual delayed spoiler policy, please hold off on spoilers until Monday. Thank you.

Well how was it?

First episode was a bit slow, but not bad. They had a good idea on how to get Obi-Wan to come out of hiding.

Their version of Tatooine doesn't have the same feel as Mando or Boba. Too many humans, and it feels more like a drama than a pulp adventure. Not necessarily a bad thing, though I hope they pick up the pace going forward.

It isn't mired in flashbacks like BoBF was.

WOW. Second episode is MUCH BETTER than the first.

Much to talk about Monday.

Some of the camera work is annoying. Perhaps the camera is being carried by a drunken Jawa?

Quote from: HappyDaze on May 28, 2022, 09:37:59 AM
Some of the camera work is annoying. Perhaps the camera is being carried by a drunken Jawa?

Some of the parkour stuff in Episode 2 looked pretty bad. You could really tell that they were using wire work.

If they'd given Third Sister the helmet from Seventh Sister's costume on Rebels, they could have gotten a stunt person to just do the parkour for real.

Quote from: Lurkndog on May 28, 2022, 02:34:35 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on May 28, 2022, 09:37:59 AM
Some of the camera work is annoying. Perhaps the camera is being carried by a drunken Jawa?

Some of the parkour stuff in Episode 2 looked pretty bad. You could really tell that they were using wire work.

If they'd given Third Sister the helmet from Seventh Sister's costume on Rebels, they could have gotten a stunt person to just do the parkour for real.

But by using wires they make it feel so unnatural to show that she was using force telekinesis. At least thats how I see it.

Watched Episode 1, wasn't bad. Better than Book of Boba Fett, and nothing outright fucking stupid like Halo.

I'm kind of turned off of this series. After the success of The Mandalorian, Disney/Lucas seems to have taken the wrong lesson from it. Instead of telling better stories, they're doubling down on making more TV shows. Maybe manager-type thinking that there's some mysterious magic in TV shows they can tap into.

Obi-Wan, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, Rangers of the New Republic. It's giving me a Marvel Cinematic Universe burnout feeling.

Quote from: Ratman_tf on May 29, 2022, 04:49:44 PM
I'm kind of turned off of this series. After the success of The Mandalorian, Disney/Lucas seems to have taken the wrong lesson from it. Instead of telling better stories, they're doubling down on making more TV shows. Maybe manager-type thinking that there's some mysterious magic in TV shows they can tap into.

Obi-Wan, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, Rangers of the New Republic. It's giving me a Marvel Cinematic Universe burnout feeling.

Not going to deny that they're maybe overdoing it. I don't think they're at Marvel levels yet though.

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It would be easy to say that Ewan McGregor stepped back into the role of Obi-wan like he never left, but the truth is he had to go back and relearn everything after decades away from the role. Regardless, he is excellent in the role.

Note: that periscope that pops up out of the sand outside Obi-Wan's cave? I'm pretty sure that's R2D2!

I suspect Princess Leia will be the subject of some controversy.

IMHO the girl playing young Princess Leia is doing a good job. She has Leia's attitude, and she even gets the accent right. IMHO she's a better Leia than Carrie Fisher was in the sequels.

I found her obnoxious at times, but I think I was supposed to. In this case, it works. Particularly because her attitude gets her into trouble, and when it does, there are consequences, and she is not able to get out of trouble on her own. She's a kid, not a grownup in a child's body. Leia not trusting Obi-Wan struck me as wrong, though, and I think it was overplayed. I think it is safe to say that she trusts him now.

Leia's pet robot Lola reminds me very much of mascot robots from anime, particularly Haro from Gundam.

Note that Princess Leia in Star Wars: ANH had met Darth Vader before, and she mouthed off at him in ANH too.

I thought we'd get a lightsaber fight at the end of the second episode, where Obi-Wan juuuuust barely fends off the Third Sister, probably through a (clumsy) trick.

Not quite as enraptured with the Third Sister as some folks seem to be, but she's okay.

Quote from: Thornhammer on May 30, 2022, 06:30:42 PM
I thought we'd get a lightsaber fight at the end of the second episode, where Obi-Wan juuuuust barely fends off the Third Sister, probably through a (clumsy) trick.

Not quite as enraptured with the Third Sister as some folks seem to be, but she's okay.

The Inquisitors are so far all about as interesting as any of the background Jedi in the prequels. Rebels didn't really flesh them out much, and I don't expect too much here either.

I quite liked young Leia and find it amazing she didn't annoy the hell out of me.

The first episode was a bit slow as others have noted and Obi was maybe a bit too mopey but the second episode was fun.  The parkour was a bit over done but it's Star Wars right?

After Book of Boba Fett, I wasn't sure I'd bother watching this.

So, legendary fighter has "retired" to a simple life when someone he cares about is threatened, forcing him to regain his former self.  Person he is saving doesn't recognize the they need saving by him (at least it's a kid this time, so the contrived distrust is slightly less stupid), leading to shenanigans and danger, wherein the fighter proves himself.  How... original.

Look, Star Wars made itself by reframing traditional tropes (though there's a bit more power to the archetypical Hero myth than... this), so that's not necessarily a bad thing.  But if you are going to walk where many have tread before, your "hero" needs to, at the very least, carve his own path.  Do something original.  But the only selling point here (besides the pathetical, self-doubting Luke Skywalker... er, I mean Obi-Wan Kenobi... is this a pattern with Disney?) is the fact that Disney dares to have a hypercompetent, don't-need-no-man, (poorly-acted) black woman villain (does this mean Disney hates black people and women? Isn't the main villain of the Mandalorian black, too?  Disney = KKK confirmed!).  Bravo.

I mean, if given the option to rewatch one or the other, I'd pick John Wick over Obi-Wan every time.  At least John Wick is no brooding wuss...