Criticism of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ (1×01 and 1×02): More of the Same

The series got off to a slow start. His first two episodes confirm the lack of interest in getting out of the most obvious formula, not only creatively, but also as a spectator facing the story.

It was a weekend succumbed to nostalgia, with the premiere coinciding in time with the fourth episode of ‘Stranger Things’, the new proposal from the universe of ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. Accepting that there are those who are nostalgic for sensations that have never lived, those who feel nostalgia for nostalgia itself, for an idealized time in the pursuit of show business, we focus on the launch of the first two parts of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi ‘, whose immobile mind responds to an unfathomable creative laziness when something is a trend in the business world, coupled with popular culture, without lifting a finger. The audience is won in advance, it’s practically imprisoned – parents teach it to their children behind closed doors, like football – as evidenced at the recent US convention on the legacy of George Lucas, where every advance of promotion was welcomed with uproar in the smell of crowds, as if it were a political rally. We don’t know if the third season of ‘The Mandalorian’ will be a bomb or not, but it has already attracted attention beforehand, as is usually the case with the Marvel catalog. The fish is sold. Social networks roar at nonsense like the CGI without cooking or the diversity of the casting, but there isn’t much discussion afterwards about the real quality of the product. It is also not easy to take risks in this situation, but it must be emphasized that not cutting your head at all and going for the obvious does not work as it should either. There is an urgent need to return to the fashion of nostalgia. It’s disconcerting to accept that Tom Cruise’s latest is the best portrayal of escape cinema right now.

Disappointing in the highest degree, the first chapter of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ already begins by touching the potato of the faithful followers of the galactic saga. The opening sentence “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” is not missing. Then they offer us a summary of the events described in the first trilogy of “Star Wars”, the second released chronologically in time, in case we completely erased the first episodes led by Lucas himself. The implementation of the famous Order 66, also known as the Clone Protocol 66, lights the fuse. Let’s not forget that it was a mandate that identified the Jedi as traitors to the Republic and so they had to be wiped out -as is well told in ‘The Clone Wars’-. The first chapter certainly starts in a cantina, it would miss more, where we get to see the dark intentions of the villains, the best of the bunch, the perfidious inquisitors -especially Reva, the third sister, played with charisma by the acrobat Moses ingram. The setting is more baroque than in previous proposals, there is more figuration and alien races, with the feeling that in terms of art everything is allowed. Same when it comes to inventing different species coexisting on the planet it touches. You can aesthetically mix anything you want if the result is ‘cool’ (which it is). Immediately, Ewan McGregor takes the weight of the plot on his back and embodies the mythical Obi-Wan, here tired and despondent, hidden in an anonymity that has been irretrievably broken. The main character’s acting effort from “Trainspotting” is best of all compared to the failed casting of the girl who plays -spoiler- Princess Leia Organa. Little Vivien Lyra Blair, seen in ‘Blind’ with Sandra Bullock, not only does she look ten years old – although she is actually nine – she’s quite down – unlike what happens in the student series -, she doesn’t work physically either in some scenes, especially chase scenes, which were shot begrudgingly. The character is disgusting. At this point, the idea of ​​​​imagining an intelligent child as unbearable has not passed. You can rebel and anticipate the character from the role popularized by Carrie Fisher without falling into false irritability.

Despite the squeaky performance of little Leia, she already has thousands of fans who have surrendered at her feet, with the criteria of an amoeba. Let’s see if it improves its movement within the shot in future deliveries because in the first two when it appears it corrupts the staging. Deborah Chow (‘The Mandalorian’) signs the address without a headache, incorporating the hackneyed formula of ‘twilight hero helps helpless creature’, as in ‘The Mandalorian’ or ‘The Bad Remittance’. This scheme is common in Lucas’s filmography, and there seems to be no end to it. The dull show ends on a climax with a reveal that we ignore so as not to taint the viewing of viewers who are allergic to tainting information. As expected, the sense of humor of the previous series of the “Star Wars” universe on Disney+ is notable for its absence. As always, the visual fusion between new technologies and the tangible is appreciated. Aliens with masks made of rubber, latex and animatronics.

The first two chapters of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ are available on Disney+.

Source: La Verdad

Michael

I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.