The long-awaited series starring Obi-Wan Kenobi is best enjoyed with homework done. We review the most popular franchises of the saga
Is Disney Burning Down Its Most Popular Franchise Too Fast? The expansion of the Marvel universe and the imagery of Star Wars is not bearing all the desired fruits, although the machinery does not cease in its efforts to feed the anxiety of the most staunch followers. Any trend can get tiring and breaks are needed from time to time to get some air and get back on track, but the popular platform does not take any pause in its desire to feed the grill with productions derived from its greatest hits. It is necessary to squeeze the licenses to the maximum, thinking of merchandising and amusement parks, two buoyant businesses that currently cannot be separated commercially when it comes to making numbers to appreciate the profitability of the audiovisual catalog. Disney+ has just surprised us with the direct streaming premiere of ‘Chip and Chop: The Rescue Guardians’. An unexpected project, risky and tenacious, almost experimental. Metacine in vein with a clear nod to Roger Rabbit that underlines how the mouse company is committed to offering different things, surprising from time to time and applying the trial-error formula, which does not mean that it exploits abundant material excessively registered that has the promotion done in advance. The expected launch of the ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ series is a guaranteed offer, appealing to the captive public, the millions of followers of the George Lucas saga. Before reaching this moment there have been bumps and hits along the way and it is convenient to review some chronological details for a greater enjoyment of the show.
In ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ he takes up the character Ewan McGregor, from the best of the prequels directed by George Lucas, a vilified trilogy that risked more than it seemed in its day and is gaining interest over time, aside from bad aging of some visual effects. The Scottish actor defended well a complicated role under the shadow of Alec Guinness, an imperishable icon at the beginning of the galactic saga. His pull is undeniable, although before becoming the king of the show in a series of imminent premiere his name sounded like the protagonist of a spin-off for the big screen that saw his journey cut short due to the poor reception in theaters of ‘Han Only’. Wield the lightsaber again in serialized format in a six-episode adventure that continues the events described a decade earlier in ‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’, where the Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, became the treacherous Sith Lord Darth Vader. The first two installments premiere this Friday, May 27, directed by Deborah Chow (‘The Mandalorian’).
Hayden Christiansen also reprises his role as Darth Vader.
Kenobi will again look for someone to train as a Jedi, without sticking to the bone this time? On his journey he will visit places that we have been able to see in the series ‘The Mandalorian’, such as Tatoonie, but the bounty hunter’s tribulations take place later, specifically after ‘Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi’. The confrontation with Darth Vader is the best asset of a proposal surrendered to nostalgia and entertainment that is tasted with greater devotion as a viewer being aware of some clear references, including the animated series ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’, created by Dave Feloni, whose review seems ideal focusing on the fourth season, between chapters 15 and 18, followed by episodes 14 to 16 of the fifth session, with Darth Maul superstar (it is also recommended to take a look at installments 12 to 16 of the second round). We assume that the trilogies released in the traditional exhibition circuit are more than seen, with special emphasis on ‘Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones’, where Hayden Christensen defends the role of Anakin Skywalker. Classics from the history of the seventh art, whose universe is constantly expanding, in animated series, movies, comics and video games that add plots and develop characters, whether cult or new.
Attack of the clones
Feloni himself, an indispensable name in the credits of the evolution of Star Wars, directed in 2008 a crucial 3D animation film when facing the viewing of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ with a complete image of the events. With a script by George Lucas himself, ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ delves into the rise of the famous Dark Side. It didn’t have good reviews in its day, but any self-respecting completist fan knows how to take a look at it without remorse. It is not easy to keep up as a spectator with the saga, whose exponential growth in pursuit of huge profits seems unstoppable. The puncture of ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ still feels close, luckily they sneaked a covert installment of ‘The Mandalorian’ in the middle of the season, lifting the spirits of downcast fans of ‘Star Wars’ (there are who claim this title from time to time).
A still from ‘The Mandalorian’.
‘The Boba Fett Book’, after ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ in the timeline, had funny chapters and others that were really leaden. As was the case with the superior ‘The Mandalorian’, the entry proposal must be applauded because it uses characters with rubber masks, latex, animatronics, matte paintings and other mythical techniques of yesteryear in its conception, but the first season choked, with some clumsily directed episodes by Robert Rodriguez, breaking the western tone that Jon Favreau impregnated in the tribulations of Mando, the space bounty hunter, one of the most beloved new roles by the fandom, in addition to Grogu, little Yoda, merchandising grass .
‘The Mandalorian’ is drenched in a sense of humor that we won’t see so lightheartedly in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’. The bet worked better than the last films released in theaters – ‘The rise of Skywalker’ was a punch in the stomach. The series that opened the current closure of ‘Star Wars’ on Disney + has multiple references to the imagery of the saga. The catalog of characters that populate the galaxies and cross from planet to planet was designed with soul. The latest technological advances, including Stagecraft, which has become the rear projection of a lifetime, but perfected to the maximum, with infinite visual possibilities, notably lowering production costs, has revolutionized the audiovisual medium.
more sets
Another of the proposals linked to the ideology of George Lucas released on the well-known platform is the animated series ‘La remesa mala’, directed by Feloni himself – Lucas’s padawan -, who must have a crazy agenda to face so many projects to the time in his journey (also appears in the credits of ‘The Boba Fett Book’). This initiative, whose second season is already underway, a worthy successor to ‘The Clone Wars’, presents a group of defective clones, hence the title in Spanish, who decide not to attend to certain orders without questioning what their eyes see. Sixteen short episodes with the Clone Wars as the setting. The elite soldiers, each with their own unique personality, are endearing, as is the relationship between them.
Also in the field of animation, with remarkable creative freedom, ‘Star Wars: Visions’ moves, a rarity that was released in its day without much fuss, despite its striking artistic result. It is an anthology of nine animated short films, such as ‘Love, Death & Robots’, made with different techniques in anime format, all of them based on the universe of the franchise. Although irregular as a whole, as is usual in this type of production, it has some noteworthy pieces that are worth seeing. With Japanese production, the series offers self-contained and independent stories that enrich the original work. You may remember ‘Animatrix’, which turned heads back in the day. Lots of cloth to cut.
The first two episodes of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ arrive on Disney+ on May 27.
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