Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi - The Return of the Original Jedi Gives Fans What They Want
By John Kirk
Rating: A-minus
If there’s anything that Star Wars fans want: it’s more.
For instance, in 1978, following the success of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, novelist Alan Dean Foster wrote a story titled “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye.” It was set after the events of the film and was intended to be its sequel.
It’s a story of Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker crash-landing on an Imperial dominated planet. The intrepid heroes initially just wanted to escape the planet, but their purpose shifted into a battle against Imperial oppression and a quest to find a crystal that was attuned to the Force. Hungrily-received, it was the first addition to the expanded Star Wars universe that established fan expectations, a best-selling success, and a story that fans clearly wanted more of.
Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) takes in the beauty of his hermit home Tattooine.
Overwhelming odds, romantic heroism and noble sacrifice – these themes are echoed in Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+.
Director and Canadian film-maker Deborah Chow dutifully follows in this tradition and accurately taps into fans’ expectations of added expansion into the Star Wars universe. It’s a chance to celebrate their love of the characters in this epic saga, of which Obi-Wan Kenobi is arguably the most revered.
Kenobi was originally introduced to us by Sir Alec Guiness, one of the most accomplished and erudite actors of his generation. In 1999, that mantle was passed on to the equally deserving Ewan McGregor in Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace and the other prequels. Those established the bedrock of his story, but Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi – still starring McGregor - gives us the missing chapter, namely his days of exile after General Order 66, the order that condemned the Jedi to extinction. His task is twofold: to watch over young Luke Skywalker, whom he saved from discovery from the Emperor, and to forget his life as a Jedi.
It is 10 years after General Order 66 and a dark time for the Jedi. The last remnants of their order are hunted by Imperial Inquisitors. Obi-Wan is now simply Ben, eking out a simple existence on the insignificant Outer Rim planet, Tatooine, nearly forgotten by the Empire. A world of dust and sand, and a perfect place to bury his past and escape the notice of imperial pursuers.
But, as the series reveals, Jedi cannot easily hide their ideals and sense of justice. Their compassion and duty give them away and leave a trail for the Inquisitors to pursue. In this story, Obi-Wan is faced with the dilemma of living up to his former Jedi ideals and risks being discovered by the Inquisitors of the Sith in service to the Empire. As in “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye,” his purpose changes. He begins to edge away from his existence as “Ben,” as traits of “Obi-Wan” begin to assert themselves again.
It's a dense story in some places that harkens back to the events of the prequels. But fans can revel in this lore and lose themselves in the thrill of reliving the saga. This is the back-story expansion that fans want to see.
Familiar faces? Echoes of familiar stories and events past? They’re there as well. (Including Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Jimmy Smits as Senator Organa and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO). Ditto fantastic space craft, dazzling light-sabre battles and exotic alien creatures.
But when we talk about back-story, it’s the appeal of the hero and his willingness to put himself at risk for his ideals that gives loyal Star Wars fans shivers. Obi-Wan is the hero who epitomizes the Star Wars romanticism that fans first embraced in 1977, as did the fans who came after them. Both McGregor and Chow have tapped into that spirit that fans of all generations will recognize and love; that’s what they demand.
Best seen on the biggest screen you have, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is a deserving successor to that initial spirit of underdog heroism. Its romantic spirit captures the same sense of ideal that has remained at the core of Star Wars for decades.
Like “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye,” it’s a welcome expansion to the Star Wars universe and fans will want more.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi. Directed by Deborah Chow. Stars Ewan McGregor, Joel Edgerton and Jimmy Smits. New episodes stream on Disney+ every Friday.