Contains mild spoilers

First Watch Obi-Wan Kenobi 1 (Limited Series) + More about my personal Star Wars Journey

2022/09/16

In the last two weeks I watched this limited series which is now on Disney+ and before I continue with what I thought of it, I want to let you know, that till “The Force Awakens” in 2015, I knew of Star Wars of course, I purchased the Blu-rays from the first six movies in 2014 as preparation, but before that, I’ve watched the movies a few times but it still was all new to me. As you know, since the 80’s/90’s I have been a Star Trek fan, as I said, I knew of Star Wars, watched the movies back in the day but it wasn’t my thing back then. When in 1999 the part one was in the cinemas, I went to see it but I was disappointed, slept large parts through it. Also part two was not a movie I really enjoyed and part three, although it was the best of the three, it was not like was blown away by it. So it confirmed a bit how I felt about Star Wars in regard to Star Trek, which I absolutely loved.

I didn’t really bother with Star Wars for quite some time because of…well because of the prequel movies parts 1, 2 and 3. When in 2013-2014 there was talk about a third trilogy and that Harrison Ford would be back, I have to say I got interested, for a part also because in the years 2011-2014 there wasn’t much SCI-FI set in space. So at that time, well before the movie “The Force Awakens” was in the cinema, I purchased the 6 movies on Blu-ray. For the first time ever I owned something with the name Star Wars on it! While with Star Trek I purchased VHS video cassettes, magazines, books, calendars, DVD’s, Blu-ray’s. When I watched the movies again I have to say I loved the original trilogy, movies which were rebranded as 4, 5 and 6. I really loved these movies. But with the first 3  movies, my feelings weren’t different than 10-15 years ago, I still thought “The Phantom Menace” was mediocre at best, “Attack of the Clones” was mildly better but also kinda tedious or something and again, “Revenge of the Sith” was nominated by me as the best of three and a bit better than the first time I watched it.

So I was ready for the new movie which came, I believe, around x-mas 2015 with Harrison Ford as Han Solo in it as well as late Carrie Fisher as Leia and late Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca and If memory serves, I should really rewatch these movies again, a cameo of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker. So I, who was fairly new to Star Wars, loved this movie, loved how Harrison Ford portrayed Han Solo like he never left it. Didn’t like his demise though, but still I was really enthusiastic and in those weeks afterwards I also again watched the first 6 movies. In 2016 “Rogue One” came out and of course I had to see that one also in the cinema and perhaps I loved this movie even more than “The Force Awakens”. Sadly, parts 8 and 9 weren’t as spectacular as the 7^th movie and “Rogue One”. The 2018 movie Solo, with a younger Han Solo was an okay movie but also not in the same league as the originals or the 7^th and “Rogue One”.

Still, Star Wars has gained a place in my heart since 2015, I began to appreciate it more, mind you, I am still a newbie at Star Wars, will have to take a few more viewings for me to understand it all. So as you probably know, the last few years and coming years there is a lot of Star Wars on the horizon, I am a fan of The Mandalorian, watched the first episode of “The Book of Boba Fett”, have to say, not sure about this one, have to give it another chance and watch one or two more episodes before I decide if to ignore it.

I recently finished Obi-Wan Kenobi and I have to say, I found it very entertaining, at first, as a newbie, I had to reconnect certain things again, who is who, when is it set and such and as I said, thought it was a nice story, a fairly simple story, but nonetheless entertaining. Obi-Wan Kenobi is in hiding because being a Jedi means you have to die. I liked the fact that in the beginning to the 6-episode limited series, he was rusty, he was a bit afraid I think, he was reluctant to help because his task was to keep an eye on that little boy Luke Skywalker. When Leia is kidnapped for the sole purpose of drawing out Obi-Wan Kenobi. When Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) first asks Obi-Wan’s help, he tells the Senator to find someone else to help him with finding Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) but when Senator Organa persists Obi-Wan tells him reluctantly he will find her.

Well the next episodes, the story is to search and find Leia, get her home. But of course there is a lot of action and drama in between, because it becomes clear to Obi-Wan that Anakin (Darth Vader) still lives and he wants to kill Obi-Wan, at least this is what he makes the viewer believe and probably is also his intention. There was some great laser sword fighting between Darth Vader (still voiced by James Earl Jones) and Obi-Wan, we also see backflashes to during the time of the movies 1-3 where Darth Vader is still Anakin, where he already has trouble to fight against his dark-side.

I also want to say something about Leia, played by young actress Vivien Lyra Blair, she does a wonderful job, she does remind me of Leia we see as a young adult, thought she was one of the strongest characters. I also was pleasantly surprised to see Indira Varma as Tala Durith, I think she is a wonderful actress. I know her mainly from “Torchwood”, “Luther” and “Human Target”, like her in these shows, it again was a joy seeing her, this time, appear in the Star Wars Universe.

Last week I did see a trailer for a documentary about “Obi-Wan Kenobi”, which could be interesting if you liked Obi-Wan Kenobi or if you are a Star Wars fan. First I thought, oh, a second season, but it turned out to be a documentary about the series. You can watch the trailer here. Remains the question, will there more Obi-Wan Kenobi stories, or was this a one-time thing…a limited series? With a lot more Star Wars on the horizon in the coming 1-3 years, “Andor” is the first new Star Wars TV show which I really am looking forward to. Hopefully the 3^rd season of “The Mandalorian” will stream sooner rather than later on Disney+.

Final Word:

I will always be a Trekkie, that won’t change, I love that universe, my whole life is interwoven with Star Trek so Imagine that will never change. So as I made clear I am fairly new to Star Wars, I think I will appreciate this universe more and more, but for me I can never compete with Star Trek. I am glad though I got to know the Star Wars universe a bit better now, mind you, because before 2013 it really wasn’t something I really was interested in. We will see what the future brings, more Star Trek but also more Star Wars!

Screencaps: screencapped.net