STAR WARS REBELS REVIEW
As a big Star Wars fan, it is easy to be apprehensive about anything new being introduced to the series, especially after the prequels underwhelmed many followers of the series. When the animated film, Star War: The Clone Wars, came out, it did little to qualm worried about the direction of the saga. The Animated film did not belong on the big screen. It’s animation quality wasn’t high enough and it was more of a tv pilot than it was an actual film.
However, even though that movie sort of- you know, sucked—the continuation tv series proved to be a major hit and a considerable step in the right direction. It got better and better as it progressed and when it finally came to a close it was pretty damn good and many fans, such as myself, were sad to see it go.
So when Disney announced it would produce a show of its own, that old apprehension returned with a vengeance. Disney might be the most famous animation company on the planet, but their tv series track record has been spotty at best. Disney was trading one accepted, quality show for a new one, and it had to matching the quality of The Clone Wars series, even if it was going for a different tone. Would this new tone be too childish? Would the animation not hold up as well? Would the new characters be pandering? These were the sort of worries that many fans had.
Fortunately, after having seen the double feature pilot, I can safely say that this new series is in solid hands. Many animation veterans from The Clone Wars return in large rolls and they clearly worked hard to try and recapture the vibe of the original trilogy. For the most part, it works. It’s less colorful than The Clone Wars and focuses in on the characters more than large-scale battle sequences. The animation is definitely on the higher end of tv CGI quality (dispite some poorly rendered wookies), though I think I still preferred the “painted” look used in its predecessor.
The concept is fairy simple but engaging. After the rise of the empire, most of the Jedi’s were hunted down and killed. The few that survived (such as obi-wan and yoda) went into hiding. The series follows one such Jedi named Kanan who along with his crew of misfits does his best to get by in the galaxy while occasionally sticking it to the empire. No doubt in time the show will explore the origins of the rebel alliance, but for now it works on this smaller scale.
The pilot mostly follows the character of Ezra. Out of all the characters, he’s probably the least interesting as of right now and is a generic characature of the “lovable tramp”. He’s pretty much space Aladdin, an orphan thief who gets caught up in a bigger adventure. Yet he is an effective vehicle for introducing us to the times, the new characters, and the situation. All the other characters are likable and well rounded, with voice acting god, Steven Blum, character being the best out of the lot.
The action is creative and engaging and the series tone is not overly childish. In fact, it successfully emulates the balance the original trilogy had between comedy and drama. It has both its grim moments and its lighthearted. If I had one major complaint with the two episodes it would have to be the pacing. This is not uncommon for pilots, especially animated ones. Even some of the best series had this problem (such as the pilot to The Last Airbender). The story has to quickly introduce a long list of characters as well as develop Ezra’s personality and skills in the force. Some of it felt really rushed, especially near the beginning, and definately took quick in Ezra’s development as a person and his abilities with the force. But hopefully, the show finds a more natural rhythm in upcoming episodes.
Overall the episodes show a lot of potential for the series. The characters are interesting, the animation well done, and the tone makes it accessible to both kids and adults. It’s definitely something worth checking out for any Star Wars fan and if it improves the same amount as The Clone Wars did, it could potentially become one of the best animated shows on tv.
RATING:
7/10
Want some more animated Star Wars? Check out my run through of the best episodes from The Clone Wars.
Essential of The Clone Wars- Part 1