MalaStrana#2

There is something quite weird going on with Lucasfilm shows: after TBOB never featuring Boba Fett, this Ben show has still not shown Obi-Wan Kenobi after half its episodes. There is a character being called “kenobi” but he has absolutely nothing to do with the Jedi we saw in Ep 1-6, TCW, CW and Rebels. Really strange.

Also I don’t see Vader either. There is a cosplayer in a decent plastic costume doing weird civilian killing stuff (not really in Vader’s character to do that for basically no reason, unless he really hates asian people but they don’t look like tuskens so maybe not…), so yet no Lord Vader on sight either.

They should have titled it “Star Wars: Reva and Leia adventures”.

This series is so far the best way to ruin the OT and the PT altogether. It’s amazing in a way.

Still 3 to go: let’s hope for something good at some point!

jedi_bendu said:

When Vader shows up in Rebels, none of the characters have seen or heard of him before. It seems he’s very much been hidden from the public eye.

I like it a lot: it shows that most who see him don’t survive to tell about it.

I agree about Leia, one of the strong points of these first couple episodes (along with Owen, showing that the actors were very well chosen on the PT). I’ll wait to see the entire 6 parts to be sure about what I think about it on a storytelling perspective. On a visual one, it’s kinda poor, cheap and lazy (something that the PT nor the OT were) and the soundtrack is a failure. I wasn’t expecting JW quality, not even Powell or Giacchino, but come on, it doesn’t sound anything except generic tv stuff. Such a shame.

For sure I’ll be interested by a dry run of the show in a fan edited form to remove the many embarrassing moments (especially the “Home alone” kidnapping scene and most of Reva’s incredibly cheesy dialogues…) as well as the cliché tv editing with sort of cliffhanger reveals.

Star Wars used to be a cinematographic event, which redefined what was high standard entertainment. Now Vader and Kenobi are fooling around on tv episodes directed with basic tv abilities. So sad.

exitzero said:

yotsuya said:

Cthulhunicron said:

I enjoyed both of these episodes. Moses Ingram is awesome in this role, she’s already becoming one of my favorite characters.

Also, i really really doubt they’re just gonna de-canonize Rebels.

I agree

Haven’t they said the Ashoka show will continue the story threads from Rebels? She is looking for Thrawn.

Such a weak synopsis. Not hyped at all by making a series around something which could have stayed as a background world building.

Haven’t seen yet the Ben show. I might come back when done or wait to have seen the écrire series.

It’s true it looks more like a sequel to the prequels than a prequel to the OT. So was Rogue one. So was the Bad Batch, so it’s surprising you enjoyed it that much.

Hayden probably got more weight in the past 15 years to fit into the costume more: he looks very good! I never had any issues with ROTS suit because it was “Vader: hour one” kinda vibe, and the 20 years gap to ANH can explain a few changes.

I also note on the marketing material that Reva is always in the center. I have a very bad feeling about this character.

jedi_bendu said:

(…)right now I have faith that Deborah Chow didn’t want to tread on the original trilogy or canon continuity as she’s said that a few times.

We already got 2 Disney prequels ruining many things in term of continuity (Rogue One not making much sense and Rebels keeping Ahsoka alive for the entire OT story), so my guess is that they are going to fuck it up again…

Not a bad idea at all. Besides it could be used as an explanation to exhaust them to the old dude state they are in 10 years later.

(Not that I want that to be explained : again the 20 years gap was enough to sell it)

jedi_bendu said:

I suppose Qui-gon appearing to confront Vader and let Obi-wan escape would be a nice moment in many respects but it would all depend on execution.

« I know who you are. I know what you want. You are looking for vengeance but I can tell you this is not the way. I do have a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long Jedi career. Skills that make me a nightmare for Sith people like you. If you let my former padawan go now that’ll be the end of it, Anakin. I Will not look for you anymore, I will not pursue you, but if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you. »

BedeHistory731 said:

You know, Better Call Saul is the example I point to when somebody asks for a “good” prequel to a franchise. That alone makes me excited for this show (in addition to other elements).

I like this show but its main flaws are qite backed in its prequel nature. It’s just it’s well done and fun to watch so I don’t mind much, but I don’t get it sold properly as a prequel.

If Qui-Gon shows up, I hope he starts breaking a few arms Taken style.

I have to admit it looks fun, like Rebels fun, and I should probably not expect more since it would still be far better than all live action tv series Disney offered us. Might be somehow good after all, fingers crossed.

Like you trained his father sounds a bit bitchy jajaja but, yeah, it might be the only “bridging gaps” material I find interesting with this show, since I never felt that the OT contained any loose ends to need 2 Ben v Vader duels before “it’s been a long time” (well, just 10 years now…).

Star Wars has become such a narrative mess which does no longer make much continuity sense (and each movie/tv series trying to fix whatever happened previously is laughable: it’s a Saga, you don’t need to explain every single details ffs) that I’ll just try to enjoy seeing actors I like playing characters I care for. I highly doubt it will do a better job than ROTS as a direct prequel, but I don’t really care, I like ROTS a lot and it’s not perfect either, so I’ll leave the Ben show its chance.

(yep, I want a fanedit titled “The Ben Show”).

Ice said:
The sequels are fantastic execution of a subpar story.

TFA looks incredibly cheap with a lackluster production design though.

jedi_bendu said:

The grand inquisitor looks so fat. I hope we’ll have another tv show to see him getting on a diet to look exactly the way he does in Rebels…

Anchorhead said:

The MCU is light years ahead of the Star Wars franchise where consistent story and vision are concerned.

I wouldn’t call that “consistency” but more “industrial products”, and mostly delivering bad movies.

Darth Retcon said:
One of main issues for me is I don’t like that Anakin was basically tricked into joining the Dark Side in ROTS.

This is very true. Still, if ROTS fails at basically everything it was “supposed” to tell, all the rest surprinsingly works fine. it works terrific as the conclusion of the PT; it doesn’t quite capture being the sort of introduction of the OT. Real pity because only a few minor script adjustments would sell it totally. It still qualifies as my favorite PT chapter and probably my favorite SW released since ROTJ (TLJ, its twin brother movie, is almost as good).

rocknroll41 said:

I also think TFA wouldn’t have played it so safe had the PT not been so asinine

I don’t think the PT is responsable, even remotely, of any of the nostalgia trend which has plagued modern cinema.
Also, I have seen other JJ movies and they all bear the same issues of TFA, so I just think the guy is just one of the worst filmmakers on the loose, with the ability to direct the worst Star Wars flicks, the worst Star Trek stuff, and the worst Mission Impossible. You can’t top someone as bad as JJ.

jedi_bendu said:

theprequelsrule said:

Also…is James Earl Jones still the voice of Vader?

I don’t think it’s confirmed but I’d say it’s a safe bet. He voiced Vader in Rebels and Rogue One and while his voice sounds a little different, it’s still undeniably Vader and very intimidating.

I wonder if they might redo the Rebels Ahsoka v Vader moment, when we hear both his voices. I think this was one of my favorite Rebels moments.

Damn, as Uncle Roger would say, I hope they “don’t f*** it up”…

I however feels a bit off that the show might not bridge ROTS to ANH but shall bridge… The bad batch perhaps to Rebels. Audiences not watching animated production might get lost I guess. Let’s see if bringing a new inquisitor (and checking all the woke boxes, since USA and western world are now consumed by it) not seen in Rebels would add any interesting stuff. I suspect a redemption sub narrative, showing Ben that it’s possible for someone using the dark side to go back to the light.

Another thing I wonder : what else is this series gonna stage? Since all SW shows have been adding side elements to sell the next show…

well, I’m not gonna watch the trailer 'cause i don’t want to get spoiled. But the image comparison and most of your messages get me very worried. If there is only one SW show I wish to be good, it’s definitely this one, because I still think the original hexalogy would benefit a better trasition between ROTS and ANH (something RO at least delievred on a visual aspect but not on the narration, that I think so weak and problematic), but it could also ruin things further 😕

Even something average would be enough, considering the recent landscape of SW shows it would still be somehow correct…

This famous danish orchestra chooses Yup Nub

https://youtu.be/0BvqGkcoY88

Buzz Lightyear said:

People really need to stop projecting so many expectations onto Star Wars.

People really need to stop projecting so many assumptions onto how others consume tv shows and movies.

Hal 9000 said:

TFA said, “The prequels were stupid.”

TLJ said, “No, you’re stupid.”

TROS said, “I’ll show you stupid!”

It actually is a very fine definition 😄
Please make a meme out of it so I can steal it

This finale was so bad… might be the worst piece of sh*t Disney created for the franchise along with TFA and TROS… Deux Grogu Machina is ruining everything again (they don’t even try anymore, just the way it’s moving is insulting to good taste in filmmaking).

I’m so concerned about Kenobi: can they ruin SW any further? 😕

Cthulhunicron said:

Apparently.

I’m of the the opinion that as much as I love Star Wars, it’s kind of limited. I’ve mentioned this on forums before, and people have responded by saying that the galaxy far far away has all this unlimited potential for different stories. But it really seems like all anybody wants is endless stories about Luke, Han, and Leia.

« Member Luke and Yoda training ? »
« Member Luke wearing black outfit? »
« Member the training sphere? »
« Member Yoda’s tiny lightsaber? »

This is such a disgrace. Disney is not killing SW: it’s the ones who praise this shit who are responsible. Endless stuff we have already seen… The Kenobi series is probably going to just be a patch to stage scenes we know about from the movies. Creativity is seriously brain dead here.

Funny thing is that the only stuff looking a bit different - the shinny biker gang - got a « fan » backlash.

Have you seen Matrix 4? It’s not good at all but in the opening scene there is a panel in the background : « For those who love to eat shit ».

Well…