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- After a strong initial run, Obi-Wan Kenobi stumbles with a dull fourth episode. Devoid of the emotional depth and character-study elements that have so far proven the show’s strengths, episode four is a by-the-numbers prison break story that unsuccessfully attempts to echo the adventurous thrills of A New Hope.
www.ign.com/articles/obi-wan-kenobi-episode-4-review
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- Obi-Wan Kenobi: Episode 4 Review
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By Matt Purslow
Updated: Jun 8, 2022 9:13 pm
Posted: Jun 8, 2022 10:57 am
This review contains full spoilers for episode four of Obi-Wan Kenobi, now available to view on Disney+. To remind yourself of where we left off, check out our Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 3 review.
Star Wars is no stranger to remixing its own past. The Force Awakens is a flashier version of A New Hope, while Obi-Wan Kenobi itself is a longer rerun of Luke’s story from The Last Jedi. But this week’s faux Death Star jailbreak does nothing interesting in its replication of events, and so acts as a hollow call-back rather than an interesting evolution. Kenobi sneaks through identical, often perilless corridors in search of his ward, with little more than a blast of water offering any kind of interesting hazard on his journey.
A key issue here is that there are no genuine stakes, the classic problem suffered by prequels. We know both Leia and Obi-Wan will survive this ordeal. But where strong prequel stories will add dangerous wrinkles to characters’ pasts — we only need to look back to last week’s fiery ordeal with Vader for a great example — episode four opts for an overly straight and simple rollout of events. Tala and Kenobi get in, grab Leia, and run away, and at no point does the danger level rise above mild peril. Even Tala, a character whose fate is unknown, never feels truly threatened.
Obi-Wan and Anakin's duel on Mustafar
Qui-Gon Jinn's death
Obi-Wan's battle with General Grievous
Other (let us know in the comments)
Episode four’s biggest mistake, though, is the fact there’s little emotional depth. The most interesting thing about this story is that Obi-Wan is wrestling with not just his connection to the Force, but his relationship with Anakin. There’s no meaningful advancement on these emotions this week and thus no complex problems for Obi-Wan to contend with. Leia’s capture seemed the perfect set-up for Kenobi to encounter Vader again, as it would force him to consider what is more important; his duty to Leia or his shattered bond with his former brother. This would add uncertainty to a story with an otherwise obviously successful outcome. Character motivation, rather than fates, is what Kenobi needs to focus on and nothing of consequence in this department is explored.
The decision to go for a straight, plot-focused episode would have worked had this been a genuinely thrilling espionage story, but once again director Deborah Chow’s action sequences fail to generate any excitement. Battles in the Fortresses’ corridors lack energy and are shot in an oddly static manner. The simplicity of the situation also means there’s little of interest for Obi-Wan, Tala, or Leia to do; a few blaster bolt deflections is as good as it gets. This is all capped off by the group being rescued by two Rebel pilots who, more or less, appear out of nowhere, which prevents Obi-Wan from having to devise an interesting method of escape.
After a strong initial run, Obi-Wan Kenobi stumbles with a dull fourth episode. Devoid of the emotional depth and character-study elements that have so far proven the show’s strengths, episode four is a by-the-numbers prison break story that unsuccessfully attempts to echo the adventurous thrills of A New Hope. Static action and a lack of interesti...
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Obi-Wan Kenobi's winning streak is interrupted by a dull echo of A New Hope's Death Star jailbreak.
Matt Purslow
- Matt Purslow
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