Review: Obi-Wan Kenobi debuts with prequel redemption in its scope

Enlarge / Ewan McGregor shines in Obi-Wan Kenobi. (credit: Lucasfilm)

While the Disney+-ification of Star Wars has mostly been good for fans, last year's The Book of Boba Fett saw the franchise move into a coasting period. It landed somewhere between The Mandalorian and Clone Wars without either the compelling, Western-homage atmosphere of the former or the fist-pumping fan service of the latter.

The best thing I can say about Obi-Wan Kenobi, whose first two episodes debuted last night on Disney+ (out of a six-episode series), is that it feels like its own distinct Star Wars show, perhaps somewhere closer to a 1970s detective procedural. You know the kind: The haggard cop is tired of this crap, hangs up the badge, says he's moved on, yet is still stuck on a lingering failure that keeps him one hair-trigger pull away from getting back into the fight.

That formula needs the right lead actor and world-building team to get fans to watch another attempt at the formula—which, let's be clear, isn't that many steps away from how The Mandalorian ropes its lead into a life-changing adventure. Thankfully,  Ewan McGregor remains on board as the titular character in Obi-Wan Kenobi—and sees him steer his Obi-Wan performance closer to the charm and gravitas of the character's original actor, Sir Alec Guinness.