Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 3, 2024

Princess Leia rather famously intoned, "“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope” in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, but that may then beg the question as to whom might be Obi-Wan Kenobi's "phone a friend" in a moment of need. The moment of need has evidently passed unrequited (so to speak) with the ending of Obi-Wan Kenobi after six episodes. It's always hard to tell from PR spin just how long a "limited series" was supposed to last, and with the added data point that Obi-Wan Kenobi was sparked at least in part by a jettisoned feature film, and so may have had some "built in" confines that kept it to one season, the fact that as of the writing of this review it seems to be dead in the water (and/or outer space) despite being hotly anticipated and rather widely viewed on Disney+ may indicate that other factors were in play in terms of the property's longevity. The at least relatively short run for Obi-Wan Kenobi may also be a bit on the surprising side given its franchise imprimatur, as well as any number of heavy hitters involved in the production, not the least of which is probably Ewan McGregor returning to the title role (and also serving as one of the show's executive producers).

Somewhat hilariously given that now iconic scene from the first Star Wars film which introduced Princess Leia (albeit in quasi-"Skype" form), Obi-Wan Kenobi might suggest that her importuning for help was not the first time she needed to "reach out and touch" (if only virtually) the venerable Jedi master. But of course as Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith documented, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) had shown a special interest in a special set of twins, with little Leia (Vivian Lyra Blair in the miniseries) put more or less into foster care as that film came to a calamitous close. Obi-Wan Kenobi centers largely on what amounts to rescue efforts by Obi-Wan after Leia is abducted. If that's the central tether tying the six episodes of the miniseries together, there is still a typically novelistic approach to the story, which offers a veritable glut of either new or returning characters to the Star Wars fold.

If Princess Leia in distress isn't exactly anything new, neither is the revelation that Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) isn't quite dead yet and may in fact have something to do with Leia's predicament. The fraught relationship between Obi-Wan and the erstwhile Anakin Skywalker provides a surprising amount of angst in the miniseries, as a seemingly emotionally distraught Obi-Wan may not have the focus to deal with his former and evidently current nemesis, let alone rescue a little girl who is surrounded by seeming acres of Imperial Stormtroopers.

Obi-Wan famously communicated as a sort of spectral presence with Luke to "use the force" in A New Hope, but one of the underlying plot strands here is Obi- Wan's own inability to really muster the inner peace needed to "connect" with any unseen power. It may be in this central unease that McGregor is able to really delve into some of the, well, "darker" aspects of a character who, at least in the Alec Guinness formulation, often seemed to be placid prophesying monolith. Little Blair is fine if maybe just slightly bland as Leia, but the supporting cast includes some excellent performances by Rupert Friend and Moses Ingram in particular.

The series has the expected scope of a Star Wars entry, but kind of interestingly some of the action set pieces can be hit or miss. The pace of the series tends to be a little inconsistent, though I'd argue the second half of the six episodes starts to build more effectively after a somewhat drawn out opening set of episodes that may take a bit too much time introducing the panoply of characters and interlocking subplots. Whether or not more episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi were ever considered at one point, the miniseries actually comes to a decent enough conclusion where at least some viewers probably won't feel cheated to have invested so much time only to exit with a checklist of unanswered questions.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. This is another often gorgeously detailed transfer of a Star Wars Disney+ offering, and as with some of its "siblings" that have been offered over the past couple of years in particular, the really artful blending of CGI and practical sets and props offers commendably consistent detail levels throughout the six episodes. And in fact while never distracting in any way, some relatively obvious green screen material may actually be a bit less noticeable in this 1080 version when compared to Disney / Buena Vista's 4K UHD release. Fine detail on things like fabric costumes is typically excellent, though that particular aspect may be one place where the 4K UHD version has its own definite pluses. A rather widely varied palette receives nice support throughout, and some of the blue gradings in particular are very evocative and frankly may not look all that different in 4K UHD even given HDR.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series features a nicely immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that I've "downgraded" to "only" a 4.5 on my scoring above simply because the 4K UHD release of this series offers an at least subtly improved Dolby Atmos track. That said, as I mention in the Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series 4K Blu-ray review, engagement of the Dolby Atmos speakers is understandably probably most noticeable in some of the flying or overhead sequences, and even the 5.1 track on these discs can offer clear panning effects that can more or less reproduce the same general perception. The side and rear channels are nicely engaged throughout all six episodes in at least the action scenes and (again) flying material, but there's also clear use of the surround channels even in relatively quieter moments, where things like cavernous interiors can create quasi-echo effects as characters wander through. Scoring also clearly fills the side and rear channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Duels of Fate: Obi-Wan vs. Vader (HD; 11:22) perhaps just slightly hilariously begins with a kind of quasi "previously . . .on Star Wars" snippet offering the venerable Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan battling Darth, though director Deborah Chow uses the footage to establish how much that central showdown informs at least the subtext of her approach toward Obi-Wan Kenobi.


• The Dark Times: Villains (HD; 11:46) offers Chow and others detailing the adaptive process in bringing not just icons like Darth Vader to the series but also some baddies who had only appeared in other media creations like animated efforts.


• Designing the Galaxy (HD; 10;57) focuses on production design with Chow and production designer Doug Chiang.

Disc Two

• Audio Commentary on Part VI by Director Deborah Chow

Additionally, Disney / Buena Vista is releasing this in handsomely designed SteelBook packaging. The front panel offers Obi-Wan and Darth facing off with a smaller image of Obi-Wan and his royal charge (that would be Princess Leia) in between the two combatants. The back cover offers Obi-Wan riding an Eopie. The interior panels offer another close-up of Obi-Wan and Darth. The SteelBook also encloses a set of art cards.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Star Wars fans will of course most likely geek out a little to see McGregor and Christensen back in action, and if that's the perceived "calling card" of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the good news is that the series has quite a bit else to offer, though it may take a couple of episodes for those "offerings" to become completely clear. Production values are extremely high and the performances generally quite excellent, even ultimately moving. Technical merits are solid, though those with 4K UHD setups might want to consider that version since I'd argue both video and audio receive at least some upticks. Both the on disc supplements and SteelBook packaging are enjoyable. Recommended.