Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

"I sense something. A presence I've not felt since... "

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 1, 2015

Sigh. Star Wars: The Clone Wars. You were taken from us too soon. You will be missed. The often excellent animated series -- which ran for six strong seasons -- was a rare victim of the Disney-Lucasfilm buyout, unceremoniously cancelled when a rights agreement with Warner Bros. couldn't be reached. However, rather than toss aside showrunner Dave Filoni and his team, the powers that be at the newly formed Disney/Lucasfilm co-brand decided to allow Filoni to develop and launch a Clone Wars follow-up: Star Wars: Rebels, a cleverly convceived adventure set between the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). Inspired by the look of the Original Trilogy and the early artwork of legendary Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie, Rebels promised to be something special; a lifelong fanboy's daydream brought to vibrantly animated life. The question, though, was if Filoni's new series could expand, enrich and invigorate the Original Trilogy as much as Clone Wars did the Prequel Trilogy. The answer to that question, though... isn't so simple.

Young hero Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) joins the motley crew of the starship Ghost in their resistance against the Empire, which, as the series begins, has occupied a remote planet, ruling with an iron fist and ruining the lives of its people. Ezra and his new rebel friends -- surviving Jedi Kanan (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), Ghost pilot Hera (Vanessa Marshall), crackshot warrior Sabine (Tiya Sircar), bruiser Zeb (Steve Blum) and cranky droid Chopper -- embark on daring adventures in their fight against oppression across the galaxy, receiving help from familiar heroes such as Lando Calrissian, Jedi Master Yoda and other Clone Wars favorites. Pursued relentlessly by Imperial agent Kallus (David Oyelowo) and a Jedi hunter called the Inquisitor (Jason Isaacs), the tenacious ragtag band of rebels finds itself in the crosshairs of none other than Darth Vader himself.

Much of Rebels is fun, entertaining and chock full of potential, with Filoni and company exploring a number of interesting Expanded Universe-esque ideas that add a new spin on some very familiar OT material. Unfortunately too much of the series' first season, particularly its early episodes, drifts into darker, more dangerous territory. And not the sort of "darker" The Clone Wars embraced in its latter seasons. No, the darkness of overly colorful, kid-oriented, lightweight storytelling and animated whimsy Disney's TV productions have a (perhaps unfair) reputation of promoting. There are some big problems, fundamental or otherwise; everything from Freddie Prinze, Jr.'s flat, unengaging voice acting to hit or miss subplots, at-times wooden animation, stilted humor, a bit too much one-note character development, and little explanation as to what transpired between Episode III and the beginning of Rebels. (Suddenly we have non-Clone stormtroopers and other OT Empire staples. I'm sure more and more backstory will come, but it initially makes for a jarring transition from Revenge of the Sith to the Rebels pilot.)

If your memory isn't too clouded by visions of a spider-legged Darth Maul and metaphysical Force Spirits, though, you'll remember that, to some extent, similar criticisms were leveled at The Clone Wars' first season, and rightfully so. Fortunately, as was the case with The Clone Wars, the heroes of Rebels prove to be an increasingly likable bunch (even if there are hints of desperation to Sabine's Boba Fett stylings and Zeb's role as Wookie stand-in) and the villains aren't playing around. For all the kiddie trappings, the Dark Side is still out for blood, with the Inquisitor striking an especially sinister chord, Kanan's struggles as one of the last remaining Jedi packing some real dramatic punch, Ezra's temptation to indulge in the Dark Side adding nuance to his training, Grand Moff Tarkin rearing his gaunt head, and Vader's presence hanging heavy over the Imperials' galactic takeover. (A surprise guest also makes a most welcome appearance in the finale.) The season slowly grows more complex as it nears its endgame, with a final pair of episodes that suggest Season Two will hit a more consistent, and more consistently satisfying, tone and stride.

Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Star Wars: Rebels features a striking 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation with very few issues. A hint of banding here, a touch of aliasing there, but nothing significant. Colors are bold and beautiful, contrast is strong and consistent, primaries ignite, and black levels are deep and satisfying. Detail impresses too, with a surprising amount of fine texture on faces, clothing, ship walls and lightsaber hilts, and a touch of digital grain that adds an extra filmic, Original Trilogy touch. Edges are clean and refined too, though poring over screenshots reveals slight hints of softness that isn't visible when an episode is in motion. There also isn't any macroblocking, ringing or other anomalies of note, making for a faithful presentation of the series' animation.

Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Even though Star Wars: The Clone Wars first arrived with lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, Warner eventually changed course, granting the series' third, fourth and fifth seasons lossless DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. Disney's release of the Netflix- born sixth season took a step back, though, with a return to lossy audio. Rebels unfortunately continues that trend, with a solid 640kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track. Is it a big loss? Probably not. I suspect most listeners wouldn't know the difference. That doesn't make the development any less disappointing, of course, so set your expectations accordingly. The good news? Voices are intelligible and thoughtfully prioritized with an assortment of OT-era sound effects. LFE output is decidedly decent. Rear speaker activity is engaging, with enveloping directionality. And the John Williams-inspired score is full and effective. All told, it isn't exceedingly remarkable, but it more than gets the job done.

Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Rebels Recon (HD, 81 minutes): The 2-disc Blu-ray release of Rebels kicks off with fourteen "Rebels Recon" behind the scenes featurettes from StarWars.com. Episodes covered include "Spark of Rebellion," "Droids in Distress," "Fighter Flight," "Rise of the Old Masters," "Breaking Ranks," "Out of Darkness," "Empire Day," "Gathering Forces," "Path of the Jedi," "Idiot's Array," "Vision of Hope," "Call to Action," "Rebel Resolve" and "Fire Across the Galaxy."
• Rebels Infiltrates Star Wars Celebration (HD, 4 minutes): Star Wars: Rebels descends on SWC 2015, with Filoni and the voice actors appearing in clips from a Q&A event. The full Q&A is sadly not available, though.
• Rebels: The Ultimate Guide (HD, 22 minutes): A lengthy episode by episode recap/overview of the first season, narrated by Kanan (voice actor Freddie Prinze, Jr).
• Animated Shorts (HD, 12 minutes): Four animated shorts can be found on Disc Two; each one part of the original promotion for the launch of Rebels. Shorts include "The Machine in the Ghost," "Art Attack," "Entanglement" and "Property of Ezra Bridger."
• Season 2: A Look Ahead (HD, 7 minutes): Filoni hosts a preview of things to come...

Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Star Wars: Rebels' first season isn't as strong with the force as we all hope Episode VII will be, but it's a decent start to what promises to be a series as impressive, most impressive, as The Clone Wars. Growing pains aside, there's a lot of fun to be had, particularly in the last three episodes, where Rebels really sinks its teeth in. Disney's Blu-ray release is quite good, with striking video, solid Dolby Digital audio, and a welcome complement of special features.