So... the opening. The opening of "Spark of Rebellion," the first episode of the seemingly very popular Star Wars Rebels, is... well, let's just say it's foreshadow heavy. I mean, right off the bat you get Darth Vader telling some guy called The Inquisitor to hunt down and destroy the "children of the Force." Why, golly, I wonder who that could be...
That's not really part of the episode, though; it just serves as the prologue to the series. I'm assuming that's so that we'll know who The Inquisitor is when he shows up. Also because they wanted to get James Earl Jones in there as the voice of Vader, which they did.
Ezra, our young protagonist, is an Aladdin-esque kind of hero. Or, maybe, Oliver Twist for those of you more classically inclined. He's a street urchin who steals to eat and gets up to all kinds of mischief but who is, basically, good at heart. Sounds like just the right kind of recipe for a show like this, especially when we find out, almost immediately (so this isn't really a spoiler), that Ezra is one of those "children of the Force." No Inquisitor in this episode, but I'm sure it won't be long.
Oh, yeah, and, of course, Ezra gets tangled up with a group of Rebels. Because, well, that's what the title of the show says, right?
I don't know. First off, I'm not crazy about "You have to watch all these things and read all these books and go to all these websites to REALLY know what's going on." I think the story itself should be self-contained: if you're making a theatrical movie, then everything a moviegoer NEEDS to know should be in the movie. If it's a book, in the book, etc. Putting extras out there that make it more fun for people who are really into it is okay, like how Captain Phasma's armor is made from the old-timey spaceships Queen Amidala flew in: it's not necessary to the story, just fun.
ReplyDeleteSo far, it seems like Star Wars The Third is doing it right, but all this tie-in stuff is making me kind of nervous that they'll expand it out.
Either way, this series doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy. Street Urchin Has Special Destiny is too stock. They'd better jazz it up somehow.
Briane: Rebels isn't any kind of required viewing. It's a completely separate story that just has some special appearances by characters we know. At least, as far as I can tell, that's how it's going.
DeleteI'm only a few episodes in, but I like it okay so far. It's not as good as Clone Wars, though.
I am just starting to watch Star Wars : The Clone Wars.
ReplyDeleteI am so far behind you and Squid.
cheers, parsnip
parsnip: At this point, I'd say Clone Wars is the better of the two, anyway.
DeleteRebels is geared towards a slightly younger audience. I watch it with my son Nilson. The episodes I have watched are pretty good. Season 2 takes a step forward.
ReplyDeleteStephen: So far, it's a little sillier than I would prefer, but it's entertaining enough.
DeleteAnd my kids like it.