Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return

As an avid Star Wars fan, I was eagerly anticipating the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The prospect of Ewan McGregor reprising his iconic prequel trilogy role was enticing, however, this do not live up to my +even not that high) expectations.

The story follows Obi-Wan coming out of hiding to rescue a kidnapped Leia Organa, all while being hunted by Imperial Inquisitors and his former apprentice Anakin Skywalker, now the ruthless Darth Vader.

On paper, this premise showed promise. Yet in execution, the plot was lackluster with cheap storytelling devices and second-rate acting from some of the cast.

While Ewan McGregor delivers another OK performance, even he cannot salvage the mediocre writing and direction.

The action scenes, for all their flashy effects, lack tension and feel more like video game cutscenes than cinema.

As an older Star Wars fan, I also take issue with the films juvenile tone that seems squarely aimed at young viewers. This contradicts the intended nostalgic nature of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first place. The movie can't seem to decide whether this is a kids program or a mature character study, and it suffers greatly from this identity crisis.

In the end, Obi-Wan Kenobi amounts to a missed opportunity. It boasts strong production value and has glimmers of the franchise's former glory. But subpar execution in writing, direction, and acting drag the series down, making it difficult to recommend even for die-hard fans.

For me, this was a disappointing 5/10 return to a galaxy far, far away.