SPOILER Rebels Review S01 E01: "Droids in Distress"

Not terribly impressed. A dozen stormtroopers can't hit a target as large as Zeb from five feet? Kanan the noble Jedi Knight is an arms dealer? The first episode had some character development, but this one left me feeling like there weren't any good guys to cheer for.

2/5

 

Does anyone know the next star wars rebels episode coming out? I saw Droids in Distress on YouTube

 

I think they come out each Friday. I download them using a torrent and watch them with my kids Friday evenings.

 

Thanks I'll check it out

 

Just watched Droids in Distress during my lunch break. I thought it was a fine follow-up to the pilot episode, though I had many of the same issues with it that I had with Spark of Rebellion.

The Good: I think they're doing a decent job of mimicking the serial-like action of ANH, the banter between characters, etc. The Empire is that classic old OT blend of a credible threat and minions who obviously learned their sharpshooting skills in cooking school.

I also like the characters, for the most part (though as last time, I'm just not buying "Pinky Fett" yet.) They set up a good ongoing grudge thing between Zeb and Kallus, and the relationship between Kanan and Ezra could end up being interesting, as Kanan isn't exactly your standard "wise old Jedi" character - first thing I saw him do in this episode was to cuff Ezra in the head. And I do like the use of old OT concept art in the design of things like the scout walkers, the sphere-shaped cities, etc.

The Bad: Everything is just too damned rushed. It's the same 22-minute episode length as TCW, but I don't recall TCW feeling nearly as rushed as this episode felt. Honestly, the pilot episode struck me in much the same way. I'm not sure why, because it's not like they're packing tons of story into these things. It just feels like we get a taste of a chase, a taste of a gunfight, a taste of a space battle, etc. But never enough to really sink our teeth into. Hopefully this will improve as the series continues.

I could gripe about the animation style until the tick-cows come home, but I guess we're stuck with that. The Lion King faces, the plastic hair, the lack of detail... this is evidently the bold new direction the Rebels animators have chosen (or been instructed) to take.

The Mediocre: This episode did feel a lot like a rehash of the first one - steal a weapons shipment, sell it to the Gotal smuggler, Captain Sideburns comes in and our heroes barely escape - while meanwhile, young Ezra has taken his first step into a larger world. It was fun in its own rushed little way, but I hope we move on to some new scenarios from here on in.

Threepio and Artoo... a nice little guest spot (though is Anthony Daniels' voice getting higher and higher every year?) and I liked the fact that they connected the main characters to Organa and the actual Rebellion. But I admit I found myself not overly thrilled by this particular classic character cameo.

And the music... while I appreciate the attempt to blend classic SW soundtrack cuts with new music (it's fun to recognize an obscure little passage here and there) I'm finding the Rebels soundtrack to be rather bland overall. It serves its purpose, but it's not exactly making me want to run out and buy the album.

Overall, I enjoyed this second Rebels outing, but I feel like they've still got a good ways to go before this feels like an enduring classic to me. Hopefully they'll get there.

 

Has anyone else noticed the similarities between this show and Firefly yet? Don't get me wrong, combining two of my greatest sci-fi loves of all time is a spectacular nerd-gasm to me, I was just surprised that Filoni and Disney chose to take that path, that's all. If Kanan gets a long brown coat, I think I might squee a bit.

 

Watch Nathan Fillion get a cameo as a smuggler.

 

I actually hadn't noticed the Firefly parallel, but yeah... it's definitely there.

 

Yeah, the thought struck me about 30 seconds into the show.

I really enjoyed the show, but it could have easily been lifted straight out of Joss Whedon's out-tray.

 

I loved the episode. Lots of awesome easter eggs and a nice heist story. I loved the characters, story, art, etc. I'd give this episode a solid 8.5 out of 10.

 

I'm a little behind in the series. Just saw Droids in Distress, and I guess all I can say is eh...

The opening space scene bugged me off right off the bat. It's the second time they've copied a classic scene from the OT (this time the Falcon chase from Empire). I am not a big fan of them doing this stuff. It screams of pandering to those that think it makes it Star Wars because they copied something from Star Wars. There are more creative ways to tie it all together. Furthermore, I prefer the idea of letting those moments remain special to the movies.

Which brings me to 3PO and R2, they didn't waste any time getting the cameo's in. However, I am liking chopper. His antics on the shuttle made me laugh.

Maquarrie art was evident in the shuttle as well. We see the original concept for 3PO, then we see the original concept for Han Solo. Not sure how many caught the Han Solo one, but, he is sitting behind Zeb on the shuttle.

They keep making sure we realize that Ezra is strong with the Force, as he quiets himself (cue the Force music) to do all those impossible jumps. Obviously Ezra doesn't realize he's using the Force.

Interesting little back story to Zeb's species. They definitely want to make sure kids realize the Empire is evil.

I thought it was a cool moment when Ezra saved Zeb. Gave me chills for sure.

Overall, for a show directed towards kids, I would say it was ok.

However, the makers of the show have to realize that adults will be watching this show. So they should really button up the plot a lot better.

My first problem is that Kanan doesn't recognize Organa. Even if Kanan was young during the time of Episode 3 (teenager by what I have read) he should have been aware enough to know who Organa was. Especially since Organa was such a friend to the Jedi Order. Organa was so front and center in the Clone Wars, and Kanan fought in the Clone Wars as well. Being a padawan of a Jedi Master who serves on the Jedi Council, I just have to think he would have seen Organa on quite a few occasions. It just seemed far fetched. I am sure that some kind of back story will be created to explain why Kanan didn't recognize Organa, but, it seems to me Disney's "new canon" might be off to a shaky start.

The next problem I have is a really big plot hole. The story revolves around the disruptors, the same disruptors that the Empire used to commit genocide against Zeb's people. So the Imperial Senate bans the weapons, and the Emperor listens? The same Emperor that pretty much takes power away from the Senate and took it for himself, listens to what the Senate tells him to do? The same Senate that in 4 to 5 years will be just disbanded outright because it's primary function of being a way to control the bureaucracy (it wasn't needed as a representative institution any longer), is no longer needed... So we are to assume that the powerless Senate, tells the Emperor his forces aren't allowed to use those weapons any longer and he says... "OK"...? I find that hard to believe...

Also, the Senate bans the disruptors, an instrument of genocide, but they are powerless to bring the Imperial Officer that gave the order to commit genocide to justice?

Furthermore, the Empire had to have used hundreds if not thousands of disruptors to attack Zeb's species. We are to believe that the Empire actually fully complied with the Senates orders? Now the Empire is going to ignore the Senates orders anyway (which they could have done to begin with, what was the Senate going to do?) and they need some back ally dealings to get their hands on more disruptors?

The Plot needs to be buttoned up!

 

While I'm very much interested in seeing more Hera, any withholding of Sabine's involvement is beneficial IMO.

I couldn't have said this better. The style does look amateurish, like something that would have been made with a free download of Sketch-Up or Blender, particularly when compared with the beautiful lighting and textures of TCW. Someone once likened the character design to Gumby figures, and I think that's accurate.

I have to agree with this. Although a C-3PO and R2-D2 cameo should be considered mandatory at some point, I think it was far too early in the series for this. It's almost as though an impatient anxiety ridden executive is the driving creative force behind this show.

"Web Friendly"

I'm not sure if I necessarily agree with this. Other dramas such as Dark Shadows and Rat Patrol were able to effectively deliver cohesive and well paced stories within a 30 minute (20 minutes sans commercials) time frame. Additionally, anthology series such as Twilight Zone or Tales from the Darkside were also able to accomplish these things.

I'd argue that the screenplays just need to go through a couple more rewrites and tightening up before going into production.

I'm not a fan of this either. Carbon copying sequences from earlier material bespeaks the end of a franchise due to the exhaustion of new ideas.

Chopper is great.

I'm not sure if I have as big a problem with this. All the way up to, and until the point that Palpatine actually eliminates the Senate altogether, there are things that he will need to compromise with them on for personal political benefit. The key is that he slowly grabs power from the Senate bit by bit, until the Senate unwittingly undoes its own relevancy as it relinquishes power to the Emperor at a slow drip, at which time Palpatine eliminates the Senate altogether.