Star Wars: Rebels Season 4 (2017) Review

Now ahead of The Bad Batch season 2 coming to Disney+ in the New Year, I have now finished Star Wars Rebels with its 4th season. I actually have never watched this season before, so this is my first experience seeing the conclusion of the shows run and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees after the destruction of The Rebels base by Thrawn, The crew of The Ghost return to Lothal and attempt to save the planet from the oppression of The Empire. 

Main Character

Ezra Bridger once again voiced by Taylor Gray gives a really strong performance. I compared him to Luke Skywalker from A New Hope in my Season 3 review but in Season 4 he is more like Luke from Return of The Jedi and it is handled extremely well. He has developed as both a Jedi and a person, clearly showing his progress from the very first episode to the last episode. After a rough start, Ezra has really developed into a great character that deserves a huge amount of credit. 

Supporting Characters

Freddy Prinze Jnr is back as Kanan Jarrus, he is given plenty to work with and the character develops into a real Jedi Master. They do some cool things with his character especially as the season progresses. The rest of the Ghost crew are given plenty of stuff to do and its pretty worthwhile. Though I feel like the emphasis is really on Ezra & Kanan that they don't get as much time to shine with some of the other supporting characters disappearing for the majority of the season. Lars Mikkelsen is back as Grand Admiral Thrawn and once again he is the best part of the show, we see him in action way more and that is always a good thing. There are some characters that are surprises here and they are also handled well without breaking canon too much. 

Story 

The overall theme of the story is fantastic, spending the bulk of the season on Lothal was a good call as it was the first real location of the show. It feels ramped up like a final season should do and the writers did an excellent job of making us really care about what was going on. But, some big stories from the previous seasons are really limited, there is one in particular that has been built up since the very first episode that has a lacklustre ending and that is a let down. 

Script

The script is really good. This is easily the most mature of the seasons and we finally see the devastation and destruction that comes from this war. The humour isn't as prevalent and I am glad to see that. 

Style 

The style of the show is better then ever, the animation is fantastic and sells just how large the stakes are for these characters. Also the whole filler issue is gone as there are less episodes and pretty much all of them are crucial to the story being told with an amazing finale. 

Overall

Overall, the fourth season of Star Wars Rebels is fantastic and in my opinion the best season of the show. It really ties things together well and with the brilliant finale it truly delivers and is a must watch for any Star Wars fan. 

Rating - 9/10

Star Wars: Rebels Season 3 (2016) Review

With the 2nd season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch coming to Disney+ next week, I decided that it was finally time to finish my review of their previous animated show Star Wars Rebels and here is my review for the third season. The premise of the show sees after the traumatic experiences of the previous season's finale, the crew of the Ghost attempt to continue to build a rebellion. But the introduction of a new Imperial leader makes their lives more difficult then ever. 

Main Character

Ezra Bridger is once again the main character voiced by Taylor Gray and this is a strong performance. You see the issues that he has been going through since the events of Malachor and it actually feels pretty natural. His character comes across similar to how I feel about Luke Skywalker is A New Hope, he is a bit whiny and annoying at times but you do end up rooting for him and wanting to see him succeed. For a show heavily aimed at children, this is a pretty mature and complex character. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a huge cast so I will probably just mention my favourite ones. Freddie Prinze Jnr voices Kanan Jarrus and he is fantastic. After being blinded by Maul, his character has to go through plenty of development to really gain an understanding in how to be a full Jedi and this is handled in an appropriate way. Sabine Wren voiced by Tiya Sircar is given way more to do this season, the whole Mandalorian storyline is expanded this season and her character is tied very closely too it. Focusing on this supporting character for a few episodes could have been dull but it ended up being some of the best episodes of the show. The rest of the Ghost crew, Zeb, Chopper, Hera & Rex are given time to shine to and it is just really nice seeing a show focus on a group of characters that are just so likeable. Maul is back for a storyline voiced by the excellent Sam Witwer, his presence is hanging over the whole season and even though he isn't the main threat I really liked how he is used with some of the biggest moments of the show. But the addition to the show that really shined was the addition of Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn, his chilling voice and overall demeanour is superb. The way he is presented makes him one of the best villains in the Star Wars universe, everything from his tactical mind to score make him a major threat and easily my favourite part of this show. 

Story 

The story is better here, it focuses on some major plot points that focus on the characters and the building of the Rebellion. Maul's story, the Mandalore plot and Thrawns hunt for the Rebels are easily the best and thus give this season way more intrigue and care then previous plot lines. But there is still some filler here, it's not as bad as the previous season but I wish there was a few less episodes and the focus was even more on Thrawn and how his mind works. 

Script 

Though this show is meant to be for kids, I feel like season 3 was more mature and the writing was improved. The majority of the characters grow and are developed, there are some legitimately dark moments and even though the humour is still a bit childish it works overall. 

Style 

The show has its unique style but there has been a clear improvement from Season 1 to Season 3. The set pieces are bigger, the action is more exciting and the characters just look sleeker. The shorter length of episodes make this an easier binge which considering some of the episodes was required. But as I mentioned above, there is a bit too much filler for me. I don't know why this season felt like it needed 22 episodes as it does hold it back a bit. 

Overall

Overall, The third season of Star Wars Rebels is a great addition to the Star Wars universe. It is fun and shows the Rebellion being built in a more interesting and worthwhile manner. 

Rating - 8/10

Ranked: Live Action Star Wars Disney+ Shows 

It has become clear that Star Wars immediate future is Television on the streaming service of Disney+. These have seen mostly positive responses and huge viewing numbers and here I rank them starting from the weakest to the strongest. 

8. The Acolyte Season 1 (2024)

This show has been hated on by the general public but I think it is slightly better then that and is an average show. I really like the action sequences and feel like some of the supporting characters are really well realised. But it has poor writing and doesn't ever find its feet and I think this is a pretty weak effort by Disney and if this show does continue there needs to be a big improvement. 

7. The Mandalorian Season 3 (2023)

Huge expectations were placed on the third season of The Mandalorian but unfortunately it fell below expectations. The show is still good, the characters are well realised and the action is well filmed but there is a weird feeling to it. The story is placed on side characters instead of Din Djarin & Grogu and the overall tone of the show falls shot and is all over the place. I reiterate that it is a good season but I hope for better the next time we see these characters. 

6. The Book of Boba Fett (2021) 

After his return in The Mandalorian, it was time for the original bounty hunter Boba Fett to get his own show. It shows him attempting to run Mos Espa on Tatooine. Temuera Morrison & Ming Na-Wen are great in their roles and despite overstepping it is always great to see Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin. The show was really enjoyable as a Boba Fett fan but has some clear pacing issues and weird design choices which stops it from being higher on this list. 

5. Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

After many years of promise and hope, we finally got a live action series depicting Obi-Wan's journey after the events of Revenge of the Sith & A New Hope. Ewan McGregor & Hayden Christensen slipped back into their roles superbly and seeing Kenobi & Darth Vader clash once again is the true highlight of the show. It does have some issues with certain characters and tone but overall, Kenobi is a great watch. 

4. Ahsoka (2023)

Ahsoka is a character that has finally got her time to shine and I really enjoyed her show. It takes aspects from Clone Wars & Rebels and binds them together for this fun time. It also has my favourite antagonist Baylon Skoll played by the late Ray Stevenson. It also set up an exciting future with Thrawn & Ezra as they are introduced into live action. It does at times feel like set up for the future but I felt it set up that future pretty well. 

3. The Mandalorian Season 1 (2020) 

Onto the show that started it all, The Mandalorian was a worldwide phenomenon and it is a fantastic show. It has an enigmatic lead character played by Pedro Pascal and of course the internet breaking Baby Yoda. Seeing these two travelling all over the galaxy is a simple presence but one that was very effective. Overall, I loved this show but it just fell a little short of being the best show on this list. 

2. Andor Season 1 (2022) 

Andor was one of the shows that I had little interest in but it truly delivered. Andor has so much political intrigue and well written characters that it keeps your interest from the first episode all the way to the finale. It has so much going for it with this all star cast and great writing that it was so close to being the best show on this list. 

1. The Mandalorian Season 2 (2020)

My favourite Star Wars experience of many years was watching the second season of The Mandalorian. The journeys that Din Djarin and Grogu go on is so entertaining and seeing guest characters such as Bo Katan, Boba Fett & the amazing finale appearance of Luke Skywalker. It is extremely compelling and every week I sat down and could not wait to watch this season of The Mandalorian. 

Overall

Overall, I believe that Star Wars has found a great home on Disney+. By focusing on new & old characters alike it has provided some really entertaining television and I hope it continues for a long time to come. 

Andor Season 1 (2022) Review

I am a huge Star Wars fan but I can't deny that I didn't have huge expectations when it was announced that their would be a prequel show surrounding the character Cassian Andor. But I have now finished the first season of the show and here is my review for it. The premise of the show is set in the early days of the Empire, it documents the rise of a Rebellion and one of its heroes in Cassian Andor. 

Main Character

We were introduced to Cassian Andor in Rogue One, Diego Luna is back in the role and he is really good in this show. Cassian is one of the more interesting characters in Star Wars currently and this show does a really effective job in showing this characters motivations and developments even though we know where he ends up. Luna sells it well, he really grows across the season and by the end it feels like we are closer to the character that we meet in the film. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a huge cast so I will only have a chance to mention some of them starting with possibly my favourite character Luthen played by the fantastic Stellan Skarsgard. He is the most mysterious character and Skarsgard delivers a brilliant performance to add to this, we see his motivations and the way it links to the other characters is great to see. Genevieve O'Reilly reprises her role as Mon Mothma and this is easily the most development the character has ever seen. We see her struggle in the Imperial Senate and how she is trying to help build this Rebellion while keeping her cover, its a really strong performance and character. Denise Gough plays Dedra Meero and this is another interesting character, she is a head officer in the ISB, basically the intelligence of The Empire. She is great and allows us as the audience to see their side of the war and come to see the way they operate. Fiona Shaw plays Andor's mother and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two of them, she is clearly having fun and enjoying her role. Also seeing Andy Serkis play Kino Loy for a few episodes was a real highlight and his acting is nothing short of spectacular. 

Story  

The story is really interesting, this is Star Wars without any Jedi or Sith and to make that compelling shows the strength of the storytelling. As I mentioned, the characters are all really well written and their stories add plenty to the show and the world. But my one criticism is that there is so much rammed into this show, it is all interesting but sometimes things just aren't quite given the time to grow. It does feel like this show could have had a different name as there are much bigger things in play then just Cassian Andor. 

Script

The script is really well written, I think this might be the most human and real world that Star Wars has ever been and it adds to the grittiness of this show. It has a bit of humour but is pretty serious, that works for the show so I think it was the right call. 

Style 

The show was filmed all on location, which is a different method then the other Star Wars Disney+ shows but I think it really worked here. It feels like it is in the same universe as Rogue One and feels grimy and gritty. The action scenes are fantastic, they are visually impressive and feel more aggressive then other elements of Star Wars. 

Overall

Overall, Andor is a fantastic show that sees Star Wars at its most interesting. If you are a fan of the franchise then you have to watch it and if not I think this could be a way in. 

Rating - 9/10