Obi-Wan plots a mission.

There’s half an hour of Star Wars high adventure nestled between the lengthy recap and end credits of this week’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. Coming after last week’s smackdown it’s inevitably going to pale in comparison, but it’s still solid, nuts and bolts Jedi fun.

Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) is recovering in a bacta tank after his fiery encounter with Darth Vader, but doesn’t have time for a full refresh – young Leia needs to rescued from Inquisitor Reva. The Jedi hunter is using various tricks to get the infant princess to reveal the location of The Path – a way in to the secret rebellion – but Leia is made of stronger stuff. Obi-Wan and Tala (Indira Varma) work out which impenetrable (but ultimately easy-to-enter) Imperial fortress Leia is in, and concoct a plan that’s just so crazy that it might work.

The world of Obi-Wan Kenobi is that of eye-rolling resolutions to problems. Life or death drama is constantly resolved through convenient interruptions, and unlikely escapes continually facilitated through deus ex machina. Of course it’s fun, and who doesn’t want to watch Kenobi wielding his lightsaber, but it just feels a bit flimsy. If it weren’t for the violence, I’d say this this is an ideal kid’s show, and maybe it’s that Saturday morning cinema of the original trilogy that is being tapped into here.

Verdict: Fun, but simplistic. Passes the time nicely, but I’ve seen a lot more packed into a single episode of Rebels. 7/10

Nick Joy