I was lucky enough to see the preview screening of Star Wars Rebels in San Diego, and to sum it up: Rebels is awesome. We were asked not to spoil the premiere episode, so I’ll give my general impression and touch on a few things we already know to be in the show.
What we were shown was described as not a finished product, but I couldn’t really find any gaps in the animation or sound that made it look incomplete. I suppose there might be some edits, and the addition of a proper show introduction and credits, but everything else appeared final.
The overall feel of the first hour of Rebels is a sense of fun. We get introduced to the crew of the Ghost, and go on a two-part adventure with them. The character dynamics are great, capturing that original trilogy feel to the dialogue and relationships without feeling like just a copy of it. While we’ve been introduced to the characters individually through online clips, seeing the “family” acting together was a real treat. One of the characters, Zeb, really surprised me with great lines that stood out more than I expected.
The show has been going for a look that is inspired by the classic trilogy and the Ralph McQuarrie concept art, and it succeeds. There were some familiar ships, the TIE Fighters, that looked like they came right off of the movie screen into this show, and the new ships fit into the classic design.
The show is fun, adventuresome, and even a bit heartwarming, with the potential for building some great characters and relationships that captures the vibe of Star Wars. It all works. It’s Star Wars. The bad guys are bad and the good guys are good … at getting into trouble. I’m really excited about Rebels and am looking forward to it coming in October.
But don’t just take my word for it:
- Pete Morrison at Rebels Report also calls it awesome.
- Chris Taylor at Mashable says you’re going to love it.
- Amy Ratcliffe at IGN shares her impressions.
- Jason Ward at Making Star Wars says that Rebels has more heart than you can possibly imagine.
- Bryan Young at Big Shiny Robot says to add it to your DVR now.
Stay tuned for the Full of Sith podcast where a few of us all share our immediate impressions after the screening!
I’m glad to hear Zeb is interesting. He hasn’t come across that way in the lead-up teasing.
I can’t wait for this show! ARGH!
Eh, different strokes: I’ve thought Zeb has been the most interesting character in the lead-up so far (with Hera coming in a close second for me), but that *may* be because I prefer non-human/alien characters in general.
That said, I’m kinda regretting not going to SDCC this year… the screening sounded like a lot of fun! D;
So, forgive my ignorance here, what’s the deal with Disney XD? Is that some digital only nonsense or will I be able to sit on the couch and watch this on my TV while eating chips and salsa as God intended?
It’s a cable channel, though apparently not one that everyone has.