Review - Star Wars Rebels (2014 - 2018)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, today is May the Fourth, so I'm taking a look at a Star Wars title. In this case, I will be reviewing the animated series released for Disney XD: Star Wars Rebels. 

          Set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Rebels focuses on the crew of a shop called the Ghost, and their many actions against the Galactic Empire. The crew of the Ghost includes former Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus, Twi'lek pilot Hera Syndulla, Lasat brawler and former Honor Guardsman Zeb Orelios, grouchy astromech Droid C1-10P aka "Chopper," and Mandalorian demolitions expert Sabine Wren. The five are joined by a local boy on Lothal by the name of Ezra Bridger. Ezra shows promising abilities connected to the Force, so Kanan decides to train him in the ways of the Jedi. 

         Meanwhile, the crew of the Ghost is hunted by an Imperial Security Bureau agent named Kallus, as well as the Imperial Inquisitors, including the Grand Inquisitor during Season One, and both the Seventh Sister and Eighth Brother in Season Two. Darth Vader is also featured, as is Grand Moff Tarkin. However, two major villains that get introduced in Season Three include Governor Pryce, and fan favorite character Grand Admiral Thrawn. Series creator Dave Filoni wanted to include Thrawn in Rebels since starting development on the series. 

         Characters featured in The Clone Wars, including Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex, also make appearances, and actor Forest Whitaker appears a couple of times in the role of Saw Gerrera. Maul also makes his return in Season Two, and is featured prominently during Season Three, which culminates in a final showdown between himself and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine. One other new character introduced, which is a very deep cut reference for Star Wars fans, is a Force wielders known as the Bendu. Bendu stands in the middle, neither light nor dark side, but a balance of the two. For hardcore fans, you'll probably remember that George Lucas originally intended to give the Jedi the name of the Jedi-Bendu. 

       This series also focuses on the formation of the Rebel Alliance, and features many who fans will know to be Rebel leaders in the movies, including Senator Bail Organa, Senator Mon Mothma, Leia Organa, General Dodonna, and so forth. Seeing the Rebels in the early years, at a point where it's not even a Rebellion, just a series of Rebel Cells, I think is neat, because it's something that George Lucas never really elaborated on, and I've always wanted to know how the Rebellion came to be. 

          The voice cast of this series, which includes Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan, Taylor Gray as Ezra, Vanessa Marshall as Hera, Toys Sircar as Sabine, and Steve Blum as Zeb, is absolutely fantastic. I like that the main characters are new to the franchise, as opposed to the major characters in The Clone Wars. Speaking of which, I love that Ashley Eckstein, Dee Bradley Baker, Sam Witwer, and Katee Sackoff all reptile their roles from The Clone Wars. I also enjoyed the voices behind Agent Kallus and the Inquisitors. David Oyelowo, who I remember for his role as Jacobs in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is excellent here, and Jason Isaacs is great as the Grand Inquisitor. And to think, Jason Isaacs marks another actor to be featured in both Star Wars and Star Trek, as he would portray Captain Gabriel Lorca during the first season of Star Trek: Discovery. I also liked Sarah Michelle Gellar as the Seventh Sister, I thought she was great. And most importantly, James Earl Jones returns as Darth Vader. That is one casting that this show had to get, because James Earl Jones IS Darth Vader no matter what. But I gotta say I really liked both Lars Mikkelsen as Thrawn and Tom Baker as Bendu. As a big fan of Doctor Who, getting to hear the voice of the Fourth Doctor in a Star Wars project is really cool. 

        The story, overall, I think is more interesting than that of The Clone Wars, as I have always loved the era of the Rebellion and the Empire, and getting to see that era of the timeline get expanded on by projects like Star Wars Rebels, as well as movies like Rogue One, and the upcoming Disney+ series Andor is terrific. And getting to see things like Stormtroopers, TIE Fighters, Imperial Star Destroyers, and so forth is just terrific. And the big redemption arc for Agent Kallus, starting as an Imperial, becoming an informant for the Rebels, and later joining the Rebellion outright,. That's what I call a dynamic character arc.

        Overall, this is easily my favorite animated Star Wars project, and I am giving Star Wars Rebels a rating of 5/5.  That'll wrap it up for the time being. Marvel May resumes on Thursday, and I'll be looking at the first two seasons of The Mandalorian later on today. Thanks for tuning in, and May the Fourth be with you.