‘Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete First Season’ 4K Ultra HD review

For those inquiring minds of “Star Wars” fans who wanted to know what happened during the time when a famed Jedi Master was exiled to Tatooine, the Disney+ streaming service offered an answer last year in a limited, six-episode series.

Now released on a two-disc 4K set in SteelBook packaging, Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete First Season (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated TV-14, 261 minutes, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, $49.99) offers a layered adventure, 10 years after the birth of Luke and Leia, that finds Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) getting used to living in the desert while keeping an eye on Padme’s son.

When the 10-year-old Princess Leia Organa (Vivien Lyra Blair) gets kidnapped by bounty hunters on Alderaan, her father Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) reaches out to his old friend to help save the girl.

The plot thickens with the reveal that an Inquisitor (Jedis turned to the dark side to hunt their brethren) named the Third Sister (Moses Ingram) had her taken intentionally to flush out Obi-Wan under the direction of the always grumpy Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen).

Viewers will learn what happens when both Vader and Kenobi realize the other is actually alive and the ultimate second round of their epic confrontations takes place.

Alas, that’s when the narrative causes some face palms. We have a Sith Lord completely twisted to evil and, during a skirmish, able to get a weakened Kenobi on the ground, battered and bruised and practically plunged into fire and what does the master of evil do?

He tells the moronic Stormtroopers to take the Jedi prisoner instead of killing him on the spot.

In the final epic battle of the series, Kenobi breaks Vader to the point that his helmet is shattered, revealing the crispy head of Anakin and clearly unable to fight and what does the Jedi do?

Clearly knowing this serial-killing lunatic has murdered children and will continue to terrify the galaxy, he lets him go.

Yeah, I get it that “Star Wars” canon requires that the pair meet one last time on the Death Star, but then let’s get the writers of the series to make their encounters and escapes more plausible.

It’s even more ridiculously ironic that a fuming Vader begins a hunt across the galaxy for Kenobi but never realizes he’s hiding on his home planet.

The acting, especially the effort from Vivien, certainly helps hide the plot miscues.

Articulate beyond her years and near as feisty, clever and biting as the adult Princess Leia, portrayed by the Carrie Fisher, the young actress steals every scene, and it was a joy watching her bring Leia to the screen.

Mr. McGregor equally delivers embracing the mannerisms and patient spirit of Alec Guinness but emotionally raising the performance to the plight of a desperate man reckoning the horror he put his former Padawan through and unleashed upon the galaxy.

4K in action: An ultra-high-definition presentation allows viewers to appreciate minutiae such as the fiery red lava flows on the planet Mustafar, the sheen on Stormtroopers and Vader’s helmets, and every dent and scuff on T-47 airspeeders.

The locations are also alive with details while exploring panoramic shots of sand, neon-encrusted urban scapes, the mammoth architecture of the underwater grand hall of the Fortress Inquisitorius and the mountainous backdrops of desert fields.

All of those moments pale, however, once viewers witness the blue, red and purple glow of light sabers illuminating a night battle between Vader and Kenobi.

Best extras: Director Deborah Chow offers a subdued, sporadic and superficial optional commentary track on the final episode that leaves viewers wanting more.

She does talk about some of the production design but focuses on story and its foreshadowing as well as the characters’ motivations, most of which any semi-intelligent fan would already know.

With only a single track available for the series, I was looking for so much more detailed design and technical information on the Vader and Kenobi confrontations and the director’s motivations and strategies for any of the pivotal moments.

Next, three 11-minute featurettes cover the duels between Vader and Kenobi, adding vintage scenes from previous films and comments from Mr. Christensen and Mr. McGregor; the primary villains such as the Inquisitors as well as a focus on revealing the remnants of Vader’s body; and a compact dive into the production design.

That final segment has Ms. Chow and lead designer Doug Chiang discussing creatures, droids, costumes, props and Star Wars locations such as Anchorhead on Tatooine; Alderaan (explaining the use of Ralph McQuarrie art as reference); the gangster city on Daiyu; the mining village of Mapuzo; and the caverns of Jabiim.

The SteelBook package design does not disappoint with a front cover showcasing upper torso shots of Vader and Kenobi with lightsabers raised in the background and full figures of Leia and Kenobi standing in the foreground. The back panel has Kenobi atop an eopie, a camel-like animal, on Tatooine with the twin suns behind him.

The center spread panels reveal an illustrated Vader and Kenobi illuminated by the light sabers from the chest up with each laser sword striking the other.

Three illustrated storyboard cards are also included offering Vader exiting his Imperial Shuttle; Kenobi using the Force to hold back a glass panel from flooding a corridor; and Leia and her dad sitting with a view of the Alderaan’s cityscape in the background.