“Rebels” is the first TV product from the Star Wars Universe that I consistently enjoy. That’s not to say that I didn’t like “Clone Wars”, but I feel the high quality of the later seasons makes the first lackluster years hard to tolerate. This show starts with an introduction to the pre ANH Empire, the beginnings of the Rebel Alliance and a new force sensitive kid getting his Aladdin on. Naturally, most of these people are going to be murdered to make the Original Trilogy work. But, I don’t pretend to understand what’s coming next for Star Wars. I just enjoy hearing the classic score, watching lightsaber action and just getting my Star Wars itch scratched.
Star Wars in animation is nice to work out concepts that never made it into the film. Hell, giant chunks of this borrow from the McQuarrie conceptual art. It’s a nice bit of subtle nostalgia that helps out the Prequel and Original Trilogy actors returning to their roles for support voice roles. Building the bridge between the eras is important and I feel that Rebels is the first real effort to make that happen. That being said, I still feel like the first season ended without a truly big moment. The stuff between Kanan and Ezra was strong, but I wanted everyone to have that level of a moment.
The Blu-Ray comes with a Blu-Ray exclusive look at the Rebels take over of Star Wars Celebration. You also get a guide for the series, a look at Season 2, featurettes and an art breakdown as the special features. The 1080p transfer is reference quality throughout the program and the Dolby 5.1 track isn’t that lossy. Hell, I’d call it the best animated disc of the year if it wasn’t for the Dolby track. Why go lossy, people? In the end, it’s still worth a purchase for Star Wars fans.
Release Date: OUT NOW!