Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series (4K UHD Blu-ray Steelbook Review)
As Disney took over the Star Wars legacy, I watched with an open mind to see how things would progress. We got The Force Awakens, which managed to be an excellent continuation of the original trilogy. We also got the promise of live-action TV shows which first came with The Mandalorian and followed by The Book of Boba Fett which were both heralded as excellent extensions of the Star Wars universe. We next got Obi-Wan Kenobi, a tale of Obi-Wan after Revenge of the Sith. Is this the closure we needed for his story? What about the years between Sith and Rogue One were we missing? All these questions are answered within the review here! Be sure to click the steelbook arwork at the end to access a paid link to get yourself a copy of Obi-Wan Kenobi on 4K UHD Blu-ray!!
Series 
Obi-Wan Kenobi begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) is downed by the loss of his friend Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. He is living on Tattooine, hiding out and watching over Anakin’s son Luke. When Leia Organa of Alderaan turns up kidnapped, he reluctantly agrees to help find her. On his search he must be on the lookout for Reva, a merciless sith who wants Obi-Wan dead. She reveals that Anakin is alive, and that she is looking for Obi-Wan to deliver him to Vader.
Obi-Wan Kenobi begins as a rather routine continued origin story. Shamed by his defeat, Obi-Wan starts off wanting to be a nameless figure. Going by Ben, he watched Luke from afar and lives in a cave. He is OK with this because he feels the lifestyle is suitable due to his shame. His soulful eyes and wisdom are a pale shadow of what they were or will eventually be. Basically, Obi-Wan is depressed.
Leia kidnapped or otherwise is 10, but she is not afraid of anything. She is sassy, smart and full of common sense. By and large, Reva is the biggest threat, especially after a jaw dropping moment in Part II. The Vader reveal has the makings of spine-tingling fare. We know he will go on and do worse later too, but it’s still a great reveal. Other great moments are revealed as well, but to go on is to spoil the story for those who haven’t seen it.
For me, I am very late to the Star Wars TV series and am still so intrigued and entertained. The production design here is not as exquisite at Andor was for me, but nonetheless I was sucked right into the story. Ewan McGregor once again fills the role of Kenobi with a lot of heart and soul. He is supported by a good cast, many of whom I don’t recall seeing in other shows or films, but who carry their weight to deliver solid performances.
A good friend of mine is a huge Star Wars fan and when she found out I was going to review this, she was firstly shocked I hadn’t seen the show yet. Second, she said “It’ll be like the closure you never knew you needed…” And boy, was she right. I thought I was OK without more on Obi-Wan Kenobi. I knew I was wrong after the first episode of the show. I am more intrigued than ever about Kenobi as a character now, all because of a nuanced and soulful performance by Ewan McGregor and a solid attention keeping story. Will we see other miniseries dedicated to our favorite Star Wars characters? Who’s to say? But if we do, I hope they repeat all the best parts of the formula of this show. Excellent stuff!
Video
Stills are for promotional use only and not from the 4K UHD Blu-ray
Encoding: HEVC/H.265
Resolution: 4K
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
HDR: HDR10
Layers: BD-66 (2 Discs in set)
Clarity/Detail: Obi-Wan Kenobi is another strong looking 4K UHD Blu-ray. The overall aesthetic of the show is similar to the films and series that preceded it. The added resolution and HDR color spectrum can also reveal the budgetary limitations of the CGI at play. No matter there, as the show otherwise is finely detailed, clear and crisp looking. Lots of scenes in the dark lose no quality in the murkiness.
Depth: All moments have a wonderful depth of field with things sharply in focus almost all of the time. The look is almost meticulous in its desire to keep things spot on visually.
Color Reproduction: The color spectrum for Obi-Wan Kenobi is wide. Depending on the location of the scene, things can be rich and warm or cool and flat. It all depends on where we are on our journey with the characters. Everything looks solid though.
Black Levels: Blacks, just like in Andor can have the leaning more of grey than black, but the fact remains that there is no crush in evidence and the dark grey may be just as the creators intended.
Flesh Tones: To quote my Andor review: All human actors look natural throughout the show.
Noise/Artifacts: Clean
Audio
Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Dynamics: Another Star Wars series, another excellent sounding Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Clarity and pitch are top tier and there is plenty of surround and bass activity to enjoy also!
Height: Height channels carry action and ambience with equal measure. There is always a nice overhead presence in scenes involving flying vehicles and in crowded spaces.
Low-Frequency Extension: Bass comes forth in action, in the score and all other ways they usually would in action moments. There is nothing earth shattering here, but there is still a solid rumble when the show calls for it.
Surround Sound Presentation: The surround channels move us through Obi-Wan’s journey with ambience and action in equal measure.
Dialogue Reproduction: Pristine.
Extras 
Extras for Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series are not extensive. The collectors will purchase the set for the packaging and art cards and will likely quite enjoy the video and audio bonuses within also.
Featurettes:
- Duels of Fate: Obi-Wan vs Vader – Deborah Chow, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen examine the lightsaber battles of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader.
- The Dark Times: Villains – Uncover the lore of the deadly Inquisitors, and Darth Vader’s iconic look.
- Designing The Galaxy – Say hello to Leia’s loveable sidekick, Lola, then explore the new planets of the Star Wars galaxy.
- Director’s Commentary – Join director Deborah Chow for an exclusive audio commentary on the action-packed finale.
Summary
My friend wasn’t kidding when she said that Obi-Wan Kenobi would be the closure I didn’t know I needed for a few reasons. I am so glad that Disney told Kenobi’s story further and added some depth to his legendary status. Pair that with a precocious child Leia, the return of Darth Vader in a younger state and some solid attention grabbing writing and visual flair and you have another Star Wars series masterpiece. Bad CGI/Production value can’t stop this from being another must-own for collectors of all things Star Wars!
