Clunky ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Chase Scene Draws Skepticism From ‘Star Wars’ Fans

The 2-part premiere of the hotly anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series has dropped on Disney+, and so far, the show is intriguing enough to keep watching, but surprisingly rough around the edges at some points.

Clunky dialogue maybe doesn’t matter as much when Ewan McGregor is delivering another solid Obi-Wan performance, but when it comes to action, Disney is starting to get a bad reputation, particularly chase scenes.

The Book of Boba Fett contains a now-legendary chase scene involving a gang riding a group of shiny hoverbikes, and was widely mocked for being underwhelmingly slow, with fans comparing the vehicles to Vespas.

Spoilers Ahead

The first episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi shines a light on young Princess Leia, played by Lyra Blair, giving fans a glimpse of her life on Alderaan, which is doomed to be incinerated by the Death Star in the original trilogy. This is the first time we’ve seen spent any significant time with young Leia, and she’s as whip-smart and sassy as her adult self.

But a scene in which a group of bounty hunters kidnap her has already become a joke among Star Wars fans, as Leia’s attempt to escape is amusingly slow, depicting the bumbling kidnappers repeatedly foiled by the tiny child lightly jogging through some trees.

This is followed by another scene that takes place in a densely packed city, where Leia runs away from Obi-Wan, who is also completely incapable of catching up to her slow gait.

While Disney+ shows are obviously made for families first and foremost, it’s not the childish tone that fans found strange, but the janky editing, and the complete absence of tension.

It’s not an uncommon criticism for many of the Star Wars spin-off shows; they tend to boast stellar casts and jaw-dropping alien vistas, while being weighed down by corny dialogue and unconvincing action. How hard is it to deliver a solid chase scene in an adrenaline-packed space opera?

After all, Star Wars is one of the biggest franchises in the world, with a Disney-sized budget – there shouldn’t be any resemblance to the CW.

That being said, it would be unfair to judge Kenobi based on a couple of badly executed chase scenes, as otherwise, the series seems quite promising.

Thus far, the show has hinted at a showdown between Darth Vader and his former mentor, and set up an interesting antagonist, Moses Ingram’s Reva, who seems blinded by ambition, harboring an obsessive hatred for Obi-Wan.

Reva appears to be one of the younglings who chose to convert to the Dark Side, using the insight of the Force to round up the surviving Jedi. A hero who is facing something of a midlife crisis, along with a conflicted villain who doesn’t play by the Empire’s rules, might just lead to an interesting story to fill in the gaps between trilogies.

Let’s hope the next chase scene the series delivers manages to get the adrenaline pumping, rather than inspiring memes and mockery.