Not criticizing individual actors or actresses here, but I agree with many of the takes here. For me, it particularly suffers in retrospect due to the masterclass in performances in season 4 of Stranger Things (if Sadie Sink doesn't get an Oscar, it will be a travesty). While obviously a bit older, the kids in Stranger Things never came off as frustrating or annoying and I have absolutely been constantly annoyed with the precocious spoiled character (not actress as she's playing a role). There's nothing endearing about it for me, and people who think it's cute haven't had to deal with that kind of attitude in a real kid.
I posted this for friends (I probably wouldn't post it on Reddit), but it does encapsulate a lot of my thoughts on the show.
Good:
- The opening scene of Order 66 was sufficiently tense.
- Macgregor's acting. He's doing a much better job at the tortured and bitter Jedi than Hamill. There's just too much good stuff to name in that area.
- The show works great in small moments, like with the Jawa in the cave, or harvesting meat. I dig the small characterizations throughout.
- General set design is fantastic. There were occasional inconsistencies with background comping, but overall it was good world building.
- The clone veteran scene was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. Not necessarily because I like the prequels, but because it did a better job of showing the cruelty of the Empire than a lot of other moments of the show. Part of what made the Clone Wars a good show is because it showed the horrors of war and the disposable attitude towards the clones in general.
- The side characters, especially Lars and Organa, are great. I was even won over by the fake Jedi as a comedy character (and I realize that's controversial).
Bad:
- The antagonists are once again not competent in any way, shape, or form. Why did the Inquisitors let that Jedi get away so easily at the beginning by pulling down a tarp? And I didn't think it was to lead them back to Obi-Wan because they clearly killed him before that. The level of threat is simply not here.
- What the heck was up with the shaky cam in the desert scene where Obi-Wan meets the Jedi on the run?
- We just got the exact same story in The Mandalorian of the lone wolf and cub story. This is really, really, cheap to me.
- I dislike Leia's character. She's beyond annoying. I get that's intentional, but it's frustrating when movies and shows intentionally create problems with lack of communication. If she's so smart and perceptive, why couldn't she figure out Obi-Wan is a Jedi? It's logically inconsistent for her to suddenly run away because a planet full of thugs makes him a wanted man.
- Why can no one catch Leia? She's a kid.
- Why is Leia suddenly convinced he's a Jedi because of the Force lift? That makes no sense and the pacing of her being convinced he's good was awful.
Meh:
- Reva is "fine" but she's not very menacing in the way the other Inquisitors are (and they aren't particularly dangerous). I'm not sure I like her yet. The whole plot thread could still land for me. The setup is good, but it's harder for me to feel threatened by a "punk edgelord" (which is the same criticism I would level at Christiansen's performance of Anakin in the prequels). The script probably deserves the bulk of blame here and it's hammy and not in a way that resonates with me.
- Sometimes in the city it was clear it was the same set from different angles. I stand by it being great set design nonetheless.
- The rooftop chase felt forced at times and had low stakes, like a certain casino segment in another mainstream trilogy movie.
- Maybe there were people who could put two and two together about Vader, but I assumed they would have to know Vader and Palpatine before, so I don't buy that anyone else knew unless they explain that later. I'll let that play out first.
- One of the core issues with dealing with the mainstream characters is you know how it ends, so the tension is lessened. The plot armor does work against this show, and that's part of why The Mandalorian works; (almost) anything could happen. This show will be moreso about the journey than the destination. That's not bad, but it does lower the tension for me.
- I like/dislike the music somehow, even though I liked Loki's soundtrack. Sometimes it's The Mandalorian (Inquisitor theme) and sometimes John Williams (the rest). It just feels tonally inconsistent. Not that it's bad, but sometimes it does take me out of it.
I know it's nitpicky, but I don't think anything here is unfair. Overall, it's enjoyable, but there's things that take me out of the experience more often than I like. I still have hope some of the rough edges get sanded out because the journey could be great.