Star Wars: Rebels Spark of Rebellion (2014–2018) watch online HD

So here we are at Star Wars Rebels, the first video entry into the new Star Wars EU. So let's see where to begin. It has been 6 years since we left Kanan and Hera at the end of A New Dawn(the first novel in the New EU), and apparently they have been busy. But that is jumping ahead a little.

We really start this through the eyes of a brand new young character named Ezra Bridger. Right now I can tell you that this is going to be the 'Luke Skywalker' of the series. I really don't like this character. He's a modern twist on a Luke/Anakin-mold that is supposed to be the element to connect to its target audience, namely kids, but I find him to be a very unlikeable character, and wish they just would have gone with Kanan, Hera and their crew and been done with it. Especially since Kanan was set up as an ex-padawan in A New Dawn so we already had the force element covered. So, anyways, Ezra is this street-kid type character that apparently is good at tricking Stormtroopers but is also only out for himself and will take from the people he is helping just as much as from the Troopers, and he has all the charm of an unruly little smart-ass that needs a swift kick in the ass. But again, I digress… For those that pay attention to these things, Ezra is voiced by Taylor Gray, who I have never heard of but seem to do a believable job.

Now, Ezra happens to be at the right place at the right time (which of course he takes advantage of), and we get to see Kanan and his crew, in action, for the first time from an outsider viewpoint looking in. I really liked how they were introduced, and the new additions that were not introduced in the book worked really well in this first action sequence. We have 3 main additions.

Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios who is a species called Lasat. He is basically the muscle of the team with a slightly rougher attitude then the rest but also has the "once you get to know him" type feel. He is being voiced by Steve Blum who is also doing other voices on the show like that of a Stormtrooper, for instance.

Sabine Wren who is a very cute Mandalorian, and wears a pink version of the warrior armor. Since I have a soft spot for anything Mandalorian, she already scored a win from me, even if her armor was pink. Sabine is being voiced by Tiya Sircar. Finally we have Chopper, the astromech droid of the series. This one defiantly has a personality on the level with Artoo, and he seems like he is gonna fit in nicely. As to Kanan and Hera, well, I really like what they did with them for the most part. Kanan is being voiced by Freddie Prince, Jr. and Hera is by Vanessa Marshall, who seems to be the one voice actress with the most experience in this department of the group. Although I'm not sure but Hera seems to be coming off with a bit of a British flare, using words like "luv" at the end of her sentences.

So there was definitely some great Star Wars action, but for the most part this was a setup pilot. There were some things they did great, like the speeder bike scenes, or the wookie rescue, and then there was stuff that seemed too contrived trying to grasp at the greatness of the OT like the fact that in 5 years since we left Kanan, where he was afraid and cautious of showing his powers, that now he is willing to take on a padawan, and in some sense considers himself a suedo-jedi. Similar to the Clone Wars animated series this was a decent start but has a lot of ground it needs to improve on. Oh, they did throw in an Obi-Wan "appearance" and of course it was voiced by James Arnold Taylor, who has been the voice of Kenobi for the past 6 years on the Clone Wars series, so this was a very cool nod to that as well.

Also I would suggest watching the ABC released version on their official website if you want to see the Special Guest appearance (totally awesome) that is well worth the nostalgia alone, and adds heavily to the tiny introduction of the new villain of the series, the Inquisitor (voice by Jason Isaacs, known most recently as Malfoy Senior in the Harry Potter movies). This is Disney showing how dedicated they are to making this work.

i'll keep this short just to get the fresh memory of the episode out while I still have it in me. This show, as the title says, looks really good. There is a great group of characters introduced that we can evolve with. It has a good script with a decent amount of well working jokes. It doesn't contain too many Cliché's, and has some great animations.

The only thing bad about this episode that comes to mind was that it had too much action in one episode. They could have ended it after the stardestroyer incident.

Overall 8/10

From two animated series, to books, video games and a slew of merchandising, Lucasfilm has milked every last ounce out of the once compelling 'Clone Wars' era of the 'Star Wars' saga over the last decade. As a result, it is now utterly demystified. Might the same be in store for the era in between the sagas? We'll soon see.

'Rebels: Spark of Rebellion' is a welcome change, recapturing the tone and spirit of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy in a way the prequels and the 'Clone Wars' never quite did. It's not just the superficial aesthetic, this actually *feels* like 'Star Wars'. This first pilot movie episode feels a bit rushed at times, and definitely would've benefited from a feature-length runtime, but what we get is a fun, fast moving adventure that features likable characters and a compelling set-up. Hopefully it can maintain a tighter overall narrative focus than the occasionally slapdash 'Clone Wars'. So far, so good.

Just as Dave Filoni and crew fleshed out the prequel era with the incredible "The Clone Wars" television show, they have returned to the small screen to breathe life back into the original trilogy era with "Star Wars Rebels. And let me just say, they have outdone themselves.

Set five years before "Episode IV: A New Hope", "Spark of Rebellion" finds the galaxy oppressed and disheartened by the crushing presence of the Galactic Empire. The episode takes place on the backwater planet of Lothal where Commandant Cumberlayne Aresko and Taskmaster Myles Grint rule with an iron fist. They constantly harass the citizens and make life difficult for everybody. Fortunately, a small band of rebels have grouped together to fight back. The group is led by Kanan Jarrus, a human Jedi who survived Order 66 when he was a padawan learner. Hera Syndulla is the Twi'lek pilot of their ship, the Ghost. Garazab "Zeb" Orrelios is a former soldier and one of the few existing members of the Lasat, a species that was nearly wiped out by the Empire. Sabine Wren is a young adult Mandalorian with a flair for explosions and art. And last, but certainly not least, is Chopper, the spunky and sassy protocol droid.

Through a series of action-packed events the crew come upon Ezra Bridger, a Force sensitive street orphan. After giving stolen crates of food to the poor, the rebels sell black market weapons to Cikatro Vizago, a Devaronian crime lord, in return for payment. They also learn the location of Wookiee slaves that they have been trying to rescue for the Empire.

After a slew of outer space dogfights, Imperial kidnappings, rescue missions, and stormtrooper shoot-outs, the crew travels to the spice mines of Kessel to free the Wookiees. Unfortunately, they are pursued by the ruthless Agent Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau. As a last ditch effort to save the Wookiees (and themselves), Kanan ignites his lightsaber and charges the stormtroopers while Hera loads crew and the Wookiees onto the ship, leaving Kallus (and a bunch of dead stormtroopers) behind.

In the end, Ezra joins the Ghost Crew and becomes Kanan's apprentice. Meanwhile, Agent Kallus informs The Grand Inquisitor, Vader's Jedi-hunting assassin, that he has encountered a rebel cell led by a Jedi Knight.

Overall, the story is absolutely riveting from beginning to end and I loved all of the references to the original trilogy as well as Ralph McQuarrie's original concept art. For example, Lothal is based off of early art of Tatooine and Zeb is based off of early art for Chewbacca, and the spice mines of Kessel are visually realized for the first time after being mentioned in "A New Hope". (Plus, we get holograms of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader!!)

Visually, the episode is stunning. While "The Clone Wars" had more angular animation, "Rebels" is far more polished and "Disney-fied" (which is a good thing). It feels very much like the original "Star Wars" with its designs, landscapes, and action set pieces. The score is also beautiful and has a lot of throw-backs to the original trilogy.

All in all, I give Spark of Rebellion an 8 out of 10. It's an outstanding piece of Star Wars media and I can't wait to see where the show goes from here.