The finale of Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi draws a tongue-in-cheek comparison to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's most-maligned scene. As Zack Snyder's follow-up to Man of Steel, 2016's Batman v Superman continues to be a controversial film—which was reportedly hampered by studio interference and critically panned. Arguably its most criticized/discussed moment comes in its third act when a mech-suited Batman gets the best of Superman. As Clark Kent prepares to accept his fate, he pleads for Bruce Wayne to "save Martha" – his mother, who is held hostage by Lex Luther. Since Bruce's mom is also named Martha, the plea allows Batman to recognize Superman's humanity.
Obi-Wan Kenobi's finale highlights the much-hyped "rematch of the century" between its titular Jedi Master and his fallen apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. With a renewed sense of purpose, Obi-Wan can go toe-to-toe with the mechanical monster that is Darth Vader. The standout moment of the duel comes at the very end, when Obi-Wan slashes Vader's mask, revealing Anakin's charred face beneath. Almost as if he didn't realize humanity still existed amid the machine, Obi-Wan breaks into tears saying, "I'm sorry, Anakin" before leaving "Darth" defeated again. While the latter quote doesn't sound anything like "save Martha," both scenes do feature a cracked mask and some life-changing words.
TheSnyderKnight on Twitter recently shared an image of Ben Affleck's Batman sporting the cracked mask from Batman v Superman alongside a picture of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. The post also jokingly credits Snyder for that scene in Obi-Wan Kenobi's finale. Check it out below:
The animated series Star Wars: Rebels did indeed lay the blueprint for the scene between Obi-Wan and Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi. In Rebels' season 2 finale, "Twilight of the Apprentice," Anakin's former Padawan Ahsoka Tano also damages Vader's mask in combat, resulting in the Ahsoka refusing to leave her fallen friend as the temple closes in on itself. Christensen watched The Clone Wars and Rebels ahead of Obi-Wan Kenobi, revisiting that specific Rebels scene in preparation for the live-action finale.
"Ben" and Darth's moment in the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale isn't one fan will soon forget. In addition to episode 5's sparring flashback, the series brought Christensen and Ewan McGregor's iconic characters face-to-face for the first time in 17 years. Obi-Wan Kenobi's cracked-mask scene is extraordinarily well-acted, directed, and emotional. However, like the sequence in Batman v Superman, it will inevitably be mocked online countless times and spawn a barrage of memes. While Obi-Wan Kenobi has certainly endured criticism and is far from perfect, at least it doesn't actually have a Martha moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment