It Doesn't Seem Complicated.

 Art snobbing again. Like many people I am a fan of Star Wars. (I also know plenty of people who are not, and I'm still friends with, but that's beside the point.)

Spoilers for Kenobi. Go watch if you haven't seen it. While you're at it watch the first season of Star Wars: Rebels. The rest of this will make more sense. (None of the photos are mine.)

When I saw Kenobi I was very heppy to see the Grand Inqusitor would be making an appearance. I had seen Rebels and knew how charismatic and deadly he was. Jason Issacs gave him just the right amount of swagger, and menace with just his voice.

I am looking for the Grand Inquisitor! Oh wait.... 

This should be good and upon seeing the first episodes, I was guardedly optimistic. Especially after seeing that the inquisitor had been given a digital face lift since his trailer premier to look more like the Rebels character (and like a member of his own Pauan species.)

Something still bothered me about Rupert Friend's depiction but I carried on and watched all of Kenobi. Overall, I thought it was a fine story. But the Inquisitor bothered me. It was only after I went back and  rewatched Rebels that it became clear. Live action Inquisitor lacked presence and his vocal inflections were timid. He appeared to have hit the craft service a few too many times and was not at all nimble. No wonder Third Sister was able to catch him off guard. 

By contrast, animated Inquisitor, was slender and tall. He was able to move acrobatically or simply stand with menace. His eyes were also piercing and conveyed calculation and thought.

 

"I am the Inquisitor.... Welcome." 

Could they have found a taller, thinner actor and voiced over him? Of course and there is precedent. (Maul, Vader.)

 And I am familar with the idea of animation being a stylized version of reality but even animation has to look something like the character. Live action Inquisitor has few clues that this is even the same person. The only obvious one is the red triangluar marking on his forehead. At first look, to me he brought to mind Peter Gabriel in his Shock the Monkey video from the 80s. It's something to do with the pallor and round head. 

Peter Gabriel looking tribal. 

I am SHOCKED! 

It's disappointing that Disney keeps defanging their villains. The Grand Inquisitor was supposed to be a menacing figure and if you watch Rebels he very much is. Maybe in Kenobi they thought he would be too powerful compared to Vader but that could ony have raised the power of all the force users. The Kenobi Inquisitor is a pale charicature of the animated version. (Yes, I see the irony.) It makes me wonder if they skimped on the budget for him or maybe just didn't like the character. 

Using the excuse that cartoons are stylized is weak and exactly that -- an excuse. Disney has repeatedly tried to ignore what came before (to impose their own vision?) but in doing so they have disrespected great characters by not understanding what made them great. Or, for that matter, even understanding what their species looks like in established movie canon. 

I expect better from the company that prides itself on its story telling. 

--CJ