Home video review: A new Force beckons in 'Star Wars Rebels'

Before the build-up for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" reaches Death Star proportions, now's a good time to check out "Star Wars Rebels," whose first season has just hit home video. The Lucasfilm animated series takes place five years before Luke Skywalker's adventures in "A New Hope." Aimed at younger viewers, "Rebels" sometimes betrays its Disney influence, such as a con-artist teen hero who brings to mind Aladdin. But the thoughtful stories and energetic visuals, modeled after the work of legendary conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie, give the proceedings a bracing air of authenticity. The Blu-ray (Disney, $46; also on DVD, $40, and on demand, $20) adds 14 featurettes and four preseason episodic shorts.