Reviews are in for “Star Wars Rebels” series

Disney’s first foray into the “Star Wars” universe, the animated “Star Wars Rebels,” premieres tonight, and the series already has been renewed for a second season.

The series is introduced with a one-hour movie, “Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion,” which airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Disney Channel and Monday, Oct. 6, on Disney XD. The series itself starts on Monday, Oct. 13, on Disney XD.

So, is it any good? The reviews are broadly positive. Here are a few highlights:

New York Times: “Rebels” may be the first major “Star Wars” film or TV project not to involve Mr. Lucas, but Disney, the new owner of the franchise, clearly sees no reason to mess with a profitable formula.

Variety: Viewed through the lens of the Disney empire, “Star Wars Rebels” offers a reassuring reminder that there’s plenty of room to operate within George Lucas’ far, far away galaxy. And in terms of succeeding creatively, they haven’t just tried; done it, they have.

IGN TV: Are you okay with Star Wars being… fun? Because if you are a person who thinks Star Wars should always be dark, dark and daaaaaaaaaaaaark, then Star Wars Rebels isn’t for you. But for the rest of us, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

Movie Pilot: The show completely captures the spirit and youthful charm of the original 1977 classic that started it all.

Los Angeles Times: Though firmly in the Lucas tradition, this is also a Disney cartoon, for a Disney crowd and a Disney corporation — watching, you can almost feel the plastic and the plush — and whatever the characters are up to, however cute or sentimental the business, it is smartly designed and cinematically staged, and not hard to enjoy.