Luke Brantley
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who have seen “The Mandalorian” on Disney + and those who are missing out on a great show.
The first ever live-action Star Wars series premiered in November of last year on Disney’s new streaming service. Many fans had their hopes up that this series would be amazing, and the show delivered big time.
The series takes place in between the events of “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens.” The story follows an armor-clad Mandalorian bounty hunter, referred to only as “Mando,” as he protects a target he was initially hired to capture.
The show draws heavy influence from Western movies, especially films such as “The Wild Bunch,” “The Magnificent Seven” and spaghetti westerns such as “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.”
The tone of this show manages to be both dark and gritty while also having a lighter side, particularly in the form of “Baby Yoda,” who took over the internet in less time than it took Han Solo to make the Kessel Run.
Baby Yoda--who isn’t actually Yoda, he’s only called that because no one knows the name of his species--is only one of many great characters in the show.
Mando is played by Pedro Pascal, who gives an amazing performance despite never showing his face. Mando is a similar character to “The Man with No Name,” Clint Eastwood’s character in Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy,” (“A Fistful of Dollars,” “For a Few Dollars more,” and “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly”).
Baby Yoda makes a great foil to Mando’s seriousness. He is just as adorable as the internet memes would have everyone believe.
The acting on the show is amazing, with cameos and appearances by several guest stars. One of the best is “Thor: Ragnarok” director Taika Watiti voicing a bounty hunter droid.
The music on the show is also top-notch, combining hints of John Williams’ legendary Star Wars film scores, Ennio Morricone’s iconic spaghetti western scores and several other sounds to create a unique and epic soundtrack that nails the tone and feeling of the show.
The show does a great job of being exciting and intense while still being open for all ages to enjoy.
The gunfights (blasterfights?) and other action scenes are thrilling and engaging. The show makes use of good CGI and old-school practical effects, which is a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
But with the good, comes the bad.
Each episode is much shorter compared to the usual episode length of other live action series. Each episode is only 30 to 45 minutes long. Quality is almost always better than quantity, but it wouldn’t hurt “The Mandalorian” if the episodes were a bit longer.
Also, a few of the characters don’t really match the tone of the show, particularly in the beginnings of the first and last episodes of the series. However, these two issues do little to detract from the quality of the show.
The first season of “The Mandalorian” had a lot to live up to, but it lived up to the hype and expectations, and even exceeded them.
If you’re a Star Wars fan and you’re looking for more Star Wars, this is the way.
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