Reviewing - Star Wars: The Mandalorian
This is likely the first Star Wars story since Rogue One (or perhaps since Return of the Jedi) that will appeal to literally all Star Wars fans.
No one hates Star Wars like Star Wars fans do. You’ve got those who hate the Sequel Trilogy, saying it’s a poor re-hash of the original trilogy that subverts expectations in a maddening manner. There’s plenty of Prequel-haters, who scoff at Jar Jar Binks and young Anakin’s antics. Even the original trilogy purists can’t agree on those three films – some hate the Ewoks, some hate Luke’s whining in ‘A New Hope’, and pretty much everyone hates the Special Editions. Let’s not even mention the Holiday Special.
Rogue One was able to bring nearly every single Star Wars fan together because of its fantastic space battle, its Darth Vader cameo, and the old-school vibe that made it feel decisively like a Star Wars movie. The Mandalorian is in a similar vein, because it’s telling us a new story without leaving the Original Trilogy far behind. For this show, the second Death Star was destroyed only five years ago, and the Empire is in shambles. Everything is dirty and messy, which has always been a defining feature of this franchise. It’s a ‘used galaxy’ where nothing is brand-new and everyone is a little bit tired. The set designs all drive this point home, and the extravagance of the budget is apparent in nearly every shot. But the heart of this show is in its two lead characters - one tough-as-nails, and the other with only three fingernails on each hand.
Season One
What’s really great about The Mandalorian is the roster of weird and wonderful characters that show up from episode to episode. There are characters that only show up for a single episode, while others make welcome comebacks later on in the season. You want to see just a bit more of pretty much all of them, and that dissatisfaction with the amount of time we spend with them is exactly what will make me come back for Season Two. Taika Waititi’s IG-11 character is a particular standout. He’s a blast from start to finish.
It’s impossible to talk about this show without calling out ‘Baby Yoda’, the cutest alien in pop culture history since E.T.. Officially called ‘The Child’ by Disney, Baby Yoda is the driving force behind the plot of this show. His relationship with the Mandalorian has all the charm of a family comedy, but the tricks he has up his sleeve set him apart. He’s not just a baby in need of a caregiver. There’s something about him that makes him particularly significant to the Mandalorian, and to the world of Star Wars as a whole.
What I loved about the structure of this show is that each episode is its own thing even though there’s an overarching storyline. Each episode, the Mandalorian takes us to another planet with its own set of wonders, problems, and interesting characters. That’s what has always been great about this franchise. We get taken to far-off places that are positively otherworldly, and yet they feel so matter-of-fact and natural that you can envision yourself there with little difficulty. The other perk of this constant scene changing was that we got to have a whole bunch of nods and Easter eggs referencing every corner of the Star Wars universe we’ve visited in the past. I don’t want to mention them because I want you to identify them on your own, but there is something so gratifying in recognizing a species or machine wandering past the screen and saying “Hey, that’s that thing from that place!!” There’s obviously a place where fan service can go too far, but the minds behind this show keep the Easter eggs far apart so it doesn’t feel like you’re being spoon-fed.
This was a blast of a kickoff for Disney+, as well as for Star Wars’ first foray into live action television. I couldn’t wait to watch Season 2.