“With everything that’s happening, and the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old-fashioned.” – Phil Coulson (played by Clark Gregg), Marvel’s The Avengers (2012).
Star Wars: The Mandalorian is a 2019 episodic series created and written by Jon Favreau. The list of directors on the project include Taika Waititi, Bryce Dallas Howard, Deborah Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, and long-time animation producer Dave Filoni making his live-action directorial debut. The show follows a Mandalorian, a person from an ancient race of warriors who must make his living in low-level bounty-hunting, and then he comes across a contract that he can’t carry out, and the show is basically him running from the consequences.
The show’s first season just wrapped up, and I feel comfortable talking about it now. And on the heels of The Rise of Skywalker, it’s especially important to talk about. In my writing of The Rise of Skywalker, I mentioned that the film was fan-service to a fault (and I also forgot to mention how I felt the movie didn’t feel like it was directed by a human, but whatever). I said that if the future of Star Wars was all nostalgia and cosmetic upgrades to things we had already seen, then we’re in trouble. Even after seeing The Mandalorian and how good it is (and it is pretty good), I still stand by what I said.
The Mandalorian is an example of this focus on nostalgia, but the difference between this and The Rise of Skywalker is that the show stays true to its characters. It doesn’t forsake its story for any fan-service or to correct an “error” someone else made. Make no mistake; the show is loaded with fan-service. The Mandalorian, the titular character, is essentially (but not actually) Boba Fett but shinier and legitimately better. The Child, the actual name of Baby Yoda that I will use from now on to drive you insane, was named “Baby Yoda” by the audience because he (or she) looks like Yoda.
In the dive bar where the Bounty Hunter Guild conducts their business, the place is full of familiar droids and species. “Chapter 2: The Child” has jawas everywhere. One of the memorable side characters is an Ugnaught; one of the creatures that helped freeze Han Solo in carbonite in The Empire Strikes Back. In “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger”, they go to Tatooine and even go to the same cantina from A New Hope. This program is LOADED with trivia and easter eggs that only the hardest of hardcore fans will recognize and appreciate. It is also – in every sense of the phrase – and old-fashioned space western, and it follows the tropes almost to a tee.
The Positive
But within this space of familiarity, The Mandalorian tells its own tale, even if its super simple. The show is almost entirely reliant on its titular character’s journey as he struggles to protect the Child from bounty hunters all over the sector, and the last thing you want to see is the Child in harm’s way. At first it can seem pretty aimless as he goes from place to place to find somewhere to hide the Child, but come the last two episodes, everything ties together and sets everything up for the future. This first season is exactly that; the first season. It’s an introduction. The world is their oyster now, and they can do whatever they want with these characters now that they’re established.
Speaking of the characters, they are easily the best part in my opinion. Great performances almost all around: The Mandalorian, IG-11, Cara Dune, Greef Carga, Kuiil, the Armorer, even the Child; everyone stands out. People who call this show “The Baby Yoda Show” truly upset me as there is a hell of a character-driven show happening outside of what the Child is doing. The things we learn about the Mandalorian – his past, his convictions and his growth – is handled pretty well. Don’t let anyone fool you; past all the stuff with the Child and the action is a nice character arc for our main protagonist.
Visually, this show stands out. If Rogue One was a little more refined and steady with the camera, you got The Mandalorian. It’s consistent enough that I can barely tell which director led each episode without further analysis and attention to detail. It’s shot like an old-fashioned space western airing in the twenty-first century should be shot. The action is well constructed with tensions of whether or not the Child is going to make it out alive escalating even the most distant and duller set-pieces.
The Mandalorian uses real puppets and costumes for the alien and some of the droids. The Child is a blend of CGI and puppetry, but it’s mostly a puppet, and the show benefits from it. It uses real sets and backgrounds as well as real models for ships when they’re in space. There is of course CGI, but it’s not noticeable because almost everything they focus on in every shot is real.
The use of the Child as a device of tension is masterful. His (or her) design evokes compassion and a desire to hold him (or her) in one’s arms that if the Mandalorian is in trouble, the Child is in trouble.
To say that this show is nothing without the Child is nonsense, but this show would not be as popular without the Child. If it was any other species, it wouldn’t work as well. the shock on my face at the end of “Chapter 1” when the Child first appeared cannot be described in any mortal language. And from then on I was hooked. The exception to me was that I was paying attention to everything else besides the Child, and I was still on board. Seeing the reaction online and how people seem to focus on the Child, I’m left wondering if the choice of the Child’s species was too strong, and has led people away from the real show.
The Negative
And with that segue, let’s pick at some negatives. “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger” has the weakest performance I’ve seen in a Star Wars property since Hayden Christensen in Attack of the Clones. The third-rate Zac Efron (Jake Cannavale) who plays Toro Calican just bombs the role. I don’t know if you can chalk it up to Dave Filoni’s first-time director woes or the guy just sucks. Either way, his character ends up being a black hole of charisma and charm; the very things he’s supposed to exude as a young space cowboy.
Besides that, I can’t find anything abhorrently awful to talk about. The fanfare and the western tropes are there and the main story takes a back seat between “Chapter 3: The Sin” and “Chapter 7: The Reckoning”, but the show handles it all really well. Trust me; if there was something BAD to speak of, I would surely let it be heard from the rooftops.
The Grade
Overall, I thought it was a job well done by Favreau and the team. A good execution of balance between nostalgia and storytelling; something I wish I could say about The Rise of Skywalker. Disney+ has a seven-day free trial (otherwise it’s $6.99/month), so when you’re in the mood to binge something short, I’d recommend the first season of The Mandalorian as a worthy consideration. Don’t pirate it, or you’re a coward.
Rating: B+
Ah yes, another review in the can. Thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope to have something to write about soon, so definitely check back soon and if I haven’t posted anything in a while, call 911 (I’m kidding). This is the way.
Anyway, I have spoken. Later!
Maestro Movie Reviews & Essays 