The Mandalorian (Season 1)

And here it is folks, the main reason a lot of people subscribed to Disney Plus and after today why a lot of people are going to unsubscribe until Season 2 comes out.

A little bit of commentary on Disney Plus before I start up this review. I do think it is interesting that besides this show, Disney Plus's whole strategy of selling its streaming service is nostalgia based. Sure, there are a couple of other "originals" out there, but none of them had as much clout as The Mandalorian. I mean I don't think anybody is going to get the service for the sole purpose of watching the High School Musical Series or the Live Action Lady and the Tramp movie. Those people are in for the Disney Nostalgia trip. But some people will get the streaming service for the Mandalorian. And yes, I know its not even an original, but there is something about this show that feels a little bit different. I do get the feeling the streaming service might lose some subscribers after today (the final episode) and only get them back when something as unique comes out, because this show, while based on the Star Wars property, feels new.

One other disclaimer, I haven't been reviewing Star Wars movies or any other property (except maybe the Clone Wars series) on this blog because I have been a Star Wars fan since I was a child. I've really loved everything Star Wars related and I have yet to find something I really have hated, and that includes The Christmas Special. My opinion might be a little bias, but I'm hoping to insert my opinions on Star Wars more... because we all know that's what we need right? But seriously, I think this show for sure warrants some critical thought.

The Mandalorian takes place after the original trilogy (New Hope, Empire, and Return of the Jedi). The timeline is a little fuzzy but honestly it doesn't matter. People have been guessing about 5 or so years after Return of the Jedi, but honestly it doesn't matter much.

It follows a bounty hunter many refer to as The Mandalorian. He has a name but honestly, I think it's a little cooler when he's just the man with no name who never takes his helmet off because it is the Mandalorian "way".

There is a little bit of backstory to this guy, but for the most part, the show centers on him collecting bounties and being an all together badass.

The one snag though is that in the first episode, he comes across a unique bounty that sets the course of the series in motion.

The Mandalorian picks up a bounty from an Imperial Warlord (played by Werner Herzgog).

The thing that I like about this character worth noting is that they appear to be hiding in the aftermath of the fall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi.

It gives the feeling that the Empire has been fractured and now there are warlords trying to keep the Empire alive, which in the Legends cannon is a really interesting dynamic that Disney would be wise to look into in the future because it is interesting.

But back to the main story, Mando goes on this bounty mission and finds the target. It is an unexpected target to say the least. Now this might be considered a spoiler, but A) Its revealed in the first episode so you're not missing much if this gets revealed, and B) its been all over the internet, its hard to miss.

It's Baby Freaking Yoda.

Of course it can't be Yoda because Yoda died in Return of the Jedi, but its a species like Yoda and it doesn't really have a name so obviously we called it Baby Yoda.

On a side note, this character had the possibility of being annoying, pandering, or just not well done at all, but there is a reason he's gained so much popularity. Besides the fact that he's just really darn cute, he's just used well as a bit of a mcguffin, but also just a plot mystery. Every time you see him, after you're done saying AWWW, you wonder what he could be, who he could be, and it fuels the drive to keep watching.

The rest of the show is very much the Mandalorian surviving the remnant of the empire, other bounty hunters, and other threats all with this little adorable puppet hanging out with him.

And the result is kind of amazing.

At first it was a little hard to put my finger on exactly why this show worked so well, but after a couple of episodes (the first few episodes in my opinion are the weakest and that's not saying much because they're still really good) I started to realize that this is the first Star Wars property that doesn't rely on really anything from the original trilogy to sustain itself.

Obviously the aesthetics, the costumes, Empire, Yoda's species remain the same, but there are no known characters in this series. It's not like Lando pops up and says hi to everyone, these are all new characters living and breathing in a universe we've become very familiar with by this point, and this is the first time Disney seems to be having some fun with it.

The majority of the show takes place on the out rim and it follows the criminal underworld of the Star Wars universe. None of this is shaping the course of the movies and it doesn't need to. It's just a single bounty hunter, doing bounty hunter jobs, and making his way in the galaxy.

And somehow, this works perfectly to use some pretty good talent for small but important roles. Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Werner Herzgog, Bill Burr, Giancarlo Esposito, Nick Nolte, the voice of Taikia Waititi, the list goes on. But it never feels forced or distracting. They all feel like fleshed out characters in the Star Wars Universe and I love every minute of it.

The other really great thing about this show is that it plays out like a video game. The Mandalorian is your faceless hero that fights through the bad guys with almost god-like abilities, then, at least in the first few episodes, comes back to his home base and uses the money from his jobs to buy better equipment and better armor. The episodes also feel very episodic, like Mando is in an open world just doing side missions until the player is ready to continue the main quest.

And furthermore, it seems to expand the Star Wars mythology. Instead of saying, "Oh this is why this happened in the movie" The Mandalorian points to how huge the Star Wars mythology could be. This is where my inner nerd comes out because this show is rife with easter eggs, allusions to stories nerds weren't sure were cannon or not, and at the end of the day, it just does Star Wars right.

The episodes are not only video game like, they're reminiscent of old westerns or samurai films with the lone gunman or swordsman who holds himself to a code wanders alone.

My criticisms might be what this show might feel like to those not totally familiar with Star Wars beyond the movies. I think it's accessible, but I wonder if I am drawn to it because I know the Star Wars mythology so well. I'll be talking more about this in my next review, but I could potentially see this show being confusing if you don't know the rules of Star Wars or know the backstory. But at the same time, I haven't talked to enough non-Star Wars fans who picked this up randomly to see if its accessible or not.

I appreciate that the episodes are only 30-45 minutes long but I wouldn't have minded longer ones. I think the way the format is looking is that the episodes can be as long as the director wants them to be (within reason). In the future we could see 30 minute episodes, but also see hour to hour and 15 minute long episodes. Some of them really don't need to be longer than 30 minutes, other might need some more time.

I could also see the video game simplicity be limiting on how deep you could get with these characters. I think it works right now with introducing everyone and getting the feel for the show, but I could see the simplicity limiting the show, especially as it expands into more seasons, which its most definitely will.

I feel like I kept this review vague because I do think it's a show everyone should at least check out. There's a lot to like for a lot of people and it gives me a lot of hope for the future of Star Wars properties on Disney plus, but only if they keep expanding the lore, not restricting it.

I highly recommend it.

I'm probably going to do a commentary on the Star Wars films under Disney here before the end of the year, and there is a lot to talk about, but The Mandalorian is really high up there when it comes to the positives of Disney's 2015 acquisition of the Star Wars property.

Please, if you are not a huge Star Wars fan and you checked this show out, let me know what you thought. Was it accessible? Do you want to continue to watch this and other Star Wars shows because of it? Even if you are a fan of Star Wars, let me know what you thought! Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @MovieSymposium as well as send me your requests for films I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

Thanks for reading!