Why You Should Watch The Mandalorian
The launch of Disney+, a new streaming service, has not only seen the return of Disney’s old movies and TV shows to a streaming platform besides Netflix, but has also been the source of many new originals. Included in such releases is the new Star Wars TV show titled, The Mandalorian. The story follows a hunter of the Mandalorian race as he scours the galaxy for bounties after the collapse of the tyrannical Empire, as depicted by the events of the 3rd film of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi. So is it worth watching? So far, yes, I strongly believe so, but if that isn’t enough, the following passage will hopefully convince you.
***I do not believe there are any significant spoilers in this article.***
Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, the last entry into the Star Wars cinematic universe, was not well received by most avid Star Wars fans, to say the least, and has created skepticism about the future of Star Wars on screen. The Mandalorian removes such doubts in just a couple of episodes with its innovative steps towards new ideas while maintaining its nostalgic ties with the source material, because, after all, it is still Star Wars.
Firstly, The Mandalorian’s success can be attributed to generally, good writing of both plot and dialogue. Each episode plays out as its own story while maintaining continuity with other episodes and progressing an overarching story arch for the season. And though the story manages a somewhat slow pace, I wouldn’t say the series ever gets boring or dull, and still manages to captivate audiences even in events that are often dragged out. Dialogues are scarce, but when it does happen, it’s concise and quick. The show also does a good job of providing exposition to both newer audiences and hardcore vets in a natural way, and overall it progresses its story effectively with short but useful dialogue and a proper use of its episodic storytelling.
As for the characters of this show and their development, it’s simply too soon to say. Being only 3 episodes in, the show is still in the process of revealing the protagonist’s identity and characteristics to the audience, so development is hard to identify. However, the protagonist still manages to capture the audience’s attention and gain the empathy of the viewer, even if his moral standard is still quite ambiguous. As for the supporting characters, so far, they have all been memorable and unique, while also being reminiscent of past characters by both appearance and personality. If all future supporting characters were as strong as the ones so far, The Mandalorian has a bright future ahead of it.
In regards to the performances of The Mandalorian, they are all quite strong, and they’re aren’t any weak links to identify. Once again, the supporting characters are a strong point with strong performances by Nick Nolte, Werner Herzog, and Carl Weathers. As for the lead himself, Pedro Pascal hasn’t had much to work with to demonstrate the extent of his performance as the Mandalorian is quite somber and silent. However, the little bits of dialogue that we have had so far have hinted that Pedro Pascal was the right choice for the lead. So far, performances have been strong and I am quite interested to see where Pascal goes with his character.
Pedro Pascal (pictured to the right) plays the lead role of the “Mandalorian”
I believe that the ultimate highlight of The Mandalorian is the aesthetic it presents with a masterful combination of costumes, makeup, CGI, and setwork. Firstly, the settings of The Mandalorian are near perfect with combinations of both practical and CGI effects that create a world which feels barren and desolate; this helps to depict the “Mandalorian” as a “lone wolf” character. In addition, the characters themselves are all hyper-realistic and tangible, no matter how bizarre or out of place their appearance seems. The team behind The Mandalorian has done a fantastic job of finding the balance between using practical effects and makeup/costumes, and using CGI that elevates the show to another level.
My final point for watching the show may only apply to a certain demographic, but it is an important thing to note. The Mandalorian, thought innovative in its aesthetic and story, is still Star Wars and maintains that sense of nostalgia. The show does this with specific callbacks, eg. shooting a door lock with a blaster will open a door, and recognizable camera work such as certain scene transitions. Things like this make The Mandalorian Star Wars-y no matter how deviant from the source material it gets, making sure that long-time fans of the franchise will still have a good time.
In conclusion, The Mandalorian is a must watch, not letting the failures of the past years hold it back. It thrives as its own new thing while still serving as nostalgia for long-time fans. Please note, it is PG-13, so younger viewers beware, but if you’re of age, I highly recommend that you start watching The Mandalorian right away!
Work Cited
Google Search, Google, google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=The%2BMandalorian.
“Pedro Pascal.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Pascal.