After Disney acquired Lucasfilm, I mused to myself that a cool move that Disney could do was producing some live-action Star Wars spin-off TV series – but one
that’s benefiting from capable creative vision and a large budget – that would supplement
its new cinematic trilogy and expand the lore of its revised canon. I thought that games, books, comics, and even
animated TV shows – which had been the franchise’s means in pursuing this
purpose ever since – wouldn’t have accomplished this just as well since, as
forms of media that are unlike the original’s, they couldn’t quite make the
same impression of being connected with
the film saga as an actual live-action production could. Now, this objective was actually served
wonderfully by Rogue One, but further
exploration of the same objective through this avenue had been closed for the
foreseeable future after Solo’s shortcomings.
Fortunately, Disney+ has made it
possible for a live-action Star Wars web
TV series to take over the work that the A
Star Wars Story film series won’t be able to continue anymore after just
two offerings. Created by Jon Favreau, this
groundbreaking web TV series is The
Mandalorian, which excitingly is just the first of its kind (an Obi-Wan Kenobi
series starring Ewan McGreggor is reportedly also on the way!).
In the Star Wars universe, the Mandalorians are legendary,
armored warriors who have great versatility in weapons and combat and who religiously
adhere to their creed. Due to their
reputation, they are in-demand as mercenaries (e.g. Jango Fett) and bounty
hunters (e.g. Bobba Fett). One such
warrior (played by Pedro Pascal) is the protagonist of this show, which is set 5
years after the events of Return of the Jedi
and 25 years before the events of The Force Awakens. He’s left unnamed for
most of the 8-episode debut season – simply called “The Mandalorian” or “Mando”
by the people around him – though his real name does get revealed later.
This Mandalorian, a
bounty hunter, is given the job of recovering an “asset” for a client that has connections
with the remnants of the Empire. This “asset”
turns out being “Baby Yoda” – or, more accurately, a baby who is of the same alien species
that Master Yoda happens to belong to. Shortly
after delivering the Child (as how “Baby Yoda” is officially credited in the
show) to the client, the Mandalorian has a change of heart, and decides to
rescue it. He takes upon himself the
task of being its guardian, and the two wander through the galaxy while hunters
chase them down.
For me, The Mandalorian is the best Star
Wars thing since Rogue One. It’s extremely enjoyable. Of course, the adorable Baby Yoda plays a big
part in that. But it delights with far
more than just that.
It has everything you would want
a Star Wars spin-off show to have – an
easy-to-digest, unpretentious story; terrific action (that scene where the
other Mandalorians aided our hero is simply breathtaking); superb visual
effects; high production value; investing mythology; organic, well-placed humor; and a chock-full of
heart. Most importantly, it’s “magical” –
it inspires a sense of wonder. It makes
you a kid again.
Watching it gave me this warm,
cozy feeling inside. It’s as if it has
tapped into my memories so that it can grant a rush that combines the pleasures
I had from reading Dark Horse’s licensed Star
Wars comics and Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars novels, and watching BraveStarr,
Firefly and Cowboy Bebop.
I love space westerns, and this
show is a legit space western through and through. Its tone, settings, tropes, theme music, characterizations,
and other elements give it the vibes of old-school western and samurai films
(which are basically the same thing; the two genres feed off and reference each
other), while the eponymous character is reminiscent of the gruff, loner gunslinger
archetype, a la The Man with No Name (thus, I actually would have preferred for the Mandalorian to remain nameless).
Indeed, The Mandalorian really hits my sweet spot.
No comments:
Post a Comment