I also know at this point The Mandalorian has been out for a while, but hopefully that means those with Disney+ have already had the chance to watch it. If you've been intending to watch it and haven't, I highly recommend you stop waiting and just do it already!
The opinion I'm about to state may cause some opposition. Keep in mind, though I enjoy Star Wars, I'm by and far more heavily a Star Trek fan. So, I'm not an all Star Wars, all the time, fan girl. The original trilogy is fun, even if a bit dated, and I did go see all the re-releases of those in the theaters when I was in high school (great, now I feel horribly old - lol). But I've never seen all of Episode III, only bits and pieces (Episodes I and II kind of soured me on that trilogy arc). Plus I didn't run out to theaters to see Episode IX, either, though we had done so for Episodes VII and VIII. I'll see it eventually. I mean, we do have Disney+.
I know, blasphemous. I'm not a diehard Star Wars fan. Though I am looking forward to exploring Galaxy's Edge at Disney World later this year. It seems wonderfully immersive!
And that's honestly how I felt about The Mandalorian. It immersed me in the Star Wars world. Here's the opinion that some may not agree with: I feel The Mandalorian is currently the best Star Wars that has appeared on the screen (not bringing books into this - never read any). I also haven't watched any of the animated series, so I'll keep that statement to live action for now.
Yes, better than the original trilogy. And now all those super Star Wars fans are going to throw rotten tomatoes at me... or whatever rotten fruit is part of the Star Wars universe.
At least hear me out, for a bit, whether you happen to agree, but especially if you disagree.
Now, I know a lot of people complained that The Mandalorian started out too slowly. I honestly disagree with that opinion. Since this is a TV series, there was ample time to build Mando's character and to show us the state of the universe when the series takes place. This has led to a very well-rounded main character. That first episode was the beginning. Movies have to move a lot quicker with their beginnings because they have less time to squeeze everything in.
In that first episode, we see his life as a bounty hunter, we see how what's left of Mandalorian society works. And then right at the end, we get the big hook. And what a hook it was! I applaud Disney for successfully keeping that one under wraps. Amazing.
I don't want this post getting too long, so I'll briefly list a few other things I enjoyed about the series.
Touching on Mando's character again, I loved seeing the other side of the hardened bounty hunter. The Child was a foundling, just like he was, and that connection drove him to save the poor, innocent thing. I'm just amazed at how well his character was built in this first season, and most of it without seeing his facial expressions - that can be a tall order!
Using animatronics was also a great decision. That Baby Yoda puppet still has so much expression and reveals so much with its actions. It reminds me of Gizmo from Gremlins, who was also darn adorable. I think it would have lost something if Baby Yoda was simply all CGI.
Cara Dune rocks! I need more of her. Casting was spot on, too.
The Armorer = the bomb. My husband was like, oh she's going to die now, when the stormtroopers attacked her. I was nervous she would because that's the typical expected outcome of such a scene (many movies and TV shows can be horribly predictable with lots of cliches and stereotypes). Instead, she kicked their asses! Which not only shows that even female Mandalorians are super fierce, but it left things open to have her show up in future episodes. I'm super stoked about that possibility.
Finally, I loved the humor that was peppered throughout the season. Though we have a serious and dramatic story going on, there were moments that weren't afraid to lighten that heavy load. And moments that weren't afraid to poke fun at some of the ongoing Star Wars jokes, like how stormtroopers can't aim or the Jar Jar Binks callback.
I offer the heartiest round of applause to Jon Favreau for creating this series (who, by the way, plays one of the Mandalorians, too) - his vision was clearly strong and was executed well. I can't wait for Season 2 of this amazing and well-crafted story.
OK, now all those who disagree with me are welcome to tear me to shreds. I can take it. I mean, I know my opinion is only one, and you know what they say about opinions...
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