⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unlike my reviews of the Star Wars movie, this review is spoiler-free, with only the overall plot explained.
"The Mandalorian" is a spinoff series of Star Wars, consisting of 8 episodes ranging from 30-50 minutes each. I watched the series for the first time last year and I'm re-watching it this year, this time paying more attention to it so I understood it better.😎
"The Mandalorian" takes place after "Return of the Jedi", but before the sequel trilogy. The main character, who some call Mando, is a bounty hunter just trying to make a living and survive after the fall of the Empire. On one of his missions, his first mission in the series, he is tasked with obtaining someone, dead or alive. The only thing he is told about this someone is the age - 50 years old...who becomes known as "The Child". Our leading Mandalorian has a soft spot for this child and will do anything to keep it safe. As the series progresses, Mando continues on missions that will allow him to collect his bounty, while keeping The Child safe. This is no easy task because The Child is a wanted creature. Mando and The Child travel to various planets and meet others in their adventures. Some turn out to be allies, while others are clearly enemies. Season one is one continuous story, packed with various individual adventures.
While this show does have a heavy Star Wars vibe, it is also a lot quieter than the movies. At times it moves a little too slow, but for the most part I appreciated the quieter pace, with action scenes used sparingly. Each episode has action scenes, the kind we are used to seeing in action/adventure flicks, but they do not overpower the show. The series is committed to telling a story, which doesn't always have to be action-packed.
One thing that amazes me about this show is how effective even the droids, The Child (a puppet), and Mando are in conveying emotions. There were times when I could simply look at them and feel how they were feeling. Mando doesn't take his helmet off, so he needs to be able to communicate without facial expressions. And he does. There is also a good bit of humor throughout the series, though it's not overly done. Especially in the final episode of the season, I laughed out loud at a verbal exchange had by stormtroopers. There was also one scene that almost made me cry. Throughout the season, I think I felt every major emotion possible.
I recommend watching "The Mandalorian" if you haven't already seen it. While this first season of "The Mandalorian" is probably not something I'll watch again anytime soon, I'm glad I watched it the two times that I did. If I had paid more attention to it last year, I most likely would have fully understood it then. The plot is not complicated and the overall pace of the series flows well. I would have had a hard time waiting until the following week for each episode to be released, so I'm glad I was able to watch them all in one week. Most days I watched two episodes a day, but the last two I watched on different days. After each episode, I came away feeling satisfied, yet wanting more.
The cinematography is outstanding. Each planet has its own "personality" and the visuals are effective in conveying this. It often felt like a big budget movie. I thought the musical score was spot on also.
I am looking forward to re-watching season two, beginning today. After I finish watching all eight episodes, I will review the season as a whole.
No comments:
Post a Comment