'The Mandalorian' Season 1 Episode 1 Review: An artful, old-school Western wrapped in everything that makes Star Wars great
Spoiler alert for Season 1, Episode 1 of 'The Mandalorian'
A lone wanderer walks into a tavern out in the middle of nowhere. The doors open to him, and he draws every eye in the place - including that of a rowdy outlaw, looking to pick a fight. The fight ensues. Our wanderer wins. It’s a scene that’s been played out a hundred times, across a hundred Westerns, but this time, the set dressing is all different. ‘Star Wars’ meets the Wild West, and if the first episode is anything to go by, ‘The Mandalorian’ belongs right up there with the best of them.
Disney+ launched today, and one of its biggest draws - besides its extensive back catalog of movies and shows - is the next big piece of the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, ‘The Mandalorian.’ Starring Pedro Pascal as the titular character, the show makes a strong first impression without looking like it’s trying too hard.
Details on the show itself have been sparse, and having seen the first episode, it’s easy to see why - there isn’t much to tell, storywise. That’s not to say that it’s not a good story, it’s just that the plot - so far - isn’t overly complicated. We’re given just as much as we need to know to be able to sit back and enjoy seriously high quality cinematic storytelling.
The plot establishes a Mandalorian bounty hunter in a post-Empire world, seeking to make a buck. He accepts a bounty from a rich, but shady client, and, after some complications and a quick alliance, finds out the bounty is in fact, a baby (a 50 year old baby, sure, but as is pointed out, species age differently) - one the Mandalorian seems to connect with, and be protective of, just as the credits roll. Even the most casual of Star Wars fans will recognize the species of the baby. It’s the same species as Yoda, a species that, like the Mandalorian himself, is curiously unnamed thus far.
Pedro Pascal does an admirable job of playing a likeable, earnest, honour-bound bounty hunter with a strict code and deep loyalty to his tribe. It’s not an easy thing to accomplish for a character who never shows his face, and talks as little as possible. Sometimes, less truly is more, as every line he does speak carries that much more weight, saying that much more about who he is.
‘Less is more’ seems to be the guiding principle behind the show. In a franchise as steeped with lore as ‘Star Wars’, the show avoids exposition dumps, or hundreds of little Easter Eggs to the larger ‘Star Wars’ universe - though there are a few. The story tells you exactly what you need to know to understand what’s happening, and sets up the minimal amount of mystery necessary to keep an audience hooked but still safe in the knowledge that answers will come, in time. The show’s pacing is steady, and lets the world set in, immersing you in its aesthetic instead of overwhelming you with it.
As good as it is, it would be just another Western in a pile of good Westerns (with hints of samurai influences) if not for the sci-fi elements it wears remarkably well. The show’s budget pays off, as everything from the alien make-up to the laser blasts feels real, and grounded. The scenery and overall cinematography is breathtaking, and it’s not hard to imagine that ‘The Mandalorian’ would still be an amazing watch with the sound on mute.
The show focuses mainly on the Mandalorian so far, and his story. All other characters, while well performed, are tertiary to the Mandalorian’s story. Fans hoping to see an amusing performance out of Taika Waititi’s IG-11 reminiscent of Alan Tudyk’s K-2SO from ‘Rogue One,’ for example, are going to be disappointed, at least by this episode.
‘The Mandalorian’ is not a blockbuster TV show, despite its budget and mass appeal. It’s pure, artful storytelling, bringing back the best of old school cinema to a format filmmakers are still getting used to. Disney+ has launched strong, and ‘The Mandalorian’ will be a show that will be talked about for many years to come.
The next episode of ‘The Mandalorian’ airs Novemer 15 on Disney+.
