This review is spoiler-free.
What a time to be alive! We’ve finally got a proper live-action Star Wars TV show. After months of hype, The Mandalorian has arrived in a select amount of countries, my own not being one of them. But, that wasn’t going to stop me, and it’s not going to stop a large amount of Star Wars fans either. Disney, if you honestly thought we were going to wait a few more months to see this, then you’re either incredibly naive or stupid. Anyway, let’s get to the review, was The Mandalorian any good?
Yes. Yes it was.
Imagine the Star Wars franchise having a baby with a Western, The Mandalorian would be the result. The two genres go together like bread and butter, it’s perfect. It brings a new, interesting style to the Star Wars universe without losing any of the elements that make this franchise so recognisable. Within seconds, you’ll be in no doubt that this is a part of the universe and you’ll also notice that the team behind The Mandalorian have spared no expense when it comes to production…
Because, visually, this is stunning. The visual effects look like they’ve come straight from a movie and the practical sets, creatures etc are absolutely sublime. Jon Favreau clearly gets what Star Wars is all about and it is seen in abundance in this episode, it captures the charm of Star Wars perfectly and you’ll struggle to watch it without a smile on your face. Also, shoutout to Ludwig Goransson, his score is amazing and I can’t wait to hear more of the music as the series progresses.
I’m not going to delve into plot details too much, because there are some great surprises here. But what I will say, is that this episode does a great job of establishing Pedro Pascal’s titular character and you’ll likely come away loving him already. There is just enough detail here to show the audience what a post-Return of the Jedi universe is like, without becoming overwhelming. After all, there is plenty of time to explore this!
My only issue with the episode really, was the short runtime. Clocking in at just 35 minutes without credits, this was a lot less than what I expected going into it. However, as the old saying goes: “Quality not quantity”. Thankfully, the third act of this episode is absolutely fantastic and I can forgive any shortcomings for that alone. I won’t say what happens or who is involved, all I will say is that it looks amazing and it is Star Wars at it’s purest, and at it’s best.
If you like Star Wars, then this is a must-watch. If you’re not a fan of Star Wars, there’s a good chance you’ll like it anyway! I came out of this episode desperate to see more, and I honestly can’t wait to see where this story goes. I’m fully on board with The Mandalorian, and you will be too.
I have spoken. (If you know, you know.)
I give The Mandalorian: Chapter 1 an 8.5/10.
Wado Reviews 