A Spaghetti Western in a galaxy far far away: 'The Mandalorian'
The series starts with the Mandalorian receiving a high-paying bounty from a former imperial officer.
Who could have thought "Star Wars" warranted the potential to become a prestige TV material someday?
Disney did (thankfully). With the first Disney plus show "The Mandalorian," the "Star Wars" lore meets an exciting blend of Spaghetti Western – a subgenre of western films that pegged their hope on gun-toting heroes and raw violence. The eight-episode series is a testament that the galaxy far away can still stir fan service.
Pedro Pascal plays the titular bounty hunter whose face remains concealed throughout the series, just like Boba Fett from the original trilogy. The entire runtime of the series spans, give or take, four hours – giving "Mando" the opportunity to get more screen time than any popular character of the franchise.
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Watch the trailer of "The Mandalorian" here
Pascal, who is known for his roles in Narcos and Game of Thrones, delivers effortlessly, clad in a helmet and armour. His stoic persona adds further depth to the show. Unlike Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa or Han Solo, he is not much of a talker.
The very reason "The Mandalorian" is likeable is because it cleverly avoids most things "Star Wars" is famous for. There is no Jedi, no Sith or a glorious 'chosen one' in this show, making it an outlier canon for the franchise.
"Star Wars" was always about big things involving the fate of the galaxy. But this show heads for a rather minuscule, but enjoyable, foray.
The series starts with the Mandalorian receiving a high-paying bounty from a former imperial officer. He gets it done but smells something fishy as the bounty turns out to be a 50-year-old child with special powers. He breaches his professional code to save 'The child' from the client and goes on a hideout.
As the series is set in a period after the events of "The Return of the Jedi," the galaxy is no more feared by the Empire. But the remnants of the fallen ruler loom large and also hinder order at times.
John Favreau, creator of the series, was quite confident about its success. Hence, he is still attached with the second season – due in the fall of 2020.
If you are a big fan of the signature John Williams scores that were a staple part of the franchise, this series' heart-pounding soundtracks by Ludwig Goransson deserve a great deal of praise.
"The Mandalorian" aims for small stories, about small people making judgements that may cost their community. It may reach to a grander scale in the next season, but for now, it stays closer to the ground, exploring aspects of space opera that was never before done by "Star Wars".
