The Mandalorian Review
The highly anticipated release of Disney Plus was heavily supplemented by the advent of original content for the platform. Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian acts as a gritty addition to the Star Wars universe. Only one of Disney’s new line of high budget original series, The Mandalorian, boasts 15 million dollars per episode. This action-packed series features episodes directed by Star Wars: The Clone Wars writer Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Taika Waititi.
Cast and Characters
The Mandalorian stars Game of Thrones actor Pedro Pascal as the stoic title character, in the role he provides a quiet, intimidating demeanor that perfectly captures the somber tone of the show. The series is packed with celebrity cameos, such as Eugene Cordeo, who played the character of Pilboi in NBC’s The Good Place, Brian Posehn and Horatio Sanz. Acting alongside the titular character are Carl Weathers’ Greef Carga, Gina Carano’s Cara Dune and Taika Watiti’s IG-11. But of course, no Star Wars media is complete without its fair share of mystical “The Force” moments and small lovable characters; these needs are fulfilled by the character of “The Child”, an innocent bounty that The Mandalorian takes pity on. Dubbed “Baby Yoda” by the internet, The Child provides much-needed wholesome moments to the otherwise rather dark series.
Action
The Mandalorian utilizes its extensive visual effects budget to create engaging action set pieces and dazzling shots that stick with the viewer. The series shares its visual effects producer, Abbigail Keller, with films like Thor: Ragnarok, Ready Player One, and Avengers: Age of Ultron, so it’s no surprise that the show delighted audiences with stunning practical and computer-generated effects.
Direction and Cinematography
Created by acclaimed director and producer, Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian is defined by its excellent direction. The series’ cinematography was done by Greg Fraser, known for films like Vice and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. There are 5 directors for the series, split across eight episodes, this allows each episode to have a mildly different tone and creative style. The directors featured are Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, Deborah Chow, Bryce Dallas Howard and Taika Waititi.
Overview
With a 95% positive Google rating, an 8.9/10 on IMDB, a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 8/10 on IGN, The Mandalorian is, no doubt, a huge success. With expert writing and direction, paired with a talented cast, The Mandalorian has put Disney Plus on the radar for many people. We can only hope that season two, coming out later this year, holds up to standards set by its first run.
This asset is of extreme importance. All episodes of #TheMandalorian are now streaming on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/oPjBVcWVOk
— The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) December 29, 2019
