Take 1 part Sergio Leone, 1 part Akira Kurosawa, 1 part 1977 Tunisia, 1 part modern CGI, and 1 part religious tribal fanaticism and you got one hell of a simple, straightforward, Star Wars story in The Mandalorian.
When the show is at its best, it follows in the path of Saint Sergio while having a foot firmly planted in 1977 Tatooine. When the show is at its worst, it's "let's do a Seven Samurai episode...now let's do a Sanjuro episode." Luckily it's far more in the at-its-best category.
For how awful and idiotic the past 8 Star Wars films have been (except Rogue Force One,) it's so heartening to see a show remind you of how awesome and fun and emotionally fulfilling the universe could be. However, much like the first half of Episode IV, the strength of the show is how mundane it is. Take Boba Fett's costume delicately welding his damaged armor for 5 minutes at sundown with a baby Yoda watching, and I'd watch all 5 minutes of that. I'd watch 30 minutes of that.
They focus on haggling over scraps of spaceship metal; the bozo flunkies at the bar trying to get a job; the Troopers tributes of two Lightspeeder Troopers waiting for eternity for the order to enter a meeting. Because of the annoying and tedious day-to-day grind these characters go through, we end up cheering for a normal working class schlubs trying to make a buck.
Then there's Baby Yoda. There's the shot of the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda touching fingers. The show is as simple as that. That's all the show needs, and it's suddenly elevated to normal working class schlubs trying to make a buck and raise their kid.
When the show is at its best, it follows in the path of Saint Sergio while having a foot firmly planted in 1977 Tatooine. When the show is at its worst, it's "let's do a Seven Samurai episode...now let's do a Sanjuro episode." Luckily it's far more in the at-its-best category.
For how awful and idiotic the past 8 Star Wars films have been (except Rogue Force One,) it's so heartening to see a show remind you of how awesome and fun and emotionally fulfilling the universe could be. However, much like the first half of Episode IV, the strength of the show is how mundane it is. Take Boba Fett's costume delicately welding his damaged armor for 5 minutes at sundown with a baby Yoda watching, and I'd watch all 5 minutes of that. I'd watch 30 minutes of that.
They focus on haggling over scraps of spaceship metal; the bozo flunkies at the bar trying to get a job; the Troopers tributes of two Lightspeeder Troopers waiting for eternity for the order to enter a meeting. Because of the annoying and tedious day-to-day grind these characters go through, we end up cheering for a normal working class schlubs trying to make a buck.
Then there's Baby Yoda. There's the shot of the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda touching fingers. The show is as simple as that. That's all the show needs, and it's suddenly elevated to normal working class schlubs trying to make a buck and raise their kid.
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