by Drew Sutherland ’21
Note: this review contains minor spoilers for the first episode of The Mandalorian.
What can I say about The Mandalorian other than “wow.” As a long-time Star Wars fan and self-proclaimed expert on all things both Disney and Lucasfilm, I feel I am completely qualified to give The Mandalorian a 10/10 rating.
I have seen every Star Wars movie multiple times, watched through both Rebels and The Clone Wars, and I am happy to say that The Mandalorian takes the best pieces from the entire franchise, while adding new aspects that further expand the Star Wars universe. It has well-written plots, great dialogue, and many well-choreographed action scenes.
This television show was created by Jon Favreau, who Clone Wars fans know as the voice of Pre Vizsla, the leader of the Mandalorians and their militia throughout seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5. Jon Favreau is also the writer and director of Iron Man and its sequel, as well as the actor who plays Happy Hogan in later Marvel movies. He is also known for directing Elf and the 2016 retelling of The Jungle Book.
One notable guest director is actress Bryce Dallas Howard, the star of Jurassic World and its sequel. She is also well known for acting in Black Mirror and Spiderman 3. Star Wars seems to run in her family, as her father Ron Howard was the director of Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The Mandalorian’s cast includes many notable actors, including Deadpool’s Gina Carano as Cara Dune, a mercenary running from the law. 80’s action star Carl Weathers—best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise—plays the leader of the Bounty Hunters Guild. Taika Watiti, the writer, director, and star of Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok, plays the bounty hunter droid IG-11. Watiti also directs the eighth episode of the series.
Finally, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal in the titular role as the Mandalorian. Pascal is an amazing actor, even though he plays a similar character in all 5 roles I have seen him in: a suave and womanizing character with questionable morality and a penchant for violence. He is most well known for his role as the Dornish prince Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones.
Pascal nails the role of the lone bounty hunter and gunslinger. Even though he wears a helmet for most of the show, his body language and voice are enough to know exactly what his face would look like if he could show it.
But what genre is The Mandalorian, you may ask. This show belongs in one of the more obscure genres: space westerns. Yes, it is a western, but in space. This show could very easily be transmitted to a classic fifties western starring John Wayne. Many plotlines include rescuing a prisoner from a prison ship, protecting a town from a group of bandits, and the main plotline, protecting a child from the clutches of the villainous Client and his boss, Moff Gideon.
This brings us to arguably the best part of The Mandalorian: internet sensation Baby Yoda. Baby Yoda is adorable, and his innocent charm has stolen the hearts of seemingly everyone who has seen the show. Baby Yoda steals the show, with every viewer going “awww” every time his face shows up on screen, just because he is so darn cute. From him waving, to eating whole frogs, to just drinking soup, we should really call the show what it is meant to be: the Baby Yoda show.
Drew’s ‘Views is a new Gunnery exclusive series in which I, Drew Sutherland ‘21, review new trends in pop culture. For the debut piece, I decided to examine the Star Wars miniseries The Mandalorian on Disney Plus.
