Review Summary: Has a handful of stumbles...but is closer to the fun, old-fashioned feel of the original trilogy than most efforts of the past 30 years.
NOTE: Being a TV show, I've decided to break down Mandalorian into short paragraph reviews of each episode, followed by a few paragraphs of overview.
Episode 1 - The Mandalorian
The series, for the most part, gets off to a bit of a rocky start. First of all, the tone is too serious. The Star Wars films have had a light wit about them, which most of this first episode lacks almost entirely. Also, Mando himself isn't given much to speak about, which doesn't help the overall mask situation (how can you sympathize with a man behind the mask?). Also, the pacing is all over the place. The first two-thirds go by slow (I'll be honest, I nearly fell asleep), before finally picking up in the last 10 minutes.
However, the hook of the episode (and this whole series) has quite the payoff. The reveal of "the child" (or Baby Yoda) surprised me and my friend, and was enough to keep me interested. Also on the positive end, the visual effects and art direction carefully stay close to the original trilogy's 70's-80's feel, and showing short clips of Mando's origin is fairly effective in its' own right.
Score: 6.9/10
Episode 2 - The Child
If Episode 1 didn't quite work to a degree, Episode 2 course-corrected that (big time). This much more entertaining installment is perfectly-paced, carries a handful of nods to previous films, and a solid return for the Ewoks. The Child proves to be cute and charming in many ways, and we get to see more of Mando in action. His stunts are pretty cool.
I also really appreciated a strong return of practical effects in this episode, a style made famous in previous Star Wars movies. Nick Nolte proves also to be a strong addition to the universe as Kuiil (with one of the most quotable lines of the year...). Yet, the overall sense of fun and wit is what truly makes this episode one of the best in the season. It's an old-fashioned sense of whimsicality in the script I haven't seen in any of the recent Star Wars movies.
Score: 8.8/10
Episode 3 - The Sin
This episode was made to help us understand the stakes a bit more. And it works on the entertainment level to a degree. But there's a big problem here, its' pretty much 10 minutes of set-up and a long, 30-minute heist. That isn't to say the heist isn't fun to watch, it just felt more like filler at times.
However, as for that set-up. The overall introduction of the Mandalorians in general is very nicely-done. Emily Swallow does a wonderful job as the Armorer, and there's a couple of solid twists built in mid-way through. But it also does lose a little bit of the wittiness seen in episode 2.
Score: 7.1/10
Episode 4 - Sanctuary
I enjoyed this episode quite a lot. Not just for the entertaining action scenes, but for the much-needed characterizations here too. We get to know even more about Mando himself, as well as a new female character, Cara Dune (played very well by Gina Carano). This episode also features some of the show's most memorable moments. From the Child sipping soup to Cara and Mando's fight, to the first time Mando takes his helmet off (off-screen), there's a lot here Bryce Dallas Howard nails (the Jurassic World and Pete's Dragon actress makes her directorial debut with this episode).
On the downside, the episode has a bit of a choppy ending, as it is a bit uncertain on where and how it wants to end at first. Other than that pacing issue, Episode 4 is definitely one of my favorites of the season.
Score: 8.6/10
Episode 5 - The Gunslinger
The story of this particular episode does stretch the overall plot of the show a little thin, as there's not much progress made by Mando here at all. If I could have put some of this at the tail end of Episode 4 or the start of Episode 6, it might would have helped. However, this episode does introduce a stand-out new mechanic character, played by the perfectly-cast (and always fun) Amy Sedaris.
This episode also introduces a strong new adversary, played by Agents of SHIELD's Ming Na-Wen. She's a good casting choice also, but she's not given enough to do (however, its' hinted at that she's still around, so maybe we haven't seen the last of her). The visual effects (particularly the sand riders) shine in this episode too.
Score: 7.7/10
Episode 6 - The Prisoner
This was the weakest episode of the show for me. Not because it didn't lack for creativity (there are some colorful characters), but the tone is all wrong. It felt like Star Wars' attempt to try and recreate the characters of Guardians of the Galaxy or Suicide Squad. And you can see the double-crossing coming from a mile away, its' that predictable.
There are a few entertaining moments, and a couple of minor surprises. But, as far as memorability goes, this one is definitely the weakest. And the Child pretty much is left behind for a lot of this adventure....not good.
Score: 4.9/10
Episode 7 - The Reckoning
The show's plot reaches its' climax here, as we start to see the true good vs. evil battle here. Thanks to the return of a few memorable characters and a few strong reveals, the overall story here becomes even more interesting. The series' main villain is revealed to be Moff Gideon, played here with enough sinister vibes by Giancarlo Esposito. Part of me does wonder why he was introduced late in the game (even though Carl Weathers was even more sinister in some appearances early on).
Perhaps making the episode even stronger is the cliffhanger, which hadn't worked as a hook since the end of the first episode. It really does a nice job getting the audience in true anticipation for the finale. On the downside, the action plays a little too much of a part of the story here, instead of helping move Mando's personal story forward more.
Score: 8.1/10
Episode 8 - Redemption
So, what I said about Mando's personal story, gets corrected here. We get the entire look of what happened to Mando before the series starts, and its very emotionally-effective (Pedro Pascal clearly has grown into the role by this point). Meanwhile, the first season of the show comes to a startling (and satisfying) close. Taika Wattiti (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok) directs this one with a hand for nostalgia (there's quite a bit of winks to older films), and a taste of the tongue-in-cheek humor he's known for. But he impressively keeps it restrained to keep the focus on the story here.
The Child is given a couple of his most memorable moments here, and the overall ending action scene doesn't always go in the direction you think its' going to. There's also a few other surprises revealed that successfully add extra layers here and there. And, as far as next season goes, the show leaves off at an appropriate place to let us viewers think about what might could happen next. But, the mix of action, humor and surprises makes this one of the most effective episodes of the show so far.
Score: 8.6/10
Overall Review
Jon Favreau made some Disney fans disappointed earlier this year with the remake of The Lion King. Not saying that the film itself was horrible, it just lacked the energy of its' predecessor. He got Jungle Book right, so what happened there? But, I can say this. Whatever happened with that remake, he made up for here with Mandalorian.
For the most part here, he's done a very nice job of remaining faithful to what audiences expect out of Star Wars. The action. The memorable characters. The overall production. The force. Everything here feels like it fits well with the 70's and 80's movies, at least more than most of the prequel and sequel Star Wars fare did.
Now it has problems from time to time that can't be overlooked. Favreau's decision to have different directors tackle different episodes creates occasional tone-related and pace-related issues. And like most TV shows, there's at least one throwaway episode that doesn't gel well at all. For me, episode 6 definitely feels like the episode that really either could have been reworked to fit in another episode, or cut altogether and not really be missed.
But, Favreau still has created some sort of cultural phenomenon here. And it's not just because of Baby Yoda (though he is incredibly cute and steals the show pretty often). It's because this particular Star Wars show goes in new, exciting directions for the franchise, while not (Episode 6 aside) sacrificing what makes audiences enjoy the movies in the first place.
It has room to grow in a few areas, but ultimately, season 1 of Mandalorian is still a very solid diversion, sure to please old fans, while having enough energy to entertain casual fans (like myself) and maybe win over some possible new ones.
Overall Score: 7.9/10
