There’s a lot of potential in the Star Wars universe and that really shines in the Disney Plus Tv series, The Mandalorian. Set between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy, this series follows an unnamed Mandalorian Bounty hunter as he forges his own path in the galaxy.
Created by Jon Favreau and David Filoni, the series is pleasing Star Wars fans with its amazing story. Pedro Pascal serves as a good lead even though we don’t get to see his face but more on that later.
A Cowboy with No Name
Right off the bat, the show flaunts a very strong spaghetti Western-style with its music and how it is filmed. The main character is the archetype of the classic ‘Cowboy of No Name’ made famous by Clint Eastwood. It’s in how he moves, leans to the side when whipping out his blaster and hunches over a bar counter. Even his cape feels like it is reminiscent of Eastwood’s poncho.
I also see a hint of Geralt of Rivia (Witcher) in the character too in how he talks to characters that earned his respect. The character doesn’t remove his helmet at all which adds to his mystery. He is basically a space cowboy. And, if the character wasn’t enough to prove that this is a Western, the action sequences do so.
We aren’t used to seeing this kind of action in a Star Wars movie. There’s no large scale battle or war going on. Our hero finds himself in skirmishes out in the wilds and calls back to the flashy shootout scenes from the old Western movies. Even the theme song sounds like a mixture between John William’s legendary score and music by the amazing Ennio Morricone who did the scores for a lot of Western movies in the past.
The Western
The Mandalorian has been seen by many as the saviour of Star Wars after The Last Jedi left fans split down the middle. I agree with that statement as The Mandalorian makes me feel like I’m watching an old Star Wars movie. It calls back to that childhood nostalgia in a way the sequel trilogy hasn’t been able to capture for me.
This, of course, has sparked some flak from people who have blasted the series for a number of different reasons, such as not having a female character in the first episode or not having a female character with more than a desired number of lines. Some have also smeared the show for being a Western, which has been denounced as a sexist film genre.
Well, for fans of The Mandalorian, these points of concern don’t seem to be a problem. The series seems to be providing a good narrative and entertainment, which is why it has been well-received. This is the best thing Disney Star Wars has shipped and I hope to see more.
