And then…everything changed…
With the launch of Disney+ today the world essentially stopped, at least for some people as one of the most anticipated TV shows of the fall is now rolling out for fans everywhere one episode at a time; Star Wars: The Mandalorian.
With the premiere episode now in the universe, we get something that is actually living up to the hype with an adventure that slides into the Star Wars universe in a quietly subtle way that evokes the kind of storytelling that inspired the kick off into “A Galaxy Far, Far Away” in the first place.
We meet a Mandalorian; a Bounty Hunter (Pedro Pascal) making a meager existence trolling the universe for bail jumpers and the like in the wake of the fall of the Empire. Finding it hard to makes ends meet; he takes an unsanctioned job from a mysterious client (Werner Herzog) which sets him on a job with consequences that he never anticipated.
This actually the first time in the entire franchise that we’re back to the simple concept of samurai/western story but in space and it’s a welcome return. As much as we love the spectacle of science-fiction with aliens and spaceships, sometimes a really compelling story (which is only just getting hinted at) and some well placed action is enough to get the job done.
Jon Favreau with executive producer and writer credits across the entire series has done a stellar job at simply raising the current ever so slightly with what will essentially be a 5.5-6 hour piece of storytelling once you put all the episodes together.
Ultimately, The Mandalorian is the right jewel in Disney’s narrative to crown to lead with when it comes to launching this new streaming service (along with hard to find gems in HD like Fantasia, The Black Hole & 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea to name a few). Strong, well seasoned story tellers ultimately keeping up the traditions that this franchise and undoubtedly a lot of the upcoming Marvel series will continue to uphold. If they can stick to this model and produce high quality content like this that will appeal to more of the fan based set then the kiddie market, Disney + should do some gangbusters business as it evolves itself into the streaming business which quite frankly even the professionals are still trying to figure out.
