The Mandalorian dropped alongside its platform, Disney Plus, and quickly enamored fans with its novel take on Star Wars.

     The Mandalorian is a breath of fresh air into an otherwise semi-repetitive series. However, this does not make the story completely different and abstract from the traditional Star Wars saga. It includes many elements from the movies and various established Star Wars concepts such as dirty cantinas, walking tanks and the good old droids from time to time.  

     The audience will follow Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian, five years after the fall of the empire, as he makes his way through a western style space adventure. The Mandalorian culture is heavily emphasized in this new show, and introduces us to a Mandalorian tribe in hiding after the mysterious Great Purge. The show releases an episode a week and is slightly more than halfway through the first season.

     The show is action packed with the Star Wars ever-improving graphics. The fights are choreographed very well in a style that does not feature the rapid fluidity of kendo, the martial art used for the lightsaber duels. The Mandalorian is fast paced, for sure, but portrays a more realistic and desperate element to the fight. It’s nitty and gritty even if its easy to tell that The Mandalorian is a talented fighter. The tense anxiety of every fight scene has viewers leaning forward to try to discern where the fight is going because the usual “he’s the protagonist, of course he’ll win” argument is utterly useless. The show is wild and unpredictable but not completely outrageous.

     Aside from the visuals, the ambient noise and music create an atmosphere that is unique within the unique Star Wars genre. The music sounds almost tribal, with an amazing use of drums in a way that provokes anticipation every time they are heard. The music creates a feeling of being a part of a tight knit community, taking another step to make the audience feel like they are a part of what they watch. The classic blaster noises and alien sounds that occur all the time make the viewer nostalgic of the past movies.

     The Mandalorian is a show that is serious in nature and tone, but does not fail to make the audience laugh. The humor is very deadpan, due to the ever present helmet. It is abundantly clear that these instances of comedy are not flukes, and that Baby Yoda’s sole mission is to be adorable and hilarious, but that’s its own topic.

     One of the aspects of The Mandalorian that has fans in a tizzy is The Child, dubbed Baby Yoda by fans. He is adorable and beloved. Obviously an integral part of the plot, the story so far has not gone into detail of his specific role in the show or if he connects to the movies.

     The state of affairs shares an underdog feel with the original trilogy depicting a non-pristine setting and the dark world of mercenaries. It is mature in theme but does not dive headfirst into sickening topics. The show does not romanticize the world but it still is overwhelmingly fun, and one of the best watches in a very long time.

The Mandalorian is a great watch for Star Wars fans and non fans alike. While mature, the show does not feature any cursing or sexual themes making it acceptable for the young ones at the parents discretion. There is still violence, similar to the Star Wars movies in magnitude, but there are no overly gory scenes that one might find in shows like Netflix’s Daredevil. Even as an action thriller, the show has mystery elements making it great for very analytical audiences. Viewers of all types will be enamored by the stunning visuals, audios, intriguing plot and comedy relief.