My fellow literature reviewer, Kat Rees-Jauke, is an incredible artist, a little fact that I never knew until Christmas. With The Mandalorian having such a huge impact on the industry and fans alike, Kat drew a couple of images from the show that made me go “wow!”. Thinking how on earth we showcase this, I said why not do a review? Kat honoured me by asking if I would, and so what results is a review of the show, illustrated by Kat. A word of caution, I have tried my absolute best to stay spoiler free as much as possible, but if you are trying to stay as spoiler free as possible, I’d perhaps wait a little before reading this. Kat and I hope you enjoy!
Let me take you back to a time long ago, a time when I was five and in what was called the dark times by fans. It was the early nineties, I had a trilogy of films and The Battle for Endor on VHS, too young to read the small amount of fiction that was out. Thankfully, I had a wonderful nan who had brought me a horde of vintage Star Wars figures and vehicles. What more could a kid need? My brother and I would play with these toys, re-enacting the films and creating our own stories of what might happen in a galaxy far, far away. Our favourite character at the time? Boba Fett of course, we had four figures of him! But as he died in Return of the Jedi, well, we could pretend he was someone else! And with the extras, well he’d have a bunch of friends that wore armour like him. A droid would be cool, looking in the play box, we’d probably pick IG-88, he’s cool too. And grab those Jawa’s, they’re so funny. Oh, and grab Yoda. Yoda?! Oh, we’ll make him fit into our story. And those weird creatures that look like Dewback’s with two legs from The Battle for Endor, wonder if you could ride them in armour…
It could be the toy box of any five year old, whether like me it was in the nineties, or when the original films had come out, but I have a sneaky feeling that Jon Favreau had a toy box like the rest of us. For in writing The Mandalorian, Favreau has created something very special, something that lots of us imagined while we were growing up, Star Wars TV. The characters that emerge in this series could have been from any toy box, could have been imagined by any child. Yet Favreau has been able to piece it all together in what one can only call the perfect Star Wars television series. The concept is one that many fans will have dreamed of, will have imagined and will now love that it is here.
The biggest driving force here is of course the characters. Starting with our hero himself, Favreau taps into everyone’s favourite character before the prequels, Boba Fett. Back then, we loved the mystery, the armour, the weapons, there was something about him that just worked. We now have that same type of character: mysterious, incredible armour and weapons that anyone would be proud to have incorporated into their armour. We may want to know more about the characters we love but wanting and actually getting are two different things and from experience, I think we’d all say the former is the preference! Added to The Mandalorian, we have a set of characters that make us care and worry for them every step of the way. We have no idea of their fates and that really adds to the suspense of these chapters. In only eight chapters, I care far more for these characters than some in the movies, it’s an incredible feat.
Although I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible, I will mention The Child, how can I not. I wish this could have stayed quiet for all the fans who aren’t seen the series yet, but it was never going to happen. The concept of The Child is genius. The Child is exactly that, a child with all the cuteness, annoyances and humorous moments that you would expect. Stood in comparison to the dark, mysterious figure of the Mandalorian himself, he really shines in an otherwise gritty series. What’s more, he fits so well into the universe that you never feel he is there as the ‘kiddy-fied’ element of the story. Not easy to do! I have a sneaky feeling that adults and children alike will be wanting figures of The Child.
The directors in this series have done an outstanding job. What is so evident about these is their love for Star Wars is unquestionable. Each chapter has lots of little Easter eggs from the movies and TV shows. Filoni is the master of camera angles and you can see the influence George Lucas has had on him. Filoni has the difficult task of the first chapter, which was always going to be hard. This is the chapter that has to convince us this is for us. He does a great job, although his other chapter really pays homage to the original trilogy. The angles, the shots, the chapter is a nostalgic trip of epic proportions and every minute I was smiling with glee at returning to one of my favourite places in the Star Wars universe. Famuyiwa and Chow are the masters of action and their chapters are amongst the best of this series. My personal favourite is chapter two directed by Famuyiwa. Again, this harkens back to the original trilogy, seeing familiar creatures that were so sorely missed in the sequel trilogy. There is one shot, where Famuyiwa uses the reflection in the Mandalorian’s visor which is just simply outstanding. Howard slows it all down and gives us a wonderful focus on character moments in true Star Wars fashion. If we view this as a single ‘movie’ it’s exactly what the story needs. Howard shoots it wonderfully, a sense of calm tranquillity and imminent danger. Rounding out the series, is Waititi who provides an explosive ending. From the very beginning providing wonderful humour, to worrying about each and every character, this chapter has it all. Each of these directors brings something new to the series, yet all help to tell this single vision. To say I’ve been impressed with each and every one is a vast understatement.
It is difficult to say much more without spoilers so I will end with the feel of the show. This show feels like Star Wars. I started this article by referring to my toy box and it is like being a child again. Although there are links to the wider universe, this is a subtle part, not essential. The story stands by itself and can be enjoyed by itself. It is not bogged down by what has come before or after, it is a series that is here to tell a story, it’s story, and bring you along for the ride. It takes Star Wars back to its space western roots that marked Star Wars out when it first came out. My only complaint is the length. Each chapter is between thirty and forty minutes, it’s not long enough when it is this good. And then only eight chapters! It’s painful. Yet it’s the catch 22 scenario, for if you make it longer, does it lose its pacing, it’s intensity? All I know is that Autumn and season two cannot come quick enough. Whatever your preferences are for Star Wars, this is one of those shows that will unite fans. What Favreau has been able to create is the Star Wars we always wished for as children playing with our toys. I can’t wait to see what he brings out next from his toy box….
Thank you to Kat Rees-Kauke (Literature Reviewer – Jedi News) for creating and allowing us to use her artwork to accompany this review. All images © 2020 Kat Rees-Jauke
