Review: Does The Mandalorian Hit Its Target?

With The Mandalorian comes Baby Yoda and plenty of excitement. But does the show live up to the hype?

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Oliver Klipsch, Writer

Following in the footsteps of other major streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Disney’s new streaming service, has created its own original shows, the most popular being The Mandalorian, and for good reason. Despite, or perhaps because of, its conceptual simplicity, the show is very entertaining, easy to enjoy, and provides something exciting and well put together to view at the end of the week (weekly installments come out on Fridays).

 

The setting is very simple, mostly made up of two elements – the steel of space and the grit of the old west. Surprisingly, these blend together very well, creating an environment unique to the Mandalorian’s story, that travels with the Mando (as he is nicknamed) wherever he goes. They follow him to nighttime battles, illuminated by the blaster shots of an alien civilization, and to the show’s quiet moments as character silently glides through space from planet to planet on his sleek yet rugged spaceship.

During important moments, the background’s repetition seem to fade away, allowing the viewer to focus on the plot and subplots of each episode without being distracted by loud colors and strange sights.

The soundtrack seems to fit this goal as well, expressing the same sort of simple, rugged elegance. It remains relatively quiet throughout the majority of the show, surfacing mostly during transition scenes, like the calm after an intense scene or a surprise event. This makes it very different from the soaring anthems of the Star Wars movies or the intense underlying music of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are flute noises, a growling and repetitive piano melody, and simple, constant drum beats that often play the same theme. In this way, like the set, the soundtrack places focus on what is happening on screen.

The greatness of this show is tied to its simplicity; by not wasting time on pursuing academy award greatness an abundant amount of energy is freed up for making the show as entertaining possible, and so far, they are doing well: according to a study taken by Parrot Analytics (a web-based analytics company), has surpassed such shows as Netflix’s Stranger Things and HBO’s Game of Thrones in total overall demand.

Of course, we cannot forget the adorable character you know as #Baby Yoda on sites like Twitter, where the hashtag has trended multiple times at number one. To avoid spoilers, I won’t discuss how, when, or where the young, green, and adorable child (who appears to be the same species as the character known as Master Yoda in the Star Wars Universe) enters the story. The important thing is that Baby Yoda is present and plays an important role, both for the storyline and for bringing the show into a very large, very lovable spotlight.

Overall, if you are looking for an entertaining, simple-to-follow, soundly produced show, and maybe an adorable Baby Yoda to steal it, the Mandalorian is for you.