The Mandalorian airs new episodes weekly via the Disney+ streaming service and comes to the UK in March 2020.
Synopsis
The Mandalorian joins a crew of mercenaries on a dangerous mission.
Review
Okay Mandalorian, you and I need to have a talk. This relationship isn’t working anymore and I’m not sure how we can move on from here. You’re just not the show I thought you were going to be and I think it may be time to break up.
“Chapter 6” of The Mandalorian had all the promise of a classic Western train heist, cleverly dressed up as a prison break in space. It had the various moving parts, the rogue gallery of characters and the proverbial MacGuffin which turns out, predictably, to be a character with ties to a member of the team and Mando himself.
I have to say my biggest gripe with this episode and The Mandalorian as a whole is the repetitive, formulaic structure. I picked up on this in my review of “Chapter 5” but it’s even more so evident as the first season chugs along.
If the writers could vary the structure each week then the show would instantly begin to free fresh. But instead it seems like a cut and paste job with only the names and locations changed.
This week we’re overwhelmed with guest stars as Mando (Pedro Pascal) gets involved with a heist. There are plenty of characters to distract from the plot machinations but unfortunately none of them particularly jumps off the screen.
In particular Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd) as droid Zero and Xi’an played by Natalie Tena (Game of Thrones) stand out as weak characters and weak spots in the cast. Ayoade is a particularly emotive droid and somehow loses his trademark humour when working in voice over. Tena unfortunately chews at any piece of scenery she can in an attempt to come across as aggressive and somewhat cat like.
I feel angry to say it but I felt like I was watching a Star Wars fan film on YouTube. Albeit one with incredible production values which have been so consistent across the series.
I feel particularly passionate in my feelings for The Mandalorian because I want to like it. It’s not a case of liking it or thinking it’s not for me and discarding the show as never to be completed. I’m finding myself increasingly angered at how well it’s made but at how much it continues to disappoint from a story perspective. Set design, costume design, visual effects and score are all excellent and truly cinematic.
It’s the failure to raft an engaging story reaching across the series which is ultimately the mood killer for me. But then they put Baby Yoda on screen and all is right with the world…
Verdict
Another visit to a galaxy far, far away which left me with a sour taste in my mouth…
5/10
Written by Iron Man‘s Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog and Nick Nolte. The series debuts new episodes weekly on Disney+.
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