Like Apple TV+, Disney’s sister service Disney+, which launched a month ago, is suffering from a lack of original content. Understandably, Disney has a huge catalog of old movies, including the entire Marvel and Lucasfilm lineup, but launching with just one new live-action series is a big risk. However, the whole point is what kind of series it is. Disney made a bet on Star Wars and did not lose. Each episode of The Mandalorian, the first game series in the Star Wars universe, released once a week, is actively discussed, taken away for memes and quotes. The Mandalorian and his unusual companion became a real Internet sensation in 2019. If you are afraid of spoilers, stop reading right now, do not look at the pictures in this article and disconnect from the Internet just in case.

Before jumping straight into the series, let’s recap who the Mandalorians are and where they fit in the Star Wars universe. The most famous Mandalorians in the Star Wars world are Jango Fett and his son/clone Boba Fett. The former became a donor to the Republic’s clone army and was killed during the Battle of Geonosis by Jedi Master Mace Windu. The second was famous for capturing Han Solo himself and dying (not really) in the mouth of a sarlacc in the Great Pit of Karkoon on Tatooine. Some time after the announcement of The Mandalorian, when no detailed information about the series was yet available, the Internet community speculated that the show might be about the fate of Boba Fett after he was rescued from the sarlacc’s stomach. People not well versed in the Star Wars universe continue to think so to this day.

This is due to the characteristic Mandalorian armor, which both Django and Boba Fett wear without removing it, as well as the still unnamed hero of The Mandalorian (only the name given to him at birth, which he does not use, is known). The fact is that the Mandalorians are not a race, but rather something like a military-religious order. Anyone can become a Mandalorian by accepting the tenets of the Path of Mandalore. And the armor allows all Mandalorians, regardless of their race, to look the same, feeling a kind of commonality. Armor and weapons for the Mandalorians are attributes of the cult, so in the presence of strangers they never take off their helmet, preferring to eat alone.

“That is why you cannot exterminate us. We do not sit in one place – we are scattered throughout the galaxy. We don’t need overlords or leaders – so you can’t destroy our command. We can live without technology – and therefore able to fight with our bare hands. Racial background or consanguinity is not about us, our ranks are replenished by everyone who wants to join. We are more than just a people or an army. We are culture. We are an idea. And just as you are incapable of killing an idea, you are certainly capable of dying at our hands.”
– Mandalore the Destroyer

During their long history, the Mandalorians have been both enemies of the Empire and its allies. By the time the Star Wars movie saga begins, the Mandalorians are scattered throughout the galaxy and are engaged in the work of mercenaries, primarily bounty hunters. The hunters were Django and Boba Fetta, the main character of The Mandalorian is also a hunter, usually responding to the nickname Mando. Actually, the series begins with one of Mando’s orders, which forces him to eventually break the code of the Bounty Hunters Guild and, speaking out against a client who has already paid money, save the target. Here, however, it is worth understanding who is the goal of the Mandalorian.

It is almost impossible to talk about The Mandalorian series without spoilers, but given the number of memes with the main characters of the series that have flooded the Web, only a person who has spent the last month in suspended animation does not know who the Mandalorian’s companion is. This is the creature of the most mysterious race of Star Wars, whose representatives have only appeared a few times even within the framework of the expanded universe, which includes thousands of books, comics and games. They say that George Lucas himself did not recommend the authors to touch on this topic, keeping the intrigue around the cult figure for all Star Wars. It is not surprising that the appearance of a representative of this race in The Mandalorian and the off-scale cuteness of this creature, which is referred to as a Child in all official documents, made him a favorite of the public and gave rise to a huge number of fan works and memes.

The Mandalorian, which takes place immediately after the fall of the Empire in the original Star Wars trilogy, uses many of the techniques laid down by Lucas in the first films. Instead of expensive computer graphics, here, as in the films of the 70-80s. of the last century, real scenery and dolls are often used, and, it seems, the same ones as in Star Wars 1977. Moreover, in the fifth series of The Mandalorian, the heroes end up in Mos Eisley on Tatooine, in the same cantina in which they met Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. Even more, one of the film’s minor characters is sitting at the same table in the same place as Khan at the time, and is also trying to make himself look like a very tough guy. In general, there are a lot of similar references to the heroes, creatures and locations of the first Star Wars trilogy in The Mandalorian in each of the series.

And in this series there are a lot of references to classic westerns of the 50s and 60s. last century. Given that the original Star Wars itself was a space western, this is not at all surprising. However, sometimes these references are too straightforward. For example, the fourth series of The Mandalorian is literally a frame-by-frame retelling of Seven Samurai / Magnificent Seven, and the shootout in the first series is a classic scene from any movie about the Wild West, the same Guns of the Magnificent Seven, for example. The authors of The Mandalorian do not hide the fact that they are filming a space western, and the figure of the Mandalorian here is a typical laconic lone shooter in the spirit of Clint Eastwood’s heroes.

By the way, it is not at all clear why Disney chose an actor with such a characteristic and very suitable appearance for a western appearance as Pedro Pascal for the role of The Mandalorian. The fact is that for five out of eight episodes already released, the Mandalorian, as befits representatives of his people, never takes off his helmet. Moreover, for each series, the main character utters at best a dozen words, so that under the helmet, by and large, anyone could hide.

The Mandalorian is reminiscent of the original Star Wars trilogy, not only in the atmosphere and time of action, but also … in special effects. As mentioned above, many of the scenes here are filmed without traditional CGI, using puppets and real scenery. And it is visible. The same satellite of the Mandalorian is controlled by puppeteers, most of the aliens in the frame are either actors in makeup or puppets. Of course, the effects in the spirit of the 80s. of the last century look somewhat strange by today’s standards, but surprisingly add charm to the film.

By the way, The Mandalorian used a new technology based on Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and video walls instead of the traditional green/blue backdrops. A scene built by the graphics engine was displayed on these walls, the perspective of which changed depending on the movement of the camera. This approach made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of shooting a number of episodes and make them more realistic. On the other hand, in some of the scenes it is clearly seen that the backdrop is projected as in the films of the 60s and 70s. last century.

The Mandalorian, despite a very simple script and straightforward quotes from classic westerns, is a good series that looks good. He captivates with charismatic characters, references to the original Star Wars trilogy, great music and a good picture. It is very interesting where the authors will lead the story of the Mandalorian and what will happen to the mysterious child at the end of the season. On the one hand, the creators of the series are limited to the events of the new Star Wars trilogy, on the other hand, thirty years have passed between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens , in which more than one series can be crammed.

Looks like Disney has every chance of hitting a real Star Wars hat-trick this year. A good game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order , an excellent series The Mandalorian and a feature film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker , which is sure to set another box office record. As for the quality of The Rise of Skywalker, we will be able to evaluate it in 10 days – the premiere of the final part of the third Star Wars trilogy is scheduled in Ukraine on December 19.