the mandalorian [eps 1-4]
Dec. 23rd, 2019 03:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sidewaysI watched the first half of The Mandalorian at a friend's place today and for forty-five terrifying minutes thought I might actually be interested in it.
Fortunately, the next three episodes went on to solve the dilemma of how to watch the rest without signing up for Disney+ by assuring me, repeatedly, that there was absolutely nothing here that hadn't been done before.
Which isn't to say that I didn't enjoy what I saw. I was cursed by a faerie witch in the cradle to unironically love many basic tropes, as evidenced by my sincere affection for the Lost in Space reboot series. (Only a few more days until season two drops!) There was a stoic faceless badass who softened up around an adorable muppet and cool fight scenes set to great music. The actors were good; the production values were stunningly cinematic; they nudged my childhood nostalgia button in ways that weren't too gratuitous or off-beat. I had a pleasant time.
But in the era of Disney reaching a strangling peak with its creative monopoly and earning widespread critical disdain for its creative stagnancy, it would have been nicer to be offered something more than a colour-by-number guide to having a pleasant time. I can't say I'm disappointed, because I didn't have expectations, but there was the briefest moment where I thought this might be the sort of Star Wars story I'd wanted from the movies - something that truly explored the post-Empire era - and I'm a little deflated to find that, no, it's mostly just shallow window-dressing yet again. It could potentially still pull itself together over the next few episodes, but in four episodes I saw little evidence that the show had anything to say besides "please subscribe to Disney+", which is the most wet fart of an option one could take when setting a story in a world trying to rebuild after decades of galactic tyranny. The most generous thing I could say in return is that it's something of a homage to wild west TV, but its unwillingness to put a personal spin on it makes it a limp copy-paste at best.
Conclusion: worth a watch if you know what you like! Not worth a subscription on account of a distinct absence of soul.
Fortunately, the next three episodes went on to solve the dilemma of how to watch the rest without signing up for Disney+ by assuring me, repeatedly, that there was absolutely nothing here that hadn't been done before.
Which isn't to say that I didn't enjoy what I saw. I was cursed by a faerie witch in the cradle to unironically love many basic tropes, as evidenced by my sincere affection for the Lost in Space reboot series. (Only a few more days until season two drops!) There was a stoic faceless badass who softened up around an adorable muppet and cool fight scenes set to great music. The actors were good; the production values were stunningly cinematic; they nudged my childhood nostalgia button in ways that weren't too gratuitous or off-beat. I had a pleasant time.
But in the era of Disney reaching a strangling peak with its creative monopoly and earning widespread critical disdain for its creative stagnancy, it would have been nicer to be offered something more than a colour-by-number guide to having a pleasant time. I can't say I'm disappointed, because I didn't have expectations, but there was the briefest moment where I thought this might be the sort of Star Wars story I'd wanted from the movies - something that truly explored the post-Empire era - and I'm a little deflated to find that, no, it's mostly just shallow window-dressing yet again. It could potentially still pull itself together over the next few episodes, but in four episodes I saw little evidence that the show had anything to say besides "please subscribe to Disney+", which is the most wet fart of an option one could take when setting a story in a world trying to rebuild after decades of galactic tyranny. The most generous thing I could say in return is that it's something of a homage to wild west TV, but its unwillingness to put a personal spin on it makes it a limp copy-paste at best.
Conclusion: worth a watch if you know what you like! Not worth a subscription on account of a distinct absence of soul.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-23 04:04 pm (UTC)Ha!
I no longer am a star wars person, and haven't been one in a fannish sense in ages. (Maybe with the exception of Rogue One? Though I am fine with that ending and don't need a fix-it.) I only mention this because I am not the audience for The Mandalorian. But it's good to know that I can enjoy my baby yoda gifs on Tumblr and leave it at that.
I get TV fomo, every once in a while...
Great review. Are you going to see tros?
no subject
Date: 2019-12-24 04:01 am (UTC)(I'm deeply fond of the second trilogy. I live peacefully with my sin.)
Rogue One was good fun though, agreed! I don't need ending rewrites because all I want is the pre-story adventures of Chirrut and Baze, Space Husbands, and AO3 is pretty flush with it.