The Star Wars franchise is about to venture into territory previously uncharted, but is
the high-stakes mission a hit or a miss?
General audiences won't be able to tune into the first-ever live-action Star Wars series,
The Mandalorian, until it hits the upcoming streaming site Disney+ on November 12.
But a number of lucky critics have already gotten the chance to catch about a half hour's
worth of footage from the show during a special Disney event held on October 19.
Taking to social media, these critics have spilled their spoiler-free thoughts on The
Mandalorian, and things are looking brighter than C-3PO after a buff and shine.
"Die, Jedi dogs!
What did I say?"
In fact, many have praised the forthcoming series everything they had hoped for...and
then some.
Here's a round-up of the first reactions to The Mandalorian.
One of the biggest takeaways from the early reactions to The Mandalorian is that it's
kick-ass, action-packed, and basically everything a Star Wars fan could want from a live-action
series.
From what critics have seen so far, it sounds like the set pieces, aesthetic, characters,
and story of the show all come together to make for a series that fans of the franchise
will love.
Collider editor in chief Steven Weintraub said in his reaction,
"This is the Star Wars thing I've been waiting for!
While I love the Skywalker saga, I've wanted to see new characters and places explored
in depth which can only be done over multiple episodes in a series format.
Cannot wait to see more."
He continued,
"It's as awesome as you want it to be.
Can't say anything specific but one scene answered a question that I don't think has
ever been explained/shown in any Star Wars movie.
Love that it opens up the Star Wars universe in a cool new way."
Star Wars social media manager Michelle Buchman tweeted her prediction that fans will be very
pleased by the Jon Favreau-created series, which she said reminded her of
"...old studio westerns of the 40's and 50's with a dash of samurai movie vibes mixed in
a Star Wars-y blender."
Actress and host Jennifer Larda felt similarly, writing,
"...all I have to say is, this is the epic Star Wars show we’ve been waiting years
for.
Please pardon my excitement."
She then clarified that she has nothing but love for the animated Star Wars series that
have come before, like The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Resistance.
But if you've been holding out hope for a live-action series, The Mandalorian is the
answer to your prayers.
Entertainment Tonight producer and online host Ash Crossan was moved to tears after
watching footage from The Mandalorian, signaling that the series is powerful enough to make
viewers incredibly emotional given its quality and its true-to-Star Wars feel.
She tweeted after the exclusive screening event,
"Just watched 27 minutes of Mandalorian footage and legit cried.
Can't say much but, This is real and it's happening and it feels SO FREAKING STAR WARS."
Drew Taylor, former managing editor at Moviefone and current co-host of the podcasts Light
the Fuse and Fine Tooning, was totally blown away by The Mandalorian, for a different reason.
For Taylor, the best part of the footage he saw was its twist: apparently, the character
played by Nick Nolte isn't who fans might think he is.
Taylor wrote in a two-tweet thread on Twitter,
"Wow.
The Mandalorian is completely amazing.
Saw nearly a half hour of footage from what I was told were the first three episodes.
Whoever you think Nick Nolte is...the answer will surprise you.
Also it looks as expensive as it is, they didn't skimp with this one.
Spaceships, creatures, etc all in full effect.
Cannot wait for full episodes."
Eric Goldman of Get Fandom praised The Mandalorian as being both very cool and very atmospheric,
with Pedro Pascal's titular character having what it takes to immediately captivate audiences.
"What is it like to be the Mandalorian?"
"Well, just look at the image.
That's what it's like!"
He also compared the series to a couple of action-heavy films that he's a fan of, writing,
"[It's] sometimes evoking the vibe of Rogue One (which I adore).
The title character is instantly fascinating and there are great action and suspense moments,
including some Predator vibes."
"Come on.
Kill me, I'm here!
Kill me!"
Award-winning writer and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic Rosie Knight gave perhaps the coolest
and most promising take on The Mandalorian when she tweeted,
"Reliving my childhood Saturday mornings watching Star Wars.
The 30 [or] so minutes of The Mandalorian footage we saw was incredibly cool.
The samurai-infused space western you've always wanted with an ice cold lead, a bunch of rad
creatures, and a killer score."
IndieWire critic Tyler Hersko tweeted that The Mandalorian exceeded expectations, and
should serve as a major hit for Disney+ thanks to its high production value.
He wrote,
"I just got out of the Mandalorian press screening and gotta say, really surpassed expectations.
This seems like a truly high-budget, movie-like project.
If other flagship Disney+ series have a similar production quality, the streaming service
will definitely have a strong run."
Added Screen Rant features editor Mansoor Mithaiwala,
"Saw almost 30 minutes of The Mandalorian footage this morning.
It's truly incredible.
It looks like the films, feels innately Star Wars, introduces new concepts, and adds layers
that people have been waiting to see for a long time."
Audiences at home can witness The Mandalorian in all its apparent glory when it hits the
Disney+ platform on November 12th.
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