Hey guys, it’s Alex and I’m so glad to be back for my first winter quarter post of Her Campus DePaul. Over winter break, it’s definitely been such a privilege to discover a timeless “geek” or “nerd” fandom that unites young and old generations alike which so happens to be the Star Wars film franchise over winter break. As a result of really sitting down to take the time, and enjoy any and all Star Wars movies, I then also came to really enjoy and appreciate the spinoff Disney+ series, The Mandalorian. After reading over this list of reasons on why I love The Mandalorian, I hope you are going to be ready for a binge watch that is out of this world, no pun intended.
First, the plot line. Jon Favreau, the creator of this series, reveals “After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. The series depicts a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.”
The same man who has played Harold “Happy” Hogan in the Iron Man movies, and Spider-Man: Far From Home, perfectly sums up what this show is like, and all about with his strong directorial prowess. With those time periods in Favreau’s quote mentioned, the recommended “precursor” movies to watch for this show in this particular order are, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars Episodes 4-6, then 1-3. They are definitely just as amazing as the show itself and are rich with nostalgia, having names associated with them from Darth Vader to Princess Leia Organa, along with new characters and stories to explore for younger audiences from watching those older movies aside from the trilogy that most younger generations are aware of, and story lines of Commander Poe Dameron, and First Order Commander Kylo Ren or Ben Solo. With that being said, nostalgia is definitely a big driving factor as to why I love this show and Star Wars movies alike, old, and new.
The next reason I love The Mandalorian is because of the amount and attention put into detail of the costume designs for anyone and everyone in all the planets whether they are krill farmers on the planet Sorgan or the actual Mandalorians in The Guild. I also love how believable Din “Mando” Djarin’s paternal instincts are when he is protecting and fighting off other bounty hunters to protect “The Child,” or popularly known as “Baby Yoda.”
Along with other twists and turns that happen across the galaxy in each episode, another reason this show is worth plenty of praise is the solid acting delivered by Pedro Pascal who plays “The Mandalorian.” Pascal has had roles in other action-packed shows under his belt such as Game of Thrones, Nikita, and Narcos. A notable actress to keep an eye out for that makes this show so damn compelling and worth a one weekend binge are; former MMA fighter, now model and actress Gina Carano who plays Carasynthia Dune, a mercenary from the planet Alderaan with rebel soldier veteran roots and further fortifies her character having held roles in adrenaline-pumping movies like Fast and Furious, and Deadpool. Another one worth an honorable mention is Asian-American actress Ming Na-Wen who plays assassin Fennec Shand, bringing her character to light having voiced Disney heroine Mulan and holding great fortitude in action-centered live action pieces, such as Agent Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Chun-Li-Zang in Street Fighter.
Last, but definitely not least, Baby Yoda being a driving force of the series. These reasons, along with Baby Yoda being the icing on top of the cake is why The Mandalorian and the particular Star Wars movies mentioned previously are definitely worth either a free Disney+ trial period or a $13 monthly fee. For the nostalgic sign-off, may the force be with you, DePaulian readers.