I think the problem is that they badly wanted to release this show before Skywalker to help getting people into Star Wars vibes, but they were not yet ready to launch Disney+ worldwide this year, hence the whole thing being rushed like this.
The Mandalorian (TV)
The Mandalorian is a very good, perhaps even great, 55 minute long episode edited into the shell of an awkward 38 minutes. At times, it feels as though it's in montage, or an "extended trailer" for the real episode. Scenes pass by too quickly before clumsily transitioning to the next beat. There are lines of dialogue and even edits that imply what's missing. My honest guess is Disney wanted to race to the "hook" finale (it's very good) as quickly as possible to secure subscribers ASAP, and maybe sacrificed the pacing to do it.
Not to mention, cycling through every "wandering anti-hero" trope from westerns (and kurosawa) requires a mastery of mood, style, and pacing. This has none of those. Straight up: Filoni is uncomfortable in live action. He makes a lot of weird, "TV" choices with framing, while the action is mostly over-edited. It's fun, but not fun or well done "enough." Frasier's interiors are underlit and underexposed, with elevated blacks and a "milky" look that's ugly. Overall, the production value is astounding, but Filoni and Frasier's choices cheapen it, although there's quite a few gorgeous shots. I mostly loved the score.
This all sounds negative, but I enjoyed it quite a bit overall. It's a generous 8/10. I hope it gets better.
-Vader
Not to mention, cycling through every "wandering anti-hero" trope from westerns (and kurosawa) requires a mastery of mood, style, and pacing. This has none of those. Straight up: Filoni is uncomfortable in live action. He makes a lot of weird, "TV" choices with framing, while the action is mostly over-edited. It's fun, but not fun or well done "enough." Frasier's interiors are underlit and underexposed, with elevated blacks and a "milky" look that's ugly. Overall, the production value is astounding, but Filoni and Frasier's choices cheapen it, although there's quite a few gorgeous shots. I mostly loved the score.
This all sounds negative, but I enjoyed it quite a bit overall. It's a generous 8/10. I hope it gets better.
-Vader
All I'm saying is
Was the audio mixing ass or is my TV just bad?
Posts: 4794
Joined:
January 2012
So I generally trust this reviewer and her opinion of the first episode doesn't exactly scream 'this is exciting television' to me: https://www.fanbyte.com/reviews/mandalorian-chapter-1/
This is very good, surprisingly so.
Loved how lithe it was. Doesn't need an hour.
Loved how lithe it was. Doesn't need an hour.
I enjoyed this more on a rewatch. There are still pacing issues, and the limitations of FIloni's cinematic acumen are still laid bare, but it's very enjoyable.
-Vader
-Vader