This is the way to The Mandalorian Season Two premiere review. And just what was that we saw? A Star Wars Fight Club? A Mandalorian stand-off? Din Djarin as Johnny Rico? Seriously, Happy Mandalorian Day everyone!
Before we continue down this way, it needs to be said and read: This is a Spoiler Review of The Mandalorian Season Two premiere. If you haven’t seen it, put the roof on your Baby Yoda egg and bookmark this site to your favorites. I have spoken!
Unfortunately, as you noticed, Baby Yoda took a backseat during The Mandalorian Season Two premiere last night on Disney+ (at the time of this post). This Jon Favreau-directed, self-contained episode showcased just how far Din Djarin’s character has progressed since the Season One premiere.
What have Din Djarin and Baby Yoda been up to since the Season One finale? I mean, where else would the John Wick of the Star Wars-verse be hanging out? The Mandalorian Season 2 premiere immediately takes us into the shady, underworld of our first, Star Wars fight club. The opening action sequence was terrific.
The Mandalorian‘s nostalgia factor in the premiere was amazing and drew us in immediately. Season One finds that difficult balance between showcasing original Star Wars nostalgia…without shoving it down our throats. Eight minutes into The Mandalorian Season Two premiere and we find ourselves traversing back to Tatooine to locate a specific Mandalorian.
We’re immediately taken back to the events of The Gunslinger from Season One. Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand was terrific but Chapter Five was one of the more forgettable episodes. And if you missed The Mandalorian power rankings from Season One, you’ll learn why.
Watching Din Djarin and Baby Yoda traverse across the sandy dunes of Tatooine is such a surreal feeling. I have to give a shout out Ludwig Göransson. The tone, visuals and score of The Mandalorian continue to be standouts and push the boundaries for Disney Plus.
[Editor’s Note: Our geek audiophiles from @TheSoundMatrix will be writing something up on The Mandalorian score. Stay tuned.]
It doesn’t take long for Din Djarin to find Cobb Vanth, played by the great Timothy Olyphant. Second quick shout out to Justified, one of my favorite shows of all-time. As a huge fan of Justified and his Raylen Givens character, this was a fun nod. Sorry Din Djarin, but Raylen Givens will always be my first and favorite marshal.
What’s in the Krayt?
Just look at that thing! Queue that famous GIF from Jaws…
When we see a Krayt dragon devour a Bantha in one bite, it very obvious that Season Two is working with a much bigger budget this season.
The bulk of the second act involved Din and Cobb working to bring the town people and Tusken Raiders together and devise a plan to kill the Krayt dragon.
One of my favorite moments of The Mandalorian Season Two premiere was the acid spit reveal from the Krayt dragon. The size of the beast was massive during the final act and watching its spit melt the Tusken Raiders was terrific. My first thought went immediately to my love for Starship Troopers when we see Johnny Rico take down the Tanker. Paul Verhoeven is impressed somewhere after watching this episode. Would you like to know more? (Starship Troopers joke).
That was an impressive action sequence stripped straight out of a big budget Hollywood film. My biggest takeaway had to be Din Djarin’s progression as a character. When we first saw Mando in the Season One premiere, he was an emotion-less, stone-cold killer. The character development between these two premieres showcases just how far Din Djarin has truly come.
Cobb Vanth’s flashback sequence had some fun call backs including the destruction of the second Death Star and some scenes with our favorite Jawas. It might seem small on the outside, but I think it was important for a couple of reasons. The self-containment of The Mandalorian Season one was on display.
I think we’re going to start seeing Season Two used as the device that expands and ties in the rest of the Star Wars universe on Disney Plus.
@MrCrockpot
The Mandalorian Connection
I couldn’t be more excited for Din Djarin to finally get his first meeting with Ahsoka Tano. These two incredible characters have more in common than you might think. They are both guardians and protectors. They choose to fight for people rather than in a war.
The premiere showed fans what the post-Empire looks like for regular people following the events of Return of the Jedi. I expect season two will continue Din Djarin’s development as the guardian of The Child and him beginning to explore what fatherhood truly means.
If you want even more Star Wars universe tie-ins, then we must discuss that reveal at the end. Temuera Morrison is back! Yes, the same guy who played Jango Fett in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
Consider me pleasantly surprised that we’re getting Boba Fett this early in Season Two. Boba Fett’s reveal was an excellent way to end a very good way to spike interest in The Mandalorian Season Two premiere.
If I have any complaints, it’s got to be the overall direction of The Mandalorian. Let me first say that I am very optimistic. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni will make it work. Between the fan service and huge duty of expanding Star Wars-verse for Disney Plus, there is clearly a lot on Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau’s plate for this season.
Bottom line: The heart of The Mandalorian lies between the dynamic of Baby Yoda and Din Djarin. I know it’s only been one episode, but fingers crossed we don’t get away from their amazing chemistry. This meaty 54-minute premiere is a great sign that The Mandalorian sticks to what it does best: character development.
MoviesMatrix Meter: 85%
NOTE: Episode Two of The Mandalorian will be released on Disney Plus on November 6. Please be sure to subscribe to MoviesMatrix on Twitter, subscribe to our Podcast and newsletter, and lock it down here at MoviesMatrix.com each and every week for all your Star Wars needs.
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