Lookin’ good.
Disney/Lucasfilm
The Mandalorian is set to launch Nov. 12 as the centrepiece of Disney’s new streaming service Disney Plus, but over the weekend Lucasfilm screened 27 minutes of the upcoming show to a select group of journalists.
The reaction? Unanimously positive. Early responses to the Jon Favreau-helmed mega-show were almost hyperbolic is their praise. It looks like The Mandalorian may actually deliver on a high-quality, original, fresh take on the Star Wars universe.
The above tweet sums up the majority of the reaction, which you can check out below:
Just saw 30 mins of #TheMandalorian. Uh…WOW. Feels more western than sci-fi – from the shootouts to the stand-offs to the vidalia onion stew a new droid character named “Gramps” is always doting over. We are entering a new phase of Star Wars and the future is looking bright!
— Ben Mekler (@benmekler) October 19, 2019
Just saw almost 30 minutes of #TheMandalorian’s pilot episode. It feels like a thrilling return to the original trilogy era of Star Wars. It feels like a big scale movie, not a tv series. They are still keeping a lot of mystery with deliberate cuts in the footage.
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) October 19, 2019
Saw almost 30 minutes of #TheMandalorian 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. pic.twitter.com/4JVB16pMAL
— Mansoor Mithaiwala (@MansoorAYM) October 19, 2019
Just watched close to 25 minutes of footage from #TheMandalorian. It’s very cool and atmospheric – 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
— Eerie Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) October 19, 2019
Saw 30 minutes of #TheMandalorian footage. Old studio westerns of the 40’s and 50’s with a dash of samurai movie vibes mixed in a Star Wars-y blender. I think Star Wars fans will be very pleased. @ludwiggoransson’s score is marvelous.
— Michelle Buchman (@michelledeidre) October 19, 2019
So far so good. Still, it’s a good idea to hold back the hype train. These types of early Twitter reactions tend to be positive, even if the movie or TV show isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. That said, it’s been a while since we’ve seen reactions this strong, especially surrounding something from the Star Wars universe.
Perhaps the most interesting part: All reactions seem to promise a different type of Star Wars experience. Something more western than sci-fi. That in and of itself sounds incredibly compelling.