A new hope for Star Wars

Disney+ is a truly eye-opening experience. It’s a nostalgic gut punch where you can access your childhood memories with the click of a button. One moment, you are watching The Simpsons. The next, you’re reliving the Infinity War. It’s also a treasure trove for Star Wars fans.

At the time of writing, the UK has access to all the movies aside from the divisive Rise of Skywalker. There’s also The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels and several Lego-flavoured series. However, most of this is overshadowed by The Mandalorian – a new adventure set in the Star Wars universe. It’s also one of the most exciting spin-offs in the franchise to date.

It follows the story of a Mandalorian – a strong, silent warrior type who pays the bills with a spot of bounty hunting. At the outset, he seems like a cold kind of guy. That is, until he meets the adorable “Baby Yoda” – one of 2019’s most meme-worthy characters.

Despite being a spin-off from the main series, The Mandalorian has received rave reviews. Critics and fans have praised the series’s spaghetti western style and lovable characters. Unfortunately, it’s feedback that the mainline films haven’t received, in particular the most recent three.

It’s fair to say that Disney’s treatment of the Star Wars franchise has been controversial. Many fans have pointed to a scant disregard for the rules established by the universe.

Others have criticised plot points like that weird spaceship chase or the moment they wreck casino slots in a scene straight out of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Creative differences certainly plagued the final film in the rebooted trilogy. This created a confusing mix of underdeveloped characters and misplaced fan service. Thankfully, The Mandalorian shows us where the series could head in the distant future.

One area where The Mandalorian shines is its simplicity. Force powers, Jedis and Sith are mostly absent – with only passing nods to each. The film also doesn’t bloat itself with events of the past. This allows us to experience the rich universe of Star Wars with little baggage.

With a second season touted for 2020, things are looking up for Star Wars fans on the streaming platform. And hopefully, the successes of the series will permeate the next films in the universe.

The editorial unit