And Black Cauldron!

Is that any good? I haven't seen it and all I know is a) they tried to incorporate the first-ever movie hologram (impossible) and b) huge flop.

It's very good, although it's missing anything to do with Disney, completely unlike anything they ever did, and it didn't do too well when released. It's almost like a Bakshi film of that era. The next film they made after it was The Little Mermaid, if that gives you an idea how much damage it did in regards to the time between the films.

Disney's best films were ones that didn't do well at the box office, which started all the way back with Fantasia.

Black Cauldron featured many innovations for Disney and cost a fortune. It was a major flop but I still find it very unique, less Disney, more dark.
I wish they would release the original version, before the new appointed Disney studio ceo did the editing himself.

Anyone who waits for all the episodes to be done, then watches it will love the ability to just blow through. I hate waiting each week and I’d love longer shows, but I think that just means I like it! I’m taking it for what it is, and not over thinking and it is enjoyable

So true especially the 30 minute episodes,hard to establish continuity

I'm so glad the writers from Xena Warrior Princess finally found work!

I’m really enjoying this series. The 4th episode was my least favorite so far. I felt like the directing was bad. The acting felt wooden and goofy.

Each episode of Mandalorian seems inspired by classic film, the latest episode 4 being Seven Samurai.

While this is somewhat derivative, it's at least closer to the approach Lucas took with his originals which was to draw from classic literature, serial movies, fairy tale, myth etc and apply it to a space story.

Whereas the Disney Wars movies draw from only Star Wars itself. Like an inbred family, won't last very long without introducing new elements.

Ep4 has some bad/cheezy acting but I think the idea of the episode was good! A hardcore sw fan or someone expecting something may be disappointed. But I loved xena growing up, so

I noticed a pattern after episode 3. Last night's episode 4 absolutely proves my theory without a doubt: The Mandalorian is a remake of the 70s TV show Kung Fu. Think about it. Mando is Kwai Chang Caine. Instead of being a monk trained from childhood as an orphan he is in a similar situation as a Mandalorian. Caine was on the run after committing a crime. Same with Mando. Caine was chased by bounty hunters through the old west. Mando is chased by bounty hunters in the wilds of the Star Wars universe. Caine encountered new villages and people each week and often saved a town from raiders. Mando encountered a random village and new characters and saved them from raiders. Kung Fu was a show with a common thread but new encounters each week. Mandalorian appears headed in the same direction.

The idea?

This ”idea” has been done twice before. Once with samurais, and once with cowboys.
Both atleast ten times better.

Maybe he can team up with a wookie, a troglodyte and a defected stormtrooper, preferably black.

Then they can form *drumroll*

I think I'm spoiled by all the good television shows these days, but the Mandalorian really hasn't impressed me so far. It's not a bad show and is cool just because it's in the Star Wars Universe but compared to even something like The Watchmen, it just doesn't seem that captivating. maybe it's just because there only seems to be one plotline so far, it just seems to lack depth and substance. The last episode of Watchmen kicked ass btw! I'll keep watching but so far I just don't think the show is deserving of all the hype.

I was kinda jaw dropped when in the first few minutes it was clear where this was headed.

Not only have a half dozen shows and movies aped The Seven Samurai, but Filioni's own Clone Wars did in the first season! One of the few episodes I watched of that show, and it was about as ho-hum as well.

Plus um....why doesn't Mando place the detonators on the AT ST when they FIRST enter that hideout area, and are undetected??!?!?! Really, what the fuck?

Also, Gina Carano is like a fucking oak tree. Not entirely unlikable, but also not the best actress to place across a main character that has NO face. It's like a forest in here. Yeesh!

I swear Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica, and maybe even the A Team, among many other serial action shows from the 60's and up, Wild Wild West even, had more inventive writing. It would have been a great idea, if he'd actually decided to stay there for a decade or so of peace, then see an older Yoda baby, not much different visually but maybe more Force savy, then have Mando need to dust his skills off, and get back out there for some reason....

Speaking of, who doesn't whup on him??? He seems really average in fights. I get him slaughtering people wouldn't be endlessly engaging, but this dude doesn't seem very skilled.

Meh, I’m just enjoying it with no expectations. Everyone else can bitch and complain

Honestly this is just the new pinside. Everyone whines about everything. Nothing is ever good enough. It’s sad but true. This site is overran by it.

I like the show for what it is. I guess other people had higher expectations. I don’t know. I don’t really have anything better to do than wait it out and see where it goes.

Let's sit in our happy bubble and enjoy it! Man too much work to be negative, I already do that enough with work and crabby toddlers

$100,000,000 to produce adequate retreaded mediocrity isn't really a high level of expectations to be met.

Most 80's dingdong action shows, like Magnum P.I., A-Team, Knight Rider, Voyagers, Quantum Leap and the like...had as much writing depth, or more, than this show has had so far. Remove the effects, the brand, and a baby puppet, and there's barely anything here of note. Not for the rave nature and amount of press and viewings this show has received so far.

If people serve you a high priced turd sandwich, telling them to at least spend less on said turd sandwich, is a positive trend.

This is very competent, but it's also a very spiritless, fan service oriented product so far.

The number one thing this show is doing?

Giving me a severe itch to replay Knights of the Old Republic.

The first episode showed promise and a good plot line ‘badass bounty hunter taking difficult jobs capturing, killing, stealing, and retrieving things with lots of action’. Unfortunately, in typical Star Wars fashion, this seems to be getting worse as it goes along. The second episode was okay, the third was not very good, and the fourth was just plain awful! The plot line seems to be evolving into ‘single-dad bounty hunter looking for the right woman to settle down with and raise his adopted son’. The dialogue keeps getting worse too and is starting to remind me of the prequels. Queue the Ewoks...no Jar Jar...no Porgs...no I mean cute little baby Yoda thing to completely take away any seriousness from the storyline. If you’re a diehard Star Wars fan and you’re enjoying it then I’m happy for you. I stopped being a diehard Star Wars fan a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away!

I just love the Mandalorian, I don’t care if it has depth or brains or anything deemed compelling by any standard, it’s just awesome to watch as a long time Star Wars fan. It totally reconnects with the original trilogy while having a strong taste of futuristic western like Cowboy Bebop.

I'm really liking this show. It's not what I expected to see, but I went in with my expectations low and they are being exceeded. Wife is really enjoying it as well which also was unexpected.

This is an interesting statement. I really liked the Watchmen books, was mixed on the movie, and was interested in the show. Then after learning more about it and reading about what and when it is, I have very little interest. It looks deep, it just doesn't look enjoyable to me, whereas the Mandolorian is just some fun space fantasy that resembles a western/Kung Fu.

I know you'll tell me to watch it and I'll change my mind, but don't know that I'll get there anytime soon. Plus I'd have to get another streaming subscription!

I'm a little disappointed, from my point of view it turning into a soft marketing launch for baby Yoda and Mando toys. The first episode had good tone but its rolling downhill fairly fast in regards to anything serious.

If.....?

Oddly, this crap so far feels entirely rushed and cobbled together. How halfass is Disney now, that they can't even market toys and goods effectively and timely?

https://www.shopdisney.com/franchises/star-wars/?prefn1=characters&srule=default-sorting-rule&sz=24&start=0&prefv1=The%20Child&LSID=7060520|11502922|b04782bb-8e3b-4aa1-9036-ad07284b3598&CMP=AFL-AffLSGen&CID=1583972&att=LSGenAffl&EFC=224510

That’s the downside I’m worried about, wondering if/when Disney execs started to influence the creativity process. But Disney knows that they can’t stretch the fans enthusiasm too far they learned it with Solo so I have hopes that Baby Yoda will be more than a merch tool / Instagram memes.

They actually had a late launch, one report was they deliberately did not have toys spooled up before hand because a lot of leaks come out of the toy companies. Once baby Yoda was made public they were quick to announce stuff would arrive before Christmas.

Nearly everything about episode 4 felt off. All of a sudden it seemed like Mando and Baby Yoda were in the Star Wars version of the Shire protecting a village against orcs. Much of the acting was also terrible versus that exhibited in the first 3 episodes. The acting in the tavern sceen came across as B movie grade. Hope things turn around for episode 5.

I know this seems unlikely to happen but it would be amazing if Mark Hamill made a cameo appearance as Luke on The Mandolorian. Even though Luke would be much younger compared to when he appears in The Last Jedi the shows creators could use deaging tech. Have Luke show up when he feels through the force a new powerful force sensitive being in the galaxy or something.

Agreed. There were A few cool elements, I liked the hijacked ATST with the red eyes, but Gina Carano is a terrible actress (guess that’s what you get for hiring MMA stars - stick with WWF where they get acting experience), they didn’t add any new twists to the “defend the village” plot line, and the action sequences seemed poorly directed.

Luckily they’re off to a new system next week, so hopefully this was a one-off dud rather than an indication of how the rest of the series will play out.

That's really common for episodic TV, actually.

The Watchmen Series is only lightly based on the Watchmen books or movies that you are familiar with. If you go in with those expectations you may be disappointed. It is smartly written and brilliantly acted and seems to get better with each episode. Episode 6 is one of the best hours of TV I've seen all year. It took me a few episodes to really get into it, but now it's the show that I look forward to seeing most throughout the week.

Funny everyone has their own opinions... I like the Mandalorian, but can't stand the Watchmen. I stopped watching that one after three episodes.

Peaky Blinders! Now that's a great show!

I'm still watching. It's decent, but definitely feels pretty "safe". I really would love to see a more political SW show, a la GOT.. but I doubt we see that happen. The dialogue really needs to improve in order for something like that to be a success.

Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that the Ewoks were the first "cuteness" introduced in the SW universe - that all started with R2D2.

Watch Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress.

The characters of CP-3O and R2D2 are lifted 100% from that classic film as comedy relief.

Yobama

Screenshot_20191202-232229~2 (resized).png

this/ Started very good now turning into the normal soft crap beat em up of shows with terrible acting like the Arrow/Supergirl/Batwoman /and even now the flash . all Crap
Let's hear it for DC comics new toon Harley.Quinn / Not for kids/ And the watchman

Damnit!!!!
I cant get a Plush or Funko baby Yoda till February?
They are calling it "The Child" fyi.

This seems like a major misfire by Disney marketing. I get that they were trying to protect the reveal, but why not reserve a bunch of factory time in China for "12 inch plush Star Wars toy" and send specs the day of the premier? Could easily have been the hot toy of Xmas 2019.

Great episode. This show is light years better than the new trilogy.
Loved all of the nostalgia in this one.

This just gets worse.

This episode starts with a space battle, that is just terrible executed, it's just trumphed by the level of cgi.
Awful.

Then landing on another desert planet. Where two bounty-hunters or whatever dies over, who cares, but you dont get to know any of them, so again, who cares.
Then we fly of to the next desert(?)planet.
The end.

I really can't understand how anybody at disney can see this as good?

Is this some kind of sick joke, at the expense of the star wars fan boys?

Considering fanthom menace and all the rest, the joke is getting really old.

You make valid points, and I’m sorry you aren’t enjoying the show. I imagine you are not the only fan who feels this way.

Since it is a television show, and not a “blockbuster” movie, my expectations are a bit lower.

Writing and script difficulties aside, hopefully you will be able to at least enjoy the production values. I find it refreshing that they are not shoe horning in Social political agendas.

I trust we are sending a message to the accountants and creative developers at Disney what fans enjoy and that which we do not. Cant wait for Kathleen Kennedy to exit.

I agree with both of you.

I think the weird brief episodes, with lead in's, that logo intro, and a really long end credits sequence, most of these episodes are 30 minutes long. And that's just not enough time to develop scenes, intensity drama, and allow more time for the comic relief stuff to feel less at the forefront. They need the old 44 minute standard from years ago, when we had three major networks in the US.

I kept watching this thinking, "oh god...we're really going there. ...seeing this?!?!" Then I'd feel it was neat to revisit those things for a moment. Then I'd feel awful at how manipulative, and nostalgia fueled this show seems to be.

My biggest issue with Star Wars, is there seems to be NO real attempt at anything other than nostalgia dips. How many more times can we ooooh at the Falcon, or recognize that in this episode alone they almosy aped shot after shot from a New Hope and The Phantom Menace for the first ten minutes?

I'm starting to think they are trying to duplicate the animated series sucess, but in a live action format.

My thought on episode five was someone spent A LOT of money spooling up Mos Eisley on Tantooine for the series. Nostalgia for the original was clearly being beat like a drum.

Does anyone else feel the acting as a whole is pretty weak? It feels like they could have spent a bit more on getting superb actors and a little less on the special effects. I am not getting sucked into this series and am watching only because the family is.

Perhaps I have spent too much time in British crime dramas.