The Mandalorian

[judgeurko]

Has anybody watched this yet. Despite me being a bit bored of Star Wars I thought it was quite a good opening episode.

[Frank]

It'll be interesting to see whether they commit to the premise of a lead who never removes his helmet^*

It should give Tharg an idea whether Stronty Dog works as a TV show, too - Boba Fake even does a bit of mork whispering.


* If they do, I expect them to saddle him a more sympathetic sidekick, like Anderson in Dredd3D or Wulf in Stront. It'd give the viewer a more chatty and expressive character as a point of connection, and it'd mean they can have scenes where someone's able to be shown doing normal shit like eating or going undercover if the story requires it.

[DrRocka]

From the very opening scene I thought it was just Strontium Dog with a boba fett fan.

[Frank]

Cam Kennedy says it was his idea to get John Wagner in to script his Boba Fett book. Smart man:

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

Here's Grace Randolph's review. Compares the lead to Karl Urban's Judge Dredd so bonus points there. Some might find Grace's delivery a bit ...weird.

 https://youtu.be/IH-ILIgSLzQ

[Steve Green]

It'll be interesting to see whether they commit to the premise of a lead who never removes his helmet^*

It should give Tharg an idea whether Stronty Dog works as a TV show, too - Boba Fake even does a bit of mork whispering.


* If they do, I expect them to saddle him a more sympathetic sidekick, like Anderson in Dredd3D or Wulf in Stront. It'd give the viewer a more chatty and expressive character as a point of connection, and it'd mean they can have scenes where someone's able to be shown doing normal shit like eating or going undercover if the story requires it.

Not watched it, but from the trailer I thought maybe the IG robot was doing the Wulf/K2-SO role as a comic relief, although you've still got two expressionless faces there.

In an alternate universe where Rebellion said no, Strontium Dog might have been Edgar Wright's first big film after Spaced, rather than Shaun of the Dead.

[Frank]

Not watched it, but from the trailer I thought maybe the IG robot was doing the Wulf/K2-SO role as a comic relief

Taika Waititi, no less. Pre-publicity reveals Gina Carano shows up, probably playing a sexy vampire.

[JOE SOAP]

Considering the age of Jon Favreau, it's no surprise some big influences on the themes, music and style of the The Mandalorian, other than obvious TV Westerns, are Game of Death, Kung Fu (Mando in the forge is very reminiscent of Cain in the Shaolin Temple) – and I wasn't surprised it turned out to be Star wars: Lone Wolf and Baby Yoda Cub (can't be Star Wars without orphans! or foundlings as lost younglings are called now).

Apart from the Robot Chicken style comedy of the opening bounty, it's not a bad start.

[JOE SOAP]

The orgy of fan-service continues with retro-fitting vintage camera gear.

[radiator]

It'll be interesting to see whether they commit to the premise of a lead who never removes his helmet

IIRC, they didn't announce Pedro Pascal's involvement until very late in the day - I think they'd even released publicity stills at that point, so I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't even him in the suit.

[TordelBack]

How are non-US folk watching this? Thought it was Disney Plus only? Pardon my naivety.

[Frank]

How are non-US folk watching this?

I feel like I've let you down.

[I, Cosh]

How are non-US folk watching this? Thought it was Disney Plus only? Pardon my naivety.

We're all Dutch today.

(Haven't watched it. Probably won't.)

[Steve Green]

How are non-US folk watching this? Thought it was Disney Plus only? Pardon my naivety.

I've seen some set up VPNs to make the servers think they're in the US and a US Disney+ account, the rest are space pirating it.

I've not watched it, because I really can't be arsed messing about with all that.

[TordelBack]

The VPN I get (practically de rigeur these days), the setting up and/or faking a Disney Plus account I don't get at all.  I had steeled myself to pay for DP (wonderful acronym!) but now I'm fecked off that yet again an entire SW TV series will have aired before I get a chance to watch it legally in March-or-is-it-April.  You'd think they'd have sold it to some other service in those territories where theirs doesn't exist yet.

Anyway I'm not torrenting it, and chasing illicit streaming is a PitA: I gave up the later animated stuff because of this.  For the umpteenth time I find myself waving handfuls of cash at Star Wars, but they don't seem to want it.