Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kiloku on November 14, 2019, 04:40:02 pm

Title: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Kiloku on November 14, 2019, 04:40:02 pm
I watched it. I loved it. And I'd like to say that I wish Dave Filoni was producing the movies as well.

The protagonist, while generally stoic and badass, is not overly stoic and bad-ass, there are moments where his humanity shows through with humor, uncertainty, annoyance, and a host of other emotions not usually associated (and not easy to portray) with masked bounty hunters.   
The show seems to be really promising, and the trailers absolutely did not spoil it, as most of the trailer scenes are from the very first episode. I'm eager for what's to come.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Luis Dias on November 15, 2019, 12:54:52 pm
I like the fact that it keeps things simple, at least as far as the first episode goes. Without pretentious babble, to the point. Great visuals.

I have spoken.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: wookieejedi on November 15, 2019, 01:08:41 pm
Just watched the second episode, and liked it even more than the first. I just wish the episodes lasted longer (since it's so good)!
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: The E on November 15, 2019, 01:28:36 pm
I like this space western
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: The E on November 16, 2019, 03:48:18 am
(The following post is made with tongue completely in cheek)

I saw mandalorian ep 2 yesterday.
I am now eagerly awaiting true star wars fans to disavow this show as completely unrealistic; there is no way a bounty hunter and a farm hand can repair a ship in a day. Also, <REDACTED> lifting a giant beast with the force while still a <REDACTED> is such a mary sue move; There is no way <REDACTED> should be able to do that at that <REDACTED>.
And while we're at it, how did Mando and the farm hand catch up to the jawas? Total plot hole right there.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Kiloku on November 17, 2019, 08:46:49 pm
I do hope the episodes increase in length as well. 
Episode 2 was great (and also a surprise to me, because I didn't expect it so quickly after the 1st). 
I know you were joking, E, but I'm pretty sure that the jawas have a spot where they like to stay rather than moving 100% of the time. 

Our stoic badass hero seems to have a soft spot. His childhood wasn't really nice, it seems. I wonder how he feels about his mission right now.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Det. Bullock on November 19, 2019, 02:52:27 pm
It's nice but in the end is not that different in playing it safe from something like Resistance (which is hitting its stride with the second season which will also be the last): it's good but in the end if you take out the "adult" stuff is just standard expanded universe Star Wars with very little to add.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 19, 2019, 11:19:17 pm
I like IG series robots......

Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: The E on November 23, 2019, 02:02:07 am
Saw Episode 3.

Show is still good.

Writers know how to do minimalism.

Pedro Pascal is really good at emoting with a full face helmet.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: theperfectdrugsk on November 23, 2019, 06:47:04 am
Are y'all just using the free Disney+ trial, or is there actually stuff on Disney+ that's worth paying for?
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 23, 2019, 02:02:57 pm
 :nervous:









:warp:
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Scourge of Ages on November 23, 2019, 03:31:06 pm
Are y'all just using the free Disney+ trial, or is there actually stuff on Disney+ that's worth paying for?

My parents signed up, so I watch it when I go over and definitely do NOT just use their password at my place or whatever Dekker is definitely not doing.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 24, 2019, 02:57:11 am
 :yes: :yes:
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: theperfectdrugsk on November 24, 2019, 07:00:28 am
Hahahaha ok that's kinda what I figured.  I'll probably also definitely not go do what y'all are not doing as well. Looking forward to good star wars stories.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 24, 2019, 11:36:04 am
 :nod:
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 25, 2019, 07:31:57 am
Didn't realise the Russian hot chick from red alert 3 is in this  :lol:
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Kiloku on November 25, 2019, 10:34:51 am
Pedro Pascal is really good at emoting with a full face helmet.

This is one of the most amazing things in this show. We can easily get the emotions from a man who barely speaks and whose face is 100% hidden all the time.

Are y'all just using the free Disney+ trial, or is there actually stuff on Disney+ that's worth paying for?

My parents signed up, so I watch it when I go over and definitely do NOT just use their password at my place or whatever Dekker is definitely not doing.

I certainly travel out of my country into one of the six countries where Disney+ is available to watch the show every week.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Det. Bullock on November 29, 2019, 08:14:52 pm
We officially have a live action loth-cat! :P
Also apparently Gina Carano managed to act at the very least at an acceptable level.

Though this is the second or even third Seven Samurai plot in the current canon.

Also according to Ethan van Scyver the show has officially gone full SJW with this episode.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Grizzly on November 30, 2019, 05:55:23 am
Maclunkey!
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: The E on November 30, 2019, 06:56:27 am
Also according to Ethan van Scyver the show has officially gone full SJW with this episode.

So now you know you don't need to listen to him anymore.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Det. Bullock on November 30, 2019, 08:23:17 am
Also according to Ethan van Scyver the show has officially gone full SJW with this episode.

So now you know you don't need to listen to him anymore.

Listen to him? Of course not, but the widely reported 180° he (and others) did on the series because of this episode is infinitely amusing.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: The E on December 01, 2019, 06:37:51 am
Listen to him? Of course not, but the widely reported 180° he (and others) did on the series because of this episode is infinitely amusing.

Yeah. I have to wonder what the bar is for "has gone full SJW": Is it just "female character that fights"?
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Kiloku on December 01, 2019, 07:10:54 pm
A truly terrifying AT-ST. Loved the glowing red "eyes". 
Old imperial hardware on the black market: That's the sort of environment crime thrives in. The New Republic has a lot of work to do if they want a stable post-war galaxy.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Luis Dias on December 02, 2019, 12:08:45 pm
Listen to him? Of course not, but the widely reported 180° he (and others) did on the series because of this episode is infinitely amusing.

Yeah. I have to wonder what the bar is for "has gone full SJW": Is it just "female character that fights"?

I bet. Meanwhile, Sarkeesian making the twitter rounds how there were no women at all in the show and how this is so typical and on she went, should kinda feel embarrassed by now. I mean, I haven't watched the 4th episode to the end, but at the half way I kinda got it confused for Xena the Star Wars Warrior Princess Show.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on December 02, 2019, 02:21:44 pm
Latest episode was pretty much beowulf.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Grizzly on December 31, 2019, 02:25:54 pm
I like this and think everyone should watch it.


And I hate mandalorians as a concept!
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on December 31, 2019, 03:46:21 pm
Canderous Ordo is offended.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: theperfectdrugsk on December 31, 2019, 07:01:19 pm
Aww...I miss good ol canderpuss
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: theperfectdrugsk on January 12, 2020, 07:27:54 pm
Finally got around to watching this...pretty alright.

Am I alone in thinking the show kinda lost its way as it went on? First 3 episodes were great, but episodes 4-6 on were extremely predictable and therefore not at all interesting. Even 7 and 8 were kinda...blah. Killing off the established bad guy to introduce a new badder guy was...ok? Why? Pedro Pascal was wonderful, and Carl Weathers is always great, just the basic structure was off somehow. I suspect that a lot of this was due to time constraints...I guess it's hard to write a decent story arc that completes in 35-ish minutes

It didn't help that there was some needlessly sloppy writing throughout. When I say needlessly sloppy, I mean things that are perhaps nitpicky to ding the show for, but are still irritating and could have been easily and more logically written.  An example: how the hell does Mando kill the mudhorn with a blade that's at most 5-6 inches long? Just have him shoot the damn thing. Or a bigger knife. Or at least take more than a single quick poke in the shoulder and the thing instantly collapses. Guess what? That's not how large animals die.

The music...eh. The theme is pretty great, and there were some nice western-y ominous riffs throughout, but the music during action scenes was usually pretty terrible. And lord save me from the budget prerecorded Casio imitation 808 beats that cropped up in the final two episodes.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on January 12, 2020, 11:43:47 pm
Yeah,  I thought some episodes were just filler and the At-St episode was generic as flip, as was the "heist" episode. (the fact the objective was a person and the venue was not a casino does not change the fact it was a heist episode 😂

Disney tropes ahoy.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Det. Bullock on January 13, 2020, 03:25:12 am
Yeah,  I thought some episodes were just filler and the At-St episode was generic as flip, as was the "heist" episode. (the fact the objective was a person and the venue was not a casino does not change the fact it was a heist episode 😂

Disney tropes ahoy.

It's very much in the style of all the canon Star Wars animated series, Rebels and Clone Wars all had a lot of "filler" that would play out later in a way or another either introducing a character or just having a bit of character interaction or "business as usual".
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Grizzly on January 13, 2020, 04:56:27 am
With ye HBO-style series being more and more popular it's a bit weird switching back to a series format which simply tries to be entertaining.

I like this becuase Star Wars is dumb.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: theperfectdrugsk on January 13, 2020, 05:53:33 am
IMO, what this show tried to do formatwise, Firefly did better. Partly, I think, because Firefly didn't take itself *too* seriously (and obviously didn't have to overcome the massive expectations that come with being a star wars product) whereas star wars almost has to take itself seriously. So when they go for dumb campy stuff, it never really works. I dunno...I hope they have more run-time in the next seasons' episodes and have a little more time to flesh things out. My wife compared it unfavorably with a low-budget SyFy series, like Dark Matter, and I don't entirely disagree. I wonder how much of the praise the show has gotten is just by way of comparison to the new movies... If you hated the movies, I can see how The Mandalorian might seem like a masterpiece.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: The E on January 13, 2020, 07:16:10 am
Yeah,  I thought some episodes were just filler and the At-St episode was generic as flip, as was the "heist" episode. (the fact the objective was a person and the venue was not a casino does not change the fact it was a heist episode 😂

Disney tropes ahoy.

But that's kinda the thing: This show knew what it wanted to be, and what it wanted to be was an incredibly straight take of classic western and serialized storytelling tropes. It wasn't surprising in that, it wasn't groundbreaking or anything, it was just a simple story told well -- and, when you get down to it, that sort of bread-and-butter storytelling is still very effective.

It's a bit like the 2011 movie Real Steel: That film was also about using the tropes of boxing/father-son-bonding stories and playing them painfully straight, but since everyone involved decided to give a **** about the movie, it turned out to be more entertaining than you'd think it would be based off of a plot synopsis.

Not every show needs to be Westworld, full of complexity and twists, or Game of Thrones with its shock and titillation. It's okay for a show to be about a faceless soldier and his adoptive son.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: theperfectdrugsk on January 13, 2020, 08:10:59 am
That's all very true, but even within the context of trying to do serialized story tropes, I felt there was room for more creativity and depth. Some of the "standalone" episodes of Battlestar Galactica come to mind, where the episodes themselves could have taken place at any point in the series as self contained stories, but there was both enough connectivity to the series arc and enough development of the episode's story arc to keep you invested. But again, I blame a lot of that on the baggage of the star wars universe and the short episodes.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: The E on January 13, 2020, 09:26:09 am
That's all very true, but even within the context of trying to do serialized story tropes, I felt there was room for more creativity and depth.

The thing is, I don't think there was, not without fundamentally altering the tone of the show. The first few episodes in particular are incredibly decompressed, with only a handful of significant actions taking place; Mandalorian, to me, felt like a show that is deliberately slow. This again mirrors the western influence: Classic westerns of the John Ford mold spent a lot of time lingering in a scene, a moment; modern TV is generally operating at a much faster pace. That other shows are able to cram more storytelling, more scenes into a given runtime is undeniable, but I hesitate to call it better than what Mandalorian did.
Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on January 13, 2020, 09:29:11 am
I'm not prone to over analysing my impressions of something or they cease to be my impressions of something.


I do still enjoy it,  I wish they hadn't shown his face,  but I like the feel I get...... This feel is shown below.

Title: Re: The Mandalorian: What do you mean there wasn't a thread already?!
Post by: Det. Bullock on January 13, 2020, 10:03:55 am
I'm not prone to over analysing my impressions of something or they cease to be my impressions of something.


I do still enjoy it,  I wish they hadn't shown his face,  but I like the feel I get...... This feel is shown below.


The funny thing is that I pointed out all the wrong Italian lines in the earlier version and why but they manage to make many of the same mistakes plus new ones and they used a few things that would sound silly and improper that I pointed out in that same post in excruciating detail.
I'd almost be tempted to comment again but I think it might be a losing battle and sincerely watching the thing again to take notes would probably mess with mild OCD tendencies. *sigh*