'The Mandalorian' really raises the bar for 'Rise of Skywalker'

In recent years there's been an ongoing debate in what I'll call the Star Wars community about whether the franchise has become narratively bankrupt in the face of fanboy resistance and Disney meddling. The bad press began with the backlash to The Last Jedi and continued (unfairly in my opinion) with the release of Solo. Disney seems to have internalized the criticism, bringing back fan favorite J.J. Abrams to direct the next (and allegedly last) episode in the Skywalker saga, and relegated many of its previously planned spin-offs to the small screen.

The most anticipated of these projects has been Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian, a mysterious, original new story thread that takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi that doesn't appear to have any direct connection to any previously established characters.

The hero of the show is a kind of Clint Eastwood style Man with No Name. He's Boba Fett with a bit of a heart, but still a bonafide anti-hero. He has one of the coolest, most swaggering character introductions in all of Star Wars, and if the debut episode of the show is to be believed there is much more exciting content to come.

Considering all the hype, The Mandalorian is fantastic. It's fast paced, charming and intriguing. Without spoiling it, I'll say the ending of the premiere is a real gasp-worthy cliffhanger and I love that I have no idea where this thing is going. We're just along for the ride. In that way the show conjures up the indelible spirit of the beloved original trilogy, which was all about discovery -- either about the characters' natures or the balance of the universe.

The prequels and even the far superior new canon installments are burdened considerably by what proceeded them. They have to serve certain narrative functions and fulfill audience expectations. The Mandalorian doesn't have to do anything but entertain us and broaden out the Star Wars universe -- and it does so very effectively (at least in its first episode).

Favreau and company nail the grimy aesthetic and make a welcome return to the use of practical effects and puppetry to achieve a more lived in, tactile feel. The show isn't quite as inscrutably dark as Solo could be on occasion, but it also doesn't feel like a disembodied piece of animation like the prequels do.

While watching it -- and it really moves -- I kept thinking, boy, I hope The Rise of Skywalker is as good as this is. I can't think of a movie in the entire history of the series that seems to have more riding on it, especially since whether you like it or not The Last Jedi is canon and left a lot of ambiguity about where the story could or should go next.

Early reports suggest that Abrams is less interested in fan service and more interested in taking the story in a more inventive direction. I'm very on board with that. I just hope stylistically its all on par with what The Mandalorian is serving up because if it isn't it may taint this new trilogy's legacy for decades to come, whether that's fair or not.

What is certain is that there clearly is a lot of mileage to get out of this universe and its quirky array of planets and 'people.' The jury is still out on Disney+ as a whole, but this show unabashedly rocks.