“The Mandalorian,” a brand-new episodic story in the Star Wars universe, is headlining the original content on the new Disney+ streaming service. The story follows a rogue bounty hunter known as the Mandalorian after the fall of the Empire in “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.” The show uses this premise to not only expand the Star Wars Universe but to also tell a compelling story of its own.

The show heavily focuses on the Mandalorian himself as it slowly unravels more of his personality over the course of the show. The Mandalorian presents himself as a stoic, cold-hearted bounty hunter. While he initially appears to be flawless in his work, his overconfidence reveals itself throughout the show, which in turn makes him feel much more relatable. It is extremely entertaining to see him go from readily challenging a group of Stormtroopers by himself to losing badly against a gang of Jawa merchants. The moral code of the Mandalorian is also constantly in question as he takes certain actions throughout the show, which creates an incredibly intriguing protagonist.

The presentation of “The Mandalorian” is stellar and perfectly encapsulates the feel of the Star Wars universe. The production value of the CGI and set design is the same quality of the mainline movies; there is a great balance between familiar Star Wars creatures and areas in addition to new ones. The show’s soundtrack similarly incorporates new elements into familiar tunes by combining the symphonic movements of past Star Wars soundtracks with techno and guitar.

“The Mandalorian” has an excellent pace and wastes no time grabbing the audience’s attention. The show constantly remains engaging both in its quieter moments and its action-heavy sequences. The fight choreography within “The Mandalorian” is also impressive. The action flows greatly with each scene having its own unique feel. From visceral bar shootouts to dynamic encounters on top of Sandcrawlers, each fight is entertaining and advances the plot.

While “The Mandalorian” is an absolute treat for Star Wars fans, newcomers will have a harder time understanding the full weight of the plot. There are plenty of dialogue exchanges and visual references that add more depth to the lore of the series but will go completely missed without prior knowledge of the movies. “The Mandalorian” may be alienating towards new audiences, but the show still provides Star Wars fans with never-before-seen perspectives of the universe and gives fans plenty of material to dissect as the show continues.