Disney+’s ‘The Mandalorian’ is a space-bound Western

Above : Pedro Pascal stars in the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” (Starwars.com)

Miniseries review : “The Mandalorian,” created by Job Favreau, starring Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Nick Nolte, Werner Herzog, Giancarlo Esposito. Streaming through Disney+.

When it premiered, the first “Star Wars” film was already a sensation. At least it was among a large number of (though not all) critics.

The late Roger Ebert was among the film’s biggest fans.

“All of the best tales we remember from our childhoods had to do with heroes setting out to travel down roads filled with danger, and hoping to find treasure or heroism at the journey’s end,” Ebert wrote. “In ‘Star Wars,’ George Lucas takes this simple and powerful framework into outer space, and that is an inspired thing to do, because we no longer have maps on Earth that warn, ‘Here there be dragons.’ ”

Since that 1977 original — now titled “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope” — the series has expanded exponentially, from the main line of films to the spinoffs and the novelizations and animated series and toys, etc.

One of the later-produced efforts inspired by Lucas is the eight-episode series “The Mandalorian,” which streams through the Disney+ service. I just finished watching the first season (season two is set to premiere on Oct. 30) and while it doesn’t rate as highly as the original trio, nor even some of the spinoffs, it does fill the need that some of us have to see even more of the galaxy that spawned the likes of The Force.

“The Mandalorian” stars Pedro Pascal as the title character, a warrior from a race of warriors who works as a bounty hunter. While fulfilling a job, he becomes the shepherd of an alien creature — referred to as either “the kid” or “the foundling” — who, clearly, hails from the same race as the Jedi Master Yoda. And even as an infant (production notes say he is a 50-year-old infant), he is strong with The Force.

Over the eight episodes, the Mandalorian becomes an outlaw, on the run both from the representatives of the remnants of the Imperial Empire who want the alien and from all those they’ve hired to retrieve him. While taking various jobs to earn his keep, the Mandalorian — like any good Western hero — finds a good fight here and there. And he makes a few allies, from Gina Carano ‘s former soldier Cara Dune and Nick Nolte ‘s Kuiil, who help him ward off villains such as The Client ( Werner Herzog ) and Moff Gideon ( Giancarlo Esposito ).

Familiar faces such as Carl Weathers take delight in switching sides, which is a standard “Star Wars” trope.

Note that I described the Mandalorian character as acting like a Western hero. That’s what struck me while watching the series, though it’s hardly an original thought. Creator, sometimes director, writer and full-time showrunner Jon Favreau admitted that the comparison is intentional.

“I like the image of the Mandalorian because it really hearkened back to the Westerns and samurai films that had originally influenced Lucas,” Favreau told ABC News . “It’s a deconstructed version of Clint Eastwood in ‘The Man with No Name.’ That’s a great, mysterious, fun character to see the world through.”

Set just five years following the events in “The Return of the Jedi,” this Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” may not be the best that the “Star Wars” franchise has to offer. But if you ever were a fan of, say, “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” “Trackdown,” “Kung Fu” or any number of classic television Westerns, you’ll certainly be thrown back into your youth. Along with the rest that the streaming service has to offer, all those classic Disney films and series, it might be worth your signing up for a subscription.

Call it a Western series among the stars.

Below : The trailer for Season 2 of “The Mandalorian.”