The Mandalorian is Flying Past the Boundaries of Genre
The Star Wars Tale of a Lone Gunman and His Foundling Child is Becoming Something More
At its core, Star Wars is an exercise in successfully blending genres together to create something new. The original trilogy was a space opera that used the larger context of a galactic war to test its characters through the lenses of different genres. The prequel and sequel trilogies attempted to use the same blueprint to tell their story arcs, and even though the results were inconsistent, the formula remained. Now, The Mandalorian is taking the notion of mixing genres, bringing it aboard the Razor Crest, and speeding off into hyperspace.
Star Wars: A New Hope laid the groundwork for George Lucas’ unique take on a sprawling science fiction blockbuster. Luke Skywalker begins his classical hero’s journey once he leaves the simple life on Tatooine to embrace adventure throughout the galaxy. Obi-Wan and Darth Vader bring out fantasy aspects of the story with their ties to The Force. Meanwhile, Princess Leia Organa keeps the story grounded by representing the larger galactic conflict of the film. A distinct blend of genres that mixed together to form the foundation of a cinematic juggernaut.