Review of “Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian” Episodes 4-5

The Disney Gallery behind-the-scenes documentary series of The Mandalorian continues on Disney Plus with episodes 4 and 5: technology and practical effects. Both are phenomenal.

Episode 4: The Technology Behind The Mandalorian

As you might expect, the Mandalorian series on Disney+ took many people to get just right over a very long period of time.

Episode 4 shows us just how many were needed for the technology to be achieved perfectly.

In the image above, you can see one of these tools, which is called the Volume. The volume is essentially a soundstage that’s also covered in massive TV screens.

This allows the scenes to be immersive in a way we’ve never quite seen before, though it is something that Jon Favreau pioneered on the live-action versions of Jungle Book and The Lion King.

One of the things they’ve relied on heavily is advanced technology for imagery and old school puppetry and practical effects.

These two things – tech and practical – both bring the series and the characters and places to life like nothing we’ve ever really seen before…except maybe Star Wars itself.

In other words, Favreau and Kathleen Kennedy and the whole Mandalorian team have done something remarkable.

They’ve made a brand new story within an established world that feels like something George Lucas dreamed up himself.

Episode 5: Baby Yoda Wasn’t Always So Cute and Cuddly…

The fifth episode of this BTS series shows us all exactly what we want to see…the baby.

Like legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog’s character, there are few things in this whole series more captivating than The Child, or as he’s perhaps more commonly known, Baby Yoda.

The designs for the Yoda-like character went through quite a series of drafts and images and concepts.

In fact, some of the early ones aren’t all that adorable at all…

1. There’s this one that sort of looks like something out of Middle Earth.

2. And this one that actually just looks like Old Master Yoda as a baby in a lot of ways.

3. Then there’s this one that you simply can’t unsee. Poor little fella…

4. And finally, we have the winner. This flight suit wearing Baby Yoda (The Child) has won all of our hearts with his great big eyes, cute little whimpering noises, and the powers of a Jedi master.

To see the full growth of the character from beginning to end in design concepts is pretty incredible to me.

I love when we get a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at exactly what happens on a show, especially one in the Star Wars universe, and even more especially one of this magnitude and scope.

If you love Baby Yoda, check out all the amazing Baby Yoda toys and clothes and other goodies.

What do you think of the Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian show so far?

Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @disfordisney_.

Check back next week for my review of Episode 6, Visualization.

If you’ve missed any of the previous episode reviews, you can find them all right here:

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3