The Disney-era of Star Wars films has been fraught with controversy. The sequel trilogy proved incredibly divisive and, in some ways, directionless. Solo was met with production troubles, mixed reception, and ended up heavily underperforming at the box office. The only film that die hard Star Wars fans seem to fully unite around is Rogue One, and its legacy. Now, after a seven year hiatus, the pressure is on for The Mandalorian and Grogu to be more positively received than most of its five predecessors. And thankfully, it rises to the occasion.
It stands to reason that the expectation of many when coming into the film (particularly those who have never seen The Mandalorian series) could be for this to be as complex or myth-heavy as the saga movies. However, that would be where the biggest mistake would be from an audience perspective: expecting The Mandalorian and Grogu to stray beyond the scope of the series and setup some unnecessary trilogy. No! That’s not at all what The Mandalorian is.
Since 2019, audiences have been invested in the pure relationship between Din Djarin and Grogu, and The Mandalorian and Grogu essentially just doubles down on that. There’s no apocalyptic stakes. No Jedi vs Sith drama. This is merely a tale of a father and a son trying to survive a perilous couple of days. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. Star Wars films are rarely this intimate, so to have a smaller film with lower stakes, driven purely by the relationship between its central characters is actually a breath of fresh air.
The story for this big screen outing follows Mando and Grogu as they are hired by New Republic squad leader, Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) to find a former Imperial Officer whose identity remains a secret. The only lead they have is the Hutt twins (last seen in The Book of Boba Fett), who agree to reveal what they know in exchange for bringing their nephew, Rotta the Hutt home. Mando and Grogu agree, but discover the deal might actually not be what it seems.
At its core, the father-son story between Din Djarin and Grogu may not necessarily be new ground, but The Mandalorian and Grogu deepens it. By putting Mando in more peril than we’ve previously seen, the movie allows for Grogu to really grow, with portions of it centered on a coming-of-age adventure, where he must fend for himself. The series has never truly given us this opportunity to see that, so taking advantage of the big screen format to explore this prepares us for the inevitable evolution of the character from his “infant” stage to the eventual adult years of his species. The longer the movie progresses, the more we begin to see some familiar and intentional parallels between Grogu and Yoda, paying off the influence Luke’s training had on him.
In many ways, Grogu’s journey is mirrored in Rotta’s. These are two characters with major influences in their lives. Rotta is influenced by his father Jabba, and his legacy of crime, as well as the dubious morals of his uncle and aunt. Rotta’s is determined to show that none of that defines who he is as an individual and prove he can forge his own path. In the same way Grogu is meant to be the product of his Jedi teachings from Luke and the Jedi Masters on Coruscant, and his Mandalorian teachings from Din Djarin. And yet, as this movie showcases, he is also his own independent character. Ready and able to stand on his own and define who he is as a character, which is ultimately what this movie is about.
All that said, this is a really messy story. Many will criticize the fact that this is an expanded episode of the TV show. And while that is the point, one that I won’t hold against the film given that’s what it obviously is meant to be, the transitions between acts is poorly executed.
Those who are fans of the series would easily be able to detect when a scene’s ending would mark what would have been the ending for an episode, leading to the opening of a new one. And that in itself contradicts the point of making this one a movie. It’s almost like watching the different storylines converge together instead of a cohesive narrative. We go from Mando taking down New Republic forces in the intro, to getting a Razor Crest, to interrogating The Hutts, to fighting Rotta, to battling a Dragon Snake, to Grogu surviving in the wild on his own. It all does feel like a full season of television in two hours, which would have been fine if each segment didn’t feel as self contained. It needed to feel more cohesive and less episodic. Perhaps Favreau spent too much time on the series side that it’s influenced the way he does movies? However we needed this to flow better than an Illumination movie. We’ve seen better from Favreau, and know that he knows better.
Where the movie does embrace its cinematic format is in its scale and action! This is where Favreau shines and shines brightly. For a theatrical spinoff to a show known for its cinematic look and feel, and its terrific, well choreographed and executed action scenes, Favreau completely ups the ante just for the big screen to bring you some incredible, rollicking set pieces, and dynamite thrills.
There’s a pulpy, almost Harryhausen-ish quality to The Mandalorian and Grogu that harkens back to the quality of cinema we so rarely see today: one filled with exotic creatures and monsters of mythology and imagination, puppetry of Henson-esque quality, exotic locations inspired by Blade Runner, and the action sequences of an intergalactic John Wick gunslinger film. The result is a film that is honestly just incredibly fun!
None of the above amounts to Shakespeare, but it does effectively create one hell of a ride! From the very first action sequence, to the final, the gunfights and space battles are so fluid and dynamically exciting. Thanks to series standouts Brandon Wayne and Lateef Crowder everything Mando does to battle his adversaries is brutal and badass! His use of weaponry, his movements, and Favreau’s ability to capture those sequences in fun and innovative ways (there are many oner-shots in the film’s intro) add up to some of the best action set pieces the Star Wars franchise has given us ever, especially on film. As a series, I’ve always viewed The Mandalorian as “John Wick Star Wars” and that’s exactly what I got from this movie! It left me smiling from ear to ear, as the film takes the action of the series and boldly tops it with a lot more vicious kills. This is exactly what a cinematic version of a character whose catchphrase is, “I can bring you in warm. Or I can bring you in cold” needs to be.
From a scale perspective the film also tops what we’ve seen on the show, giving the look of the film the more cinematic feel it’s intended to have. There’s two particular sequences that caused my jaw to drop, which were. Mando’s take down of several AT-ATs, and his battle with the mighty Dragon Snake. As soon as the latter is unveiled and begins uncoiling itself, I thought to myself “holy smokes!” This is the feeling of awe a perfect creature feature needs to have and its one Favreau gleefully embraces. He wants us to have that moment of wonder, and he delivers on it continuously throughout the film, with epic battles like the life-size Dejarik battle, and the finale. That’s exactly the transportive nature a Star Wars film needs to have to inspire its audiences, and I have to say, it’s been too long since one has made me feel this way.
The other major collaborator that has absolutely helped turn The Mandalorian and Grogu into a true cinematic experience is 3-time Oscar winning composer Ludwig Göransson. Combining the spaghetti western tones of the series and expertly blending them with electronic music reminiscent of Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch’s work on Blade Runner 2049, every scene pops with sonic bangers that we have never been previously treated to in the series. It’s particularly strong in the Shakari scenes, giving the movie unique themes that we aren’t used to in traditional Star Wars fare.
Flowers also need to be showered on the puppeteers at Lucasfilm, who did absolutely stellar work on The Mandalorian and Grogu. This is the first Star Wars movie in the Disney-era that has had actual extended sequences and full acts carried by puppet stars. The work here is on par with classics like The Dark Crystal, with us believably invested in what happens to Grogu and his growth, as well as the Anzellans he teams up with. The result is often hilarious but never overstays its welcome, as it brings a heaping load of charm and warmth to the film.
Is The Mandalorian and Grogu a perfect film? Absolutely not. As far as all 12 Star Wars films go, it fits squarely in the middle. However is it a fun movie? Absolutely! Favreau and Dave Filoni absolutely justify Mando’s transition from the small screen to the big one with epic action, astonishing creatures, incredible puppetry, and a wonderful score from Göransson. It is hands down the most fun I’ve had at a Star Wars film in a decade, easily besting Last Jedi, Solo, and Rise of Skywalker. It is bigger, bolder, more brutal than Mando’s ever been, and begs to be seen on the biggest screen possible! I do wish there was more of an impact from a narrative standpoint in terms of how it’ll progress the journey of these two characters. And this definitely needed a lot more editing to make it feel like a more cohesive and singular story. But frankly, just being able to enjoy these two characters that I love and seeing them take down Imperial officers in a simple, entertaining, intimate story, is enough for me to justify the price of admission. This is the way.
Overall Score: B
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters this Friday!