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The Mandalorian and Grogu Review
Image Credit: Francois Duhamel/Lucasfilm Ltd.
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Directed By: Jon Favreau
Written By: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloo; Based on the story and characters created by George Lucas
Runtime: 132 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action
Pedro Pascal – The Mandalorian/Din Djarin
Jeremy Allen White – Rotta the Hutt
Sigourney Weaver – Colonel Ward
Steven Blum – Zeb Orrelios
Jonny Coyne – Lord Janu
Martin Scorsese – Hugo Durant
Matthew Willig – Hogsbreth
Hemky Madera – Commander Barro
Gatori – Stephen McKinley Henderson
The Anzellans – Shirley Henderson
The Star Wars franchise returns to theaters for the first time in almost seven years with the new movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu. What began as the first-ever episodic, live-action Star Wars television series, The Mandalorian, now leaps to the big screen as the eponymous armored warrior, “The Mandalorian” Din Djarin (Pascal), scours the galaxy for ex-Imperial evildoers with his loyal foundling apprentice, Grogu.
Does jettisoning the television series and giving it the big-screen upgrade turn out to be a huge gamble that pays off? Ultimately, time will tell, but from a standpoint of a theatrical experience, The Mandalorian and Grogu provides strong and traditional action-adventure entertainment.
Starting sometime after Season 3 of the series, Mando has begun taking jobs for the New Republic, rooting out Imperial warlords and reporting directly to Colonel Ward (Weaver). Those who have kept up with other Star Wars spin-offs are aware that the Shadow Council is planning something big, and the New Republic is desperate to keep its newfound government intact.
After Mando and Grogu return from their latest mission, Ward dispatches the trio of Mando, Grogu, and the Lasat fighter Zeb Orrelio (Blum), who has recently been partnering with Mando, for a new mission to seek out the Hutt Twins, cousins to the late Jabba the Hutt. They first showed up in The Book of Boba Fett.
The Hutt Twins strike a bargain with the New Republic: return their nephew, Rotta the Hutt (White), and the Twins will provide the New Republic with the whereabouts of Admiral Coin, an elusive Imperial agent and member of the Shadow Council whose appearance is unknown. Mando is reluctant to get involved with gangsters like the Hutts, but Col. Ward sweetens the deal by gifting him a brand-new, fully detailed Razor Crest.
Mando’s mission takes him from Nal Hutta to the moon of Shakkari, where he discovers that Rotta is unlike any of his cruel Huttese relatives. With many twists and turns, Mando’s mission will put his creed to the test, and his loyal adopted foundling Grogu also gets tested.
The main drawback of The Mandalorian and Grogu in adapting a television series into the theatrical format is that the movie comes off more like a condensed season of television, rather than a singular movie. The pacing of the movie even resembles a television episode, with noticeable chapter breaks that appear like cliffhangers from the television series.
Now, that’s not a complete knock on the movie since George Lucas originally took inspiration from classic episodic movie serials for the original Star Wars. However, director Jon Favreau, who also co-wrote the script with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloo, isn’t focused on expanding the narrative of The Mandalorian saga for the big screen.
As an example, the plot involving the Imperial Remnant is woefully underdeveloped, playing more like setup and table-setting for other spin-offs. Elements like the Imperial Remnant subplot play better for various television spin-offs, but something gets lost in The Mandalorian and Grogu because the subplot comes off more like narrative decoration, rather than a deeper and involved narrative.
The good news is that the material involving Mando, Grogu, and Rotta all works really well. Rotta becomes a fully realized character, proving to be the direct inverse of his father, possessing a much kinder and gentler demeanor, but still seeking to rise beyond his father’s lugubrious shadow. Rotta has one of the more interesting character arcs in the story.
Grogu gets to step up as well, showing how Mando’s tutelage and guidance have influenced him. An interesting sequence allows for a type of role reversal between the characters, where there’s barely any dialogue, but showcases how Grogu is growing into his own.
Yes, there’s a lot of cutesy, fluffy interactions between Grogu and the Anzellans (Babu Frik’s race), but they’re still enjoyable, unless more discerning viewers find the cute parts of Star Wars to be among its lesser aspects.
The movie looks impressive, especially on the IMAX format, with the expanded aspect ratio for many of the action sequences. Although the narrative comes off as very limited in scope, Favreau excels in making Mando and Grogu look their best. Favreau’s version of Star Wars always brought a vibe of a kid who dumps his action figures into a sandbox and creates their own big adventure, and The Mandalorian and Grogu translates that feeling well, such as the sequence involving some familiar-looking creatures in the gladiatorial pits on Shakari.
Seeing Nal Hutta rendered in live-action for the first time is a real trip. Favreau’s imagination, in terms of immersion into the narrative world of Star Wars, is among his strongest attributes.
However, as cool as it is to see Zeb in a live-action movie, his presence in The Mandalorian and Grogu is highly questionable. Considering Zeb’s past with the Ghost crew, his absence in Ahsoka, and his partnership with Mando do not make sense. Considering how overprotective Dave Filoni sometimes gets with his characters, better planning was needed regarding how to map out Zeb’s appearances.
Some might denigrate The Mandalorian and Grogu by calling it “safe,” but is that necessarily a bad thing? Star Wars has already proven it can be many different things, and it doesn’t have to be beholden to one singular style.
The story certainly plays it safe, playing more like half of a television season combined into a singular movie. But even in doing so, Favreau and company still provide a fun ride and a traditional Star Wars adventure. Ultimately, what viewers gain from the experience is up to them, but Favreau and Filoni still nicely imbue the movie with a classical action-adventure style.
Despite its narrative flaws, The Mandalorian and Grogu presents an engaging, imaginative, and fun theatrical experience. That might be enough for some, but others might be disappointed it doesn’t strive for more, which is fine and a matter of opinion.
Where To Watch The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters and IMAX on May 22. Tickets and showtime information are available at the movie’s website.
