By George & Josh Bate
After a seven year absence from the big screen, Star Wars makes its triumphant return to theaters with a movie that translates two of streaming television’s most iconic characters to a new medium. Much has been made regarding whether Lucasfilm could pull off making a Mandalorian and Grogu movie and attract audiences after a relatively long spell without a Star Wars movie, but, in resounding fashion, Jon Favreau and company pull this feat off, creating a cinematic, epic, heartwarming, and unabashedly and quintessentially Star Wars film.
Taking place after the events of The Mandalorian Season 3, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his adoptive son Grogu now work for the New Republic, hunting former Imperial warlords down to stop them from rekindling the fallen Empire. The father-son duo are tasked by Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) to retrieve Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), the last surviving heir to Jabba the Hutt, for his aunt and uncle. In exchange, the Hutt twins will provide the New Republic with information about the true identity of a mysterious Imperial warlord.
If the word ‘fun’ is used to describe a movie on social media, this is often code for ‘decent’ or ‘this has some redeeming qualities, but overall isn’t that great.’ But The Mandalorian and Grogu is truly and succinctly best characterized as fun. Jon Favreau’s film checks virtually every box one could possibly think for a Star Wars movie. There’s a cantina scene, space battles, tons of creatures and droids, stunning visual effects, and a score you’ll probably end up listening to for the rest of your life (we’ll get to that in a minute). Favreau proves, without a shadow of a doubt that, a Star Wars movie can entertain and even thrive without lightsabers.
From an epic prologue that makes great use of aspect ratio changes and sees Din Djarin evoke his inner Daredevil and Batman, The Mandalorian and Grogu propels forward at an enthralling, breakneck pace. The rhythm of Favreau’s film resembles Star Wars: The Force Awakens in that it flows seamlessly from scene-to-scene and hardly endures a lull. That changes unfortunately at the beginning of a third act that grinds to a halt before eventually kicking into gear again.
Where the film differs from the pacing of other Star Wars films is how action-heavy it is. Blaster shootouts, cantina brawls, and space dogfights are staples of Star Wars, and yet Favreau (alongside Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor) pens a screenplay that seldom takes a break from combat. In doing so, the Iron Man filmmaker masterminds a visually impressive and kinetic film that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. An early scene involving Mando and Grogu facing off against massive AT-ATs and a gladiator duel involving Rotta the Hutt are among the scenes that best showcase the cinematic scale of The Mandalorian and Grogu, while a stop-motion action sequence engineered by Phil Tippett makes for delightfully old-school fun.
Less cinematic, however, is the actual story that unfolds. Those expecting a game-changing, canon-altering Star Wars epic will likely be disappointed by how ultimately inconsequential the events of The Mandalorian and Grogu are to a galaxy far, far away. Early exposition provided by Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward suggests that the film will unravel a mystery involving the elusive Commander Coin, although these questions are answered predictably and underwhelmingly. In this sense, Favreau’s film lacks the intrigue that made the initial seasons of The Mandalorian, and even Star Wars more generally, so special. Whereas Seasons 1 and 2 had audiences questioning why the Empire wants Grogu, where Grogu came from, and who is the Jedi that will train him, the movie appears disinterested in posing intriguing questions for audiences to ponder over. Coupled with the fact that far too much of the film has been depicted in promotional materials and The Mandalorian and Grogu is left with a forecastable story that, while told in cinematic fashion, doesn’t justify its distinction as the plot of a feature film, rather than Disney+ series. Particularly critical audiences may even find that the film feels like multiple big budget episodes of the show strung together, although we’d argue that such a point overlooks the cinematic qualities and technical achievements of the film.
That being said, Favreau’s film features plenty of engaging and worthwhile pieces. Favreau and Filoni have shown a willingness to repurpose lesser loved elements of the franchise in unique ways and do so once again by including Rotta the Hutt (aka Stinky from the derided The Clone Wars movie) as a central character. Voiced by The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White, Rotta is a standout in the film, both for the presence he brings to the action and unexpected heart he brings to the story. As Jabba the Hutt’s son, Rotta undergoes an arc that can be best compared to Adonis Creed in the Creed trilogy as, like Michael B. Jordan’s boxer character, Rotta wants to forge a legacy of his own beyond what the galaxy thinks of his father.
Rotta’s arc fits seamlessly into the core theme of The Mandalorian dating back to Season 1 Episode 1 – fatherhood. While Rotta navigates his tumultuous family history, Din Djarin and Grogu continue to flourish as everyone’s favorite father-son duo. Neither character is afforded much of an arc or develops substantially here, although the film toys with some interesting ideas about the protected becoming the protector and children outliving their parents. It’s a shame that these themes weren’t explored a little more deeply, but there’s hope that future stories will use the work done in this film as a foundation for further examination.
Rotta’s inclusion in the film also nicely parallels the narrative of The Mandalorian Season 1 in ways we will save getting into until we publish our spoiler review. Favreau’s fascination with plotting that resembles the structure of a video game continues here as Din Djarin and Grogu are tasked with completing a task for one person to then get something to accomplish their overarching mission. This mirrors the structure of the show, in particular Seasons 1 and 2, and imbues The Mandalorian and Grogu with a pulpy, adventure film quality.
Akin to the series, The Mandalorian and Grogu similarly impresses with its ability to captivate in the absence of many speaking, unmasked human characters. With the exception of a few lines from Sigourney Weaver and a couple of baddies, the film almost entirely centers around a masked protagonist, a puppet, and all manner of creatures and droids. As the promotional materials confirm, Pedro Pascal is finally unmasked again as The Mandalorian after Season 3 woefully misfired with an ill-conceived arc about Din Djarin’s shame for taking his helmet off. The film unfortunately doesn’t correct for this mistake, but at least it gives viewers an opportunity to see one of the biggest movie stars on the planet headline a Star Wars film front-and-center.
But, for as popular of an actor as Pedro Pascal is, the real star of The Mandalorian and Grogu is (you guessed it) Grogu. Exceptional puppet work and sound design bring to life an adorable little character that continues to delight and warm our hearts. Grogu is afforded so many opportunities to be his adorable, mischievous self in the film, all of which render Favreau’s film a genuine crowd-pleaser. You couple Grogu with the even tinier and similarly adorable Anzellans and Favreau finds a gold mine of cute, hilarious antics for audiences to feast on.
Just as important as any character in the film though is the score from Ludwig Göransson. Dating back to John Williams’ work on the original 1977 film, music has always played a critical role in a galaxy far, far away, so much so that its themes and motifs are instantly recognizable and enduringly hummable. Göransson replicates the magic of Williams’ music in this regard, while crafting a truly singular score for a Star Wars film. At times leaning into orchestral work and use of choir, while at other times sporting hip-hop beats and techno-synths, the three-time Academy Award winner’s score elevates The Mandalorian and Grogu to remarkable heights and plays such a critical role in making the film as entertaining, atmospheric, and adventurous as it is.
VERDICT: 7.5/10
The Mandalorian and Grogu makes the seven year wait for a new Star Wars movie worthwhile. Unabashedly and quintessentially Star Wars in nearly every way, Jon Favreau’s film checks virtually every box one could want from a Star Wars film and, in doing so, proves that a Star Wars movie can entertain and even thrive without lightsabers. Favreau makes great use of aspect ratio changes, IMAX formatting, and a host of impressive practical and digital effects to craft a film that feels epic in scale and cinematic in scope. Conversely, the film bolsters a narrative almost entirely devoid of intrigue that fails to justify why it demands to be told on the big screen. Rotta the Hutt emerges as an unexpected standout in this narrative as the character formerly known as Stinky brings a cinematic presence to the action and endearing heart to the story. While neither Din Djarin nor Grogu undergo substantive arcs or develop in a meaningful way, the galaxy’s Lone Wolf and Cub continue to make for an undeniably lovable duo and are responsible for some genuinely heartwarming moments amidst a story about fatherhood and legacy. Arguably just as important as any character in the film is the score from Ludwig Göransson, which fuses orchestral, John Williams-inspired motifs with tenets of hip-hop and techno to become a truly singular and atmospheric backing to the film. After so many years since a Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu overwhelmingly accomplishes the mission at hand. In capturing the spirit and joy of the original trilogy and telling an exceedingly exciting adventure story akin to classic Indiana Jones films, Jon Favreau’s movie is quintessential Star Wars.