By George & Josh Bate
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Mandalorian and Grogu
Seven years have passed since a new Star Wars movie hit theaters and there were actually spoilers to discuss about a theatrically released story from a galaxy far, far away. That changes now as The Mandalorian and Grogu has hit theaters and given fans plenty to discuss, analyze, and debate.
If you want to check out our detailed, yet spoiler-free review of The Mandalorian and Grogu, click here. But those who want to dive into the entire film without any punches pulled should keep on reading.
Starting at the very top, The Mandalorian and Grogu features on-screen text orienting viewers to the time period in which this specific Star Wars story takes place. While not an opening crawl, we appreciate that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni saw it as necessary to take this step, not only as it harkens back to George Lucas’ original film, but it affords newcomers an approachable entry point into the story. This was sorely missing in Rogue One, a spin-off film that, while superb in many ways, erred in not featuring some form of opening crawl or text.
As the text fades, the film transitions into a scene involving an intimidating Imperial warlord demanding increased tribute from the locals under his ‘protection.’ The Imperial warlord, who is played by Euphoria Season 3’s Hemky Madera, previously appeared in The Mandalorian Season 3 as a member of the Shadow Council. While adorned in official Imperial garb during Season 3’s covert meeting, Madera’s character now sports less formal wear that reflects his devious side hustle. Sure, he has loyalty to the Empire (the guy says, “Long live the Empire” two or three times in the span of five minutes), but he also has more selfish interests, namely financial ones.
The film does not confirm whether or not the ice planet at the start is Hoth, although we’d like to think it is. Despite being one of the most recognizable planets across all of Star Wars, Hoth has hardly featured in canon since The Empire Strikes Back and never in live-action since the 1980 film. It would make sense for an Imperial warlord to set up shop on Hoth given its more obscure location in the galaxy and the former Empire’s presence on the planet.
Favreau then treats fans to the most bad ass of entrances for the first of our titular characters. Din Djarin operates from the shadows like Batman as he takes out numerous snowtroopers before making a big hero entrance, accompanied by Ludwig Göransson’s iconic theme for the character. We’d be lying if we said we didn’t have goosebumps hearing that theme on the big screen as Mando made his grand entrance.
Grogu also gets a fun entrance as he takes down an enemy more compatible with his size. It’s neat, and somewhat humorous, to see that Din Djarin now just takes Grogu on all of his missions, after previously going out of his way to leave the child behind in episodes like Chapter 4: Sanctuary and Chapter 12: The Siege. While he obviously behaves like a child in many regards, Grogu has clearly grown stronger in the Force as a result of Luke’s training and Din Djarin sees him as being capable of handling his own on a mission like this.
Din Djarin then trades in Batman for Daredevil as he takes down a ton of troopers in a one-take hallway sequence that would make Matt Murdock proud. The choreography, camera movement, and framing of this sequence are all great.
The ensuing action, featuring massive AT-ATs gracing the screen, give The Mandalorian and Grogu a scale and scope the series never had. Much was made about whether these characters and their story would effectively translate to the big screen, but Favreau dispels this concern almost immediately with a cinematic, epic action sequence that would not feel the same on streaming.
Din Djarin and Grogu collaborate to take down the three AT-ATs, before Din takes aim at the fleeing Imperial warlord. Grogu tapping his dad on the helmet to warn him of the impending explosion is a funny little bit.
The two are then picked up in a U-Wing (a vehicle introduced in Rogue One) by Zeb. The beloved character from Star Wars Rebels looks (for the most part) great in the film, barring a few less-than-spectacular CGI shots, namely when he is moving. Zeb plays an unexpectedly sizable role in The Mandalorian and Grogu, featuring in a couple big action scenes and essentially serving as the chauffeur for our titular heroes. It’s also a smart move for Favreau, Filoni, and voice actor Steve Blum to tone down Zeb’s overzealous and rambunctious tone of voice and nature. While this temperament works in the context of a family-friendly animated show, it would probably feel ill-fitting in the context of a theatrically released film.
Mando and Grogu then reconvene with New Republic Colonel Ward, played by the one and only Sigourney Weaver. To see Ellen Ripley in a big screen Star Wars movie is certainly a sight to behold. With prominent roles in Alien, Ghostbusters, Avatar, Galaxy Quest, and now Star Wars, Weaver has cemented her status as a legend of science fiction cinema.
Weaver is also used to deliver vital exposition that kicks the main plot of the movie off. She tasks Mando with retrieving Rotta the Hutt for the Hutt Twins and, in exchange, the Hutt Twins will provide Mando and the New Republic with information about the elusive Commander Coin. This narrative structure – do A for someone and then receive B, which will help you achieve C – popped up repeatedly in the series and bears a resemblance to the narrative structure of video games.
This exposition provided by Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward suggests that the film will unravel a mystery involving Commander Coin, although these questions are eventually answered predictably and underwhelmingly. It was already revealed that the actor Jonny Coyne is back and playing a character named Janu Coin (an eerily similar name to his actual name), which means there really isn’t any mystery surrounding Coin’s identity. When Rotta eventually reveals that the man who oversaw his gladiator fights is actually the fugitive Imperial warlord, it may come as a surprise to Mando, but it certainly doesn’t to the audience.
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.
Din Djarin then receives a new Razor Crest as payment for his upcoming mission. While the N-1 Starfighter was certainly cool to see in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian Season 3, it’s nice to finally see Mando with the same model of ship that was destroyed in Chapter 14: The Tragedy of Season 2.
With Zeb in tow, Din Djarin and Grogu make their way to Nal Hutta, the homeworld of the Hutts. The green hue of the planet gives the location a distinct aesthetic, as does Göransson’s score, which features themes specific to each location.
The Hutt Twins didn’t leave much of an impression in The Book of Boba Fett, but they have far more of a screen presence in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Their low voices are intimidating and the production design to bring their lair to life is gorgeous. Mando doesn’t try to hide his disdain for the Hutts, reflecting a change in the character we were originally introduced to in Season 1, who was willing to take jobs for anyone, including the Empire.
The Hutt Twins show Mando and Grogu a hologram of a young Rotta the Hutt, which probably got the biggest laugh out of us for the entire film. Rotta’s aunt and uncle saying that he’s had a growth spurt was funny alone, but then to see Stinky from The Clone Wars animated film realized in live-action certainly had us chuckling for a bit.
The inclusion of Rotta as an integral piece of the story reflects something we really admire about Favreau and Filoni’s approach to Star Wars. Most creatives would shy away from ever using a character who was the subject of so many jokes and whose sole appearance was in a critically derided animated film. But Favreau and Filoni dare to repurpose the character and change him into someone genuinely interesting and compelling. Filoni did this with Ahsoka, sticking with the character after her rocky start and overseeing her as she evolved into one of the most beloved Star Wars characters of all time. Favreau has also done this by integrating elements of the Holiday Special into canon. Whether good, bad, or hilarious, all Star Wars is Star Wars, and it’s nice to see Favreau and Filoni embrace all elements of a galaxy far, far away, even the ones that weren’t well received initially.
From Nal Hutta, the team travels to Shakari. Göransson welcomes us to the planet inspired by prohibition era Chicago with a hip-hop-inspired theme that is truly unlike anything heard in a Star Wars movie previously. 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 like on Shakari, 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.
Martin Scorsese then appears in the first of two scenes as Hugo Durant, an Ardennian fry cook who is a relative of Rio Durant, the character voiced by Jon Favreau in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Hearing Scorsese say the name ‘Rotta’ brought a huge smile to our faces (who would ever have predicted back in 2008 that the one and only Martin Scorsese would namedrop Rotta the Hutt in a live-action Star Wars movie?). The visual effects team also did well to give Hugo Durant some of the mannerisms and characteristics of Scorsese, namely those unmistakable bushy eyebrows.
Durant points them to the gladiator arena, where Rotta the Hutt is a reigning champion. For the most part, the visual effects to bring a jacked, grown-up version of Rotta the Hutt are great, although hearing Jeremy Allen White’s voice come out of the character’s mouth takes a bit of getting used to and is quite unintentionally funny at first. But, after this initial adjustment period, it becomes clear that White was the perfect choice for the role. With subtle inflections in his voice, White brings such heart to Rotta and makes him a character we immediately root for and care about. His kindness to Grogu does not go unnoticed and is a far cry from the kind of depravity his father Jabba was known for.
To convince Rotta’s boss Janu to let the Hutt out of his fighting contract, Mando and Grogu make their way to a cantina in a scene that would surely make George Lucas proud. Cantina scenes have been a fixture of Star Wars since the original film, and have always tapped into sequences from numerous Westerns in which a cowboy would enter a saloon, only for chaos and violence to ensue shortly after. That’s exactly what happens here as Din Djarin kicks all kinds of ass before snapping one of the horns of an Iktotchi henchmen.
The sequence in the salt bar also has tons of parallels to the iconic opening sequence of John Woo’s 1992 action classic Hard Boiled.
This henchman is named Hogsbreath and is played by Matthew Willig, a former NFL player who went on to play Liltle Chino in Dexter.
Din then speaks with Janu himself, who, like the Imperial warlord at the start of the film, also seems to have a bustling side hustle independent of his exploits to rekindle the Empire. Janu has a fascination with creatures, one of whom is a blue bird-like creature that talks and behaves like Salacious B. Crumb.
When Janu refuses to let Rotta out of his contract, Mando tries to break the Hutt out of containment, only for Rotta to alert the authorities. What ensues is one of the film’s bigger action set pieces, unfolding as a dejarik match come to life (the floor of the fight is the board of a holochess game). It’s a little CGI heavy, but, in IMAX, the fight looks and sounds amazing, especially when Mando and Rotta team up against the other creatures.
The chaos spills over to the streets of Shakari, where we see a baby Rodian (the same species as Greedo) and a really neat Easter Egg paying tribute to the late Carl Weathers (writing above a wall that a creature breaks through translates to ‘Weathers Apollo’).
During the Shakari chase, it was cool to see Grogu take a more proactive stance on a mission as he’s the one who leaps into the pram and speeds off after Rotta, after which his dad follows.
Aboard the Razor Crest, Mando and Rotta have a heart to heart as we learn that Janu’s full name is Janu Coin. Again, the twist is painfully obvious and was crying out for something far more subversive.
Rotta also expresses his concern that the Hutt Twins want to kill him as he is the only person standing in their way from inheriting Jabba’s criminal empire. We’ve seen so many villainous Hutts over the years, so it’s refreshing to see one who wishes to depart from his family’s criminal history and forge a more wholesome legacy.
Zeb, Grogu, Din Djarin, and Grogu then head to Janu’s estate. Zeb kicks some ass wielding a Magnaguard staff and Din Djarin says his iconic line, “I can take you in warm or I can you in cold.” The highlight of the action sequence comes in the form of Grogu hilariously misunderstanding (or ignoring) his father’s instructions of what buttons on the Razor Crest to hit.
With Janu in tow, the team make their way back to the Adelphi Base. Among the New Republic soldiers on the base are Sash Ketter (played by Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow), Jib Dodger (played by Rick Famuyiwa, who directed several episodes of The Mandalorian), an unnamed X-wing pilot (played by Lee Isaac Chung, who has directed episodes of The Mandalorian and Skeleton Crew), and Trapper Wolf (played by Dave Filoni). Surprisingly, there’s no Carson Teva, but thankfully we get some Paul Sun-Hyung Lee later in the film.
It’s a shame we don’t get to see Sigourney Weaver’s Ward interrogate Janu, especially as the conversation would likely tap into Thrawn’s grander plans for restarting the Empire. While we admire Favreau’s willingness to make his film as approachable as possible to new audiences, we wish there was a bit more here teasing future stories and connecting to broader events of canon. It’s a reflection of how ultimately low scale the film is that there is ultimately very little to spoil about its story.
Rotta playing with Grogu on the beach is adorable. Over the course of three seasons and now a movie, Grogu is assembling tons of aunts and uncles. He has Peli Motto, Greef Karga, IG-11, Kuiil, Cara Dune, and now he has Rotta the Hutt.
Din Djarin, Grogu, and Rotta then make their way to Nevarro. We see that Mando still owns his N-1 Starfighter, meaning he’s now living the ultimate single dad life (he’s got the minivan and the sports car!).
Rotta saddlingly leaves Din Djarin and Grogu behind, almost as if he yearns for the kind of family they have. Fatherhood has been a resonant theme throughout The Mandalorian, and the new movie further embraces this through the character of Rotta the Hutt. The contrast between Rotta and Jabba’s toxic bond and Din Djarin and Grogu’s warm relationship is particularly highlighted in this scene.
In choosing to not turn Rotta into the Hutt Twins, Din Djarin replicates the same “sin” he committed in The Mandalorian Season 1. In the initial season, Mando refused to deliver a bounty to his employer upon realizing that his bounty is innocent. He does the same here with Rotta and, once again, faces consequences for betraying his employer.
Enter Embo, the deadly bounty hunter from The Clone Wars, who is translated perfectly from animation to live-action. Embo serves as a formidable opponent to Din Djarin and manages to capture him, requiring Grogu and the similarly adorable Anzellans to flee.
Mando is brought to Nal Hutta, where he is unmasked by the Hutts. Seeing Pedro Pascal, arguably the biggest movie star on the planet, on the big screen in a live-action Star Wars movie is certainly a sight to behold, although we wish the promotional materials didn’t include virtually every shot of Din Djarin unmasked. And, though it is not the task of this film to correct for mistakes of previous stories, it would’ve been nice to correct for Season 3’s misguided decision to brand Din Djarin’s unmasking as a mistake and morally questionable act. There’s obviously benefits to having the protagonist masked, especially when he’s played by a huge movie star, whose cost to be on set is probably quite a bit. But there’s surely more creative ways to have Din Djarin be masked for 90% of the time that would not recontextualize his decision to take his helmet off as a problem.
The Hutt Twins drop Mando into a creature pit below, just like how Jabba dropped Luke into the Rancor pit in Return of the Jedi. Pedro Pascal gets to flex some of his skills as a competitive swimmer here in an action sequence that feels brilliantly large-scale in IMAX.
Grogu and the Anzellans, meanwhile, journey to Nal Hutta and manage to save Mando in the nick of time. But, while the Anzellans leave the planet, Grogu stays to take care of his dad, who has been poisoned by one of the Hutts’ creatures.
The scenes that follow slow the pace of the film down considerably, perhaps a bit jarringly so. Favreau propels the audience forward from scene to scene in the preceding film but changes this pacing entirely by spending ample time following Grogu take care of his father.
Pacing aside, this inversion of the Lone Wolf and Cub trope is quite lovely. We wish the idea of the protected becoming the protector was explored a bit further, and yet it marks an interesting evolution of Grogu and Din Djarin’s relationship.
The brilliant Stephen McKinley Henderson (Dune, Civil War) makes a brief vocal appearance as the creature who helps Grogu evade Embo and creates an antidote for Din Djarin. From Rotta to Hugo Durant to the Hutts’ creatures to the gladiator creatures and more, The Mandalorian and Grogu features no shortage of practical and CGI creatures, perhaps more than any other Star Wars film to date. More broadly, it’s incredible that Favreau was able to make a Star Wars film that features so few unmasked human characters in speaking roles. The three lead characters, for instance, are a masked man, a puppet, and a CGI Hutt. Favreau made this work in the show and he continues to make it work in the movie.
Another moment that put smiles on our faces then followed as Sigourney Weaver, adorned in the unmistakable orange X-Wing jumpsuit, comes to save the day, assisted by Zeb and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s Carson Teva.
Jon Favreau further shows his love for cinema beyond Star Wars by having Din Djarin, Grogu, and Rotta jump from the Hutt palace just like how the titular characters of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid do.
With the Hutts disposed of, everyone makes their way back to Adelphi Base. Rotta the Hutt says that he wants to work for the New Republic now. How crazy would it be if the scrapped Rangers of the New Republic show was reworked to have Rotta as the star? With Carson Teva, Trapper Wolf, and maybe even Cobb Vanth as well, that’s definitely a Disney+ series we would watch.
The film then concludes as Mando, after spending a movie trying to stop Grogu from pressing the buttons of the Razor Crest, welcomes his son into his lap and mentors him to fly the ship. This nicely rounds out the duo’s central arc involving the inversion of their father-son dynamic, although it ends the film on a bit of an underwhelming and anticlimactic note.
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. The ‘twist’ involving the identity of Commander Coin is painfully predictable and the film is crying out for some kind of hook or subversion in the third act. 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.