The Mandalorian and Grogu Review

 

It's been several years since The Rise of Skywalker but we finally have a new Star Wars movie. The question is is it a hit or a miss?

The Mandalorian and Grogu (sometimes called Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu) is a sci-fi movie, and it's not only thirteenth theatrical film but also a continuation of The Mandalorian tv series. Production was Lucasfilm Ltd. and Fairview Entertainment with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures acting as the distributor. Jon Favreau not only directed but also wrote the screenplay with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor.

The story is, Din Djarin and Grogu are now working for the New Republic to hunt down Imperial warlords. After another successful mission Din is hired to find the mysterious Coin, but first he must help the Hutt twins find Jabba's son Rotta in exchange for info on Coin.

Initial Reaction

Now I would've been excited for this way back, but after watching season three I really wasn't all that excited anymore. Not because season three was bad or anything, it's just that Din's role was reduced too much. But I figured I've give a chance anyways because why not? I'm a Star Wars guy and we finally have a new movie after so many years, so why not give it a chance.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

It all comes down to the story. Now there's a lot of good stuff about the story. There's plenty of fun and action to be had, but more importantly what draws you in are Din and Grogu's bond. That father-son dynamic is just as strong here as it was in the show. One my absolute favorite moments from this movie is when Din is greatly ill and it's up to Grogu to take care of him. It might be simple, but I think everyone whether they're a son or not can relate to having to take care of their parent after so many years of your parent taken care of you when you were sick. The slight problem stems from the fact you can help but that "extended episode" feeling. Cause sometimes I swear this feels like episodes of the show stitched together, whether that's the actually case or not I don't know. Maybe people will be comfortable with that familiar feeling, but the thing is this a movie. And when your tv show is given a movie deal you really got make it [the movie] feel like a big moment.

Pros

Now one praise I want to quickly get out of the way because I've praised it so much that I really don't have anything new to say is Pedro Pascal's vocal performance as Din Djarin and the physical performances from Brendan Wayne & Lateef Crowder. All three of these once again did a get job providing Din's voice, body language, and combat skills. They've been killing it since season one of the show and here in the movie it's no different. I also want to praise the action. While I read that element has mixed feelings my p.o.v. I thought it was actual pretty good. It provides all the fun you want from a Star Wars project that doesn't involve Jedi and Sith. The last thing I'll touch on is the set pieces. I don't know how much was green screen and how much was shot on location, either way it looked great. My absolute favorite location was the Hutt twins' planet Nal Hutta. Now I'm not a swamp guy, but if that place was real I wouldn't mind going there for some sightseeing, well...only after all the criminals are kicked out but still.

So The Mandalorian and Grogu isn't gonna set the world on fire, and I highly doubt it'll bring fans back to the Star Wars franchise after so many years of both Disney & Kathleen Kennedy just making some terrible decisions and insulting the fanbase. However, I did enjoy the movie and wasn't disappointed when I left the theater.

My final rating is, Okay.

Maybe next Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter will do something that'll shake things up? But as of right now I'm done with this review. Come back Monday, May 25th, for my review of the comic book miniseries, Spider-Man Noir. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.