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star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu, Which will premiere on Friday, May 22, and is the first Star Wars film to reach theaters in seven years. This is a noteworthy piece of information to keep in mind since Rise of the Skywalker premiered in 2019, just months before the pandemic shut down the Hollywood filmmaking machine. It was the same year Disney Plus has been released, bringing a new Star Wars saga to the streaming platform.
It makes sense, then, that the latest Star Wars film is tied not to the Luke Skywalker saga, but to the three-season storyline of The Mandalorian TV series. That’s not to say that everyone’s favorite Jedi Master didn’t enjoy a reappearance in Season 2, nor was he the highlight of Boba Fett’s book, but I digress.
As the film goes on, you get everything the title suggests in its 2-hour and 12-minute running time: Pedro Pascal returns as the suave-helmeted Mandalorian hero Din Djarin; The little green man formerly known as Baby Yoda is back as Grogu. Together they embark on a journey to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s son and capture the rogue Imperial warlord.
That’s it; This is the story. If you’d rather avoid further story details, I’d advise you to turn back now — I’m about to drop X-wing star fighters on this Death Star, or something.
Din Djarin and Grogu embark on a new mission in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
It’s clear that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni want The Mandalorian and Grogu to be their own thing. Gone from this outing is the iconic Star Wars story that started things off, and John Williams’ iconic score is nowhere to be found.
Ludwig Göransson’s music is an interesting change, adding some 80s-style synth and electro strings to the mix, enhancing the street-level scenes and giving the film a Blade Runner vibe. But as much as I appreciated the creative choice, I had to remind myself several times that I was watching a Star Wars movie because there was very little actual war shown on screen.
Is it a visually stunning entry in the expansive Star Wars catalogue? certainly. Since the film only has a few human faces, it makes sense to rely heavily on stunning images and action-packed sequences to convey emotions that viewers need to connect with and care about what’s happening on screen.
If that’s all you need to enjoy a Star Wars movie, I have great news: The Mandalorian and Grogu is a roaring popcorn movie.
However, underneath its pinned-down veneer, it all seemed rudderless, and I found myself checking my watch more than once.
Rather than building emotional stakes at the beginning of the story, especially for those unfamiliar with the TV series, The Mandalorian and Grogu begin in the middle of an explosive action sequence. Once this messy mission is complete, the duo receive their next assignment from Colonel Ward (played by a criminally underutilized Sigourney Weaver), then head off again to wreak havoc elsewhere, return to their ship, rinse and repeat.
To speak in video game terms, a movie looks like a cutscene of a game someone else is playing. In terms of writing, each scene predictably moved the story forward, but without any real character development or plot work to establish the emotional connection you need to fully engage with the story.
Pedro Pascal stars as Grogu in Star Wars: The Mandalorian.
Performance-wise, I think Pascal does a good job as Din Djarin – at least for the roughly 20 minutes he plays without a helmet. It’s always fun to see Weaver on screen, even if she’s barely in this movie. Of the actual human characters appearing in the film, Johnny Quinn’s performance as the evil Lord Janno is the standout.
However, Favreau and Filoni inject humanity elsewhere, with mixed results. Grogu is the highlight of the entire film, and while I find it difficult to connect with his puppet/CGI character, his story is a mix of fun cuteness and fierce determination. Voiced by Emmy Award-winner Jeremy Allen White, Jabba’s rogue son, Rutta the Hutt, is… Choice.
I have multiple problems with this depiction of Ruta. First, the creative decision to have the young, macho English-speaking Hott feels like a shortcut indicative of a general lack of attention in entertainment these days. Instead of making people read subtitles, let’s have him speak fluent English, no matter how lazy and out of character it may feel.
Furthermore, Ruta sounds like an emo teenager who wants to regularly remind you how different he is from his father. I appreciated the character design, especially since I’d never seen the Hutt move from a sitting position, let alone engage in battle. But I have to wonder why White was chosen since his voice had changed, making him unrecognizable.
Jeremy Allen White is Rota the Hutt in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
The majority of the conflicts in the film depend on Ruta’s story, and she doesn’t have the legs to carry the film. This explains why the film is filled to the brim with stylish gunfights, fast-paced action sequences and even more elegant gunfights.
When all is said and done, I can understand the decision to release The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters. There’s enough going on here to hold the attention of a younger audience, and it’s a fun ride if you ignore the lack of story. Multiple scenes look like footage Disney would use in their theme park experiences, and I’m sure the merchandise tie-ins will be very popular.
However, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is no longer an event like the Star Wars movies used to be. If you ask me, I think you’d be better off waiting for it to release on Disney Plus — because this doesn’t seem like much more than one long episode of The Mandalorian.
