THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU is a standalone adventure, with many of the elements we have come to know and love from the STAR WARS universe—intense battles, an amazing score, out-of-this-world creatures, and an exciting story. Despite the film being a follow-up to the THE MANDALORIAN, a three-season series on Disney+, you do not have to have seen the series before watching this film; you will understand what is happening right away (just maybe not with the additional context fans of the show may enjoy). At times, the film does seem like two oversized episodes of the Disney+ series jammed together and I think at least 20 minutes could have been shaved off to reduce some of the feelings of dragging in the second act. But all-in-all, the film is a fun and entertaining journey, exploring what the galaxy looks like between STARS WARS episodes 4-6 and 7-9.
The film opens with the Mandalorian “Mando” (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu on their latest bounty operation for the New Republic. Mando is traveling the galaxy, hunting down governors that are aligned to the now-defeated Empire. The New Republic would love for the bounties to be brought in alive so they can help identify and locate other bad actors, but with Mando… that isn’t always possible. Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) is impressed by Mando and Grogu’s work and assigns them a new task, tracking down the whereabouts of the mysterious Imperial warlord Coin. Intelligence on Coin’s whereabouts is minimal—they don’t even know what he looks like—so the New Republic reaches out to the Hutt Twins for more information. The Twins are the successors to Jabba the Hutt and offer to help in exchange for the successful rescue of their wayward cousin Rotta (Jeremy Allen White), Jabba’s son. Mando reluctantly accepts the assignment and he and Grogu set off on their rescue mission.
It is no surprise that the best part of the film is the father-son dynamic between Mando and Grogu. The love they have for each other is the heart of the series and film, and is one of the best relationships within the STAR WARS universe. Every time Grogu is on the screen, I find myself audibly saying awwwwww. It is honestly insane how the filmmakers consistently find ways to make this character more adorable each time we see him. I love that they continue to rely on practical puppetry instead of CGI, which really adds to the realism of the character. Some of the highlights for me in this film are: Grogu’s continued love of any food he can get his hands on, his inability to not touch buttons, his new apprentice armor, and his relationship with the similarly-statured Anzellan friends.
My main criticism is that the film feels like two extra-long, standalone episodes of the series smashed together and doesn’t do much to expand the overall Mandalorian storyline (or STAR WARS) or character arcs. There is even a very clear delineation between the main two storylines in the film, which makes it feel a bit disjointed and I think contributes to why it seems too long—it is two movies in one. And when I say this movie is a standalone, I really mean it is standalone. It is a story that could take place in the middle of any of the seasons of the series and you wouldn’t know otherwise. Honestly, the end of the second season of THE MANDALORIAN series felt more consequential to the character and the franchise than this film did.
Although the Mandalorian’s story started as a TV series, I would definitely recommend seeing this film in theaters so you can enjoy the incredible score and battle scenes blasting through the surround sound, as well as enjoy the atmosphere of watching with other STAR WARS fans. There is nothing better than cheering along with the audience after a particularly intense action scene. I was lucky enough to see the film at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s IMAX theater in Washington, DC. This was an amazing venue to enjoy the film, especially the opening battle scene, which has Mando engaging in a relentless bounty hunt targeting an Empire-aligned governor. I love the way theaters create an immersive experience, which makes the action feel even more thrilling and emphasizes why STAR WARS films are meant to be seen on the biggest screens possible.
THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU works on its own as a sci-fi western, even if you aren’t a diehard fan of the STAR WARS universe. But fans of the series and character will enjoy the film even more, recognizing call-backs and references to other films and TV series within the franchise. Bottom line, the film is an action-packed, planet-spanning journey that summons many of the magical elements we have come to know and love without feeling too much like fan service. It makes for a great opening bell, signaling the start to the summer’s blockbuster movie season.
**There is not an end-credit scene.**
My Review: B+
