Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is the film spinoff from The Mandalorian Disney+ TV show. In this feature, Din Djarin and Grogu embark on a mission to capture ex-Imperial warlords for the New Republic.

Back when The Mandalorian came out, it managed to do something new for Star Wars, providing that wilder spaghetti western feel and really immersing the viewer in the world of Star Wars once again. I think that's what I like most about a Mando and Grogu adventure: the stakes are always high for our characters, but this isn't about the fate of the galaxy balancing on a knife's edge. This is about a couple of smaller figures doing some good within the galaxy. The Mandalorian and Grogu manages to take the material back to its bounty hunter roots, racing our protagonists through some incredible action set pieces as they bring the dregs of the Empire to justice. It's adventurous, filled with good humour and has a central bond that families are going to find very sweet. As a Star Wars fan who has tried his best to consume every little piece of Star Wars media there is, I was also delighted at some of the little details scattered throughout this. There's something a lot more grounded about following Mando around; the stakes are higher because he doesn't have a laser sword and the Force. He's just as likely to die as the bad guy shooting back at him. There is a moment in this film in which Grogu must step up for Din, while the Mandalorian flits between life and death. It's a great moment in the story that shows how Grogu has grown as a character and has even learned from Mando to survive himself.

Jon Favreau and the creative team behind The Mandalorian have grown quite adept at making a very strong visual out of this character and the way he moves through the galaxy. If anything, this film returns us to the showy framing, the grittier action and moments of full-scale awe that the third season lacked somewhat. The special effects only serve to bolster this, with whole alien cultures looking brilliant, paired with droids and alien weapons blasting at one another. I loved that the puppet and effects of Grogu have also grown to be a bit more expressive across this journey; Grogu felt extremely defined in this. However, the best quality of this film is the score. Ludwig Göransson already shook up the game when he first began on The Mandalorian, but what he achieves here is something next level. Rotta the Hutt's character theme is out of this world.

Sigourney Weaver, who played Colonel Ward, is a very dry-humoured figure of authority here; Weaver seems at home helming a Republic X-Wing and barking orders. Jeremy Allen White, who voiced Rotta the Hutt, is a very charismatic and sympathetic take on a Hutt; I enjoyed Allen White's capture of a young character who wanted to step out from his father's dark shadow. Jonny Coyne, who played Lord Janu, is quite good as a seedy antagonist; the way Coyne is always readily spinning the next shady deal in a scene makes him interesting. Martin Scorsese, who voiced Hugo Durant, absolutely stole the show early on for me; Scorsese as this fast-talking street vendor peddling food and information was a real treat.

However, the best performance came from Pedro Pascal, who played The Mandalorian/Din Djarin. This is a role that Pascal has woven between voicing and playing for some time, and it has become a staple in the Star Wars fandom for good reason. Pascal's Mando is a cool and collected figure, with a tremendous sense of justice. The way he breezes through a scene capable of leaning into intimidation or a quip is solid. However, it is the emotional bond worked between Mando and Grogu that Pascal does the best. The way he talks to Grogu is filled with love, the sort of love a parent would hold for their child. The part in this film where we get Pascal full of rage, eyeballing some Hutt crime lords, marks a high point in the film. However, this incredible performance isn't possible without the combined efforts of Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, who do the majority of the physical performance for the Mandalorian.

Films that spin out of shows are always a bit complicated; sometimes, they don't even manage to spin away from the material well. In fact, continuing from that format is often a challenge from such a piece of media, as is wrapping up the events of the show. The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn't really have this problem; the issue here is that this is a film that does not always feel especially cinematic. The story is structured in a way that it feels like three episodes of the TV show smashed together. This creates quite a segmented low-stakes approach that doesn't always translate well to the big screen. In fact, this film really is so contained that it adds nothing major to the wider Star Wars canon, nor even to the journey of Din and Grogu. This is a fun adventure, but a very safe one made for all kinds of audiences who might have shown up for the ride. There are also a few too many moments where the feature lulls and the characters trek around doing very little. The whole sequence where Mando is at his home, having his ship worked on while farewelling Rotta, is a massive dip in the pacing, as an example. Overall, it's a fine film, but it's not the sort of thing Star Wars needs to continue growing as a franchise.

Steve Blum, who voiced Zeb Orrelios, is a nice touch for fans of Star Wars: Rebels, but has little to offer here; Blum's gruff bluster often falls into the backdrop of a scene. Hemky Madera, who played Commander Barro, was quite a dull antagonist for the film to start on; his tough edge often felt a bit two-dimensional. Stephen McKinley Henderson, who voiced Gatori, is quite a late character addition to the film; this swamp-dweller with a heart of gold just felt awkwardly jammed into the film. Shirley Henderson, who voiced The Anzelians, was a set of four that got a bit unbearable at times; a nice piece of comedy that just did not know when to pack it in.

If you've loved the sprawling nature of live-action and animated Star Wars, then you will have a great time with this film. I would give Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu a 7/10.