'The Mandalorian And Grogu' Review: An Adventure Worthy Of The Big Screen
It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since a Star Wars film has launched into theaters, but that’s about to change with The Mandalorian And Grogu, an entry into the long-running franchise that is thankfully an adventure worthy of the big screen that offers plenty of galactic fun for the whole family.
‘The Mandalorian And Grogu’ catches audiences up with bounty hunter Din Djaran (Pedro Pascal) and his newfound apprentice Grogu who are now working together as contractors for the New Republic. Together they track and hunt down imperial war lords who are hiding in the Outer Rim who are scheming a return for the insidious Empire. This big screen debut for the characters not only sees the return of Pascal, but adds Sigourney Weaver, Martin Scorsese and Jeremy Allen White into the mix as well for this cosmic adventure.
It only feels fitting that director Jon Favreau, who has played a crucial role in making the series such a beloved sensation, is at the helm here bringing the now iconic duo to movie theaters. Fortunately, after the inconsistent and frustrating second and third seasons of the series, Favreau has course corrected to bring this world back to its roots, trading out an overall tone that started to lean far too family friendly for one that feels akin to the fantastic first season of the show. Favreau embraces the Eastwood-esque space western tone and atmosphere that made the show such a revered hit, bringing back the gritty, visceral thrills that gave it its singular voice. As a result, the action set pieces have far more visual panache and tactile immersion, the opening set piece a sizable standout that brings back the intimidating ghost-like prowess and fluidity of Din as he dispatches countless enemies. The set pieces are not only dynamic and far bigger in scope than that of the series, but they all exude that infectious, unmistakable ‘Star Wars’ energy.
Favreau also makes the wise decision to expand this extended universe instead of constricting it like many projects before it have unfortunately fallen victim to. Audiences are introduced to new and exciting locales, gnarly creatures, and characters that make this world feel far more vast and expansive. The film also benefits from not having to connect to any future or past projects for the most part, allowing it to be able to carve its own path and tell its own standalone adventure story in this universe. The less these new films reference or have connective tissue with the original Skywalker saga the better and Favreau thankfully is more interested in exploring new pockets of this endless galaxy.
The film also introduces some terrific and colorful new characters, such as Allen White’s Rotta The Hutt, a descendant of the infamous Jabba The Hutt. As soon as Din and Grogu cross paths with their latest target, the film springs to life as their dynamic not only becomes highly entertaining, but the beating heart of the film. White helps imbue Rotta with enough humanity and pathos to complement the CGI instead of getting buried by it, crafting a character that is genuinely one of the best additions to this universe in quite some time.
However, there are several issues plaguing this big screen adventure that prevent it from being a top tier entry. First and foremost, the film feels as if it has very minimal stakes, unable to avoid feeling like an adventure of the week episode of the series. As a result, it feels far too small-scale for its own good. Making matters worse is that the relationship between Din and Grogu isn’t evolved and explored any deeper throughout the film’s entire story. The pair audiences are reunited with at the start feel exactly the same by the time the credits roll. There was boundless potential with this adventure to add new layers to their relationship, but the film plays it far too safe, unwilling to upset or alter the status quo of the characters. They’re still a lovable and magnetic duo to watch on screen, but for now they seem trapped repeating the same beats and exchanges again and again, their dynamic starting to slowly become more silly than emotionally engaging.
The film also has significant pacing issues. After propelling itself out of the gate with muscular gusto, the pacing is unfortunately all over the place here. The momentum becomes increasingly more stop and go as the adventure continues, coming to a screeching halt in the third act for a detour that nearly derails the momentum the film had working in its favor up until that point. Also, the CGI runs rampant and inconsistent in this journey, sometimes looking beautifully realized and in other instances looking rough around the edges and cartoonish, taking the viewer out of the set piece instead of immersing them further. There are multiple action set pieces that benefit greatly from practical in-camera stunts and combat, but the film veers from that aesthetic and grounded approach heavily throughout.
‘The Mandalorian And Grogu’ may not be out of this world great, but there is still plenty of blockbuster entertainment that should please devoted ‘Star Wars’ fans aching to see these characters on the silver screen. Din and Grogu remain a compelling and endearing pair to watch, but if this galactic adventure makes anything abundantly clear, it’s that this franchise is far more exciting when it’s moving forward and exploring new territory instead of leaning on the greatest hits. Once this franchise pushes through its obvious growing pains, it should have no problem taking flight into hyperspace and never looking back.