The last time a Star Wars film hit the big screen was Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker back in December 2019, and now almost 7 years later, it’s finally with Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
The big question is it actually worth it seeing in theaters after so long, and the answer is yes. The movie is a fun, crowd-pleasing space adventure that’s worth witnessing on the big screen, but it has a few flaws as to why it from being a must-see.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is about a Mandalorian and former bounty hunter, Din Djarin, and his adopted force-wielding son Grogu, enlisting to help the New Republic to rescue Rotta the Hutt in order to find Imperial warlords and their supporters.
Going into the movie, it’s totally different from what’s been known in the Star Wars franchise, and it’s their opening crawl with John Williams’ iconic score playing, but since this is not connected to the episodic series, this is a continuation of the 3 season Disney+ streaming series.
Watching it in IMAX, I was totally surprised by the way they did the opening crawl with giving it a more straightforward crawl that just tells the audience what is happening in the story, and then it opens up to an amazing action sequence. The opening action sequence is so visceral, with excellent cinematography and very well-choreographed fighting between Mando and the Stormtroopers. The entire sequence was even set in a snowy location.
After the amazing opening sequence, an entire opening credits sequence is shown, which has never been done in a Star Wars film before. The entire opening credits segment gives a total nod to the Top Gun movie’s intro with X-Wing pilots taking care of their crafts, a sunrise at the New Republic headquarters, along with Ludwig Göransson’s music score playing in the background. I really do hope that more Star Wars films have opening credits like The Mandalorian and Grogu because it’s a breath of fresh air for the Star Wars franchise to do this in a movie.
What helps this movie stand out is the craftsmanship throughout. From the use of practical effects, puppetry, and motion capture to the action set pieces. This movie has a budget of $165 million, and I can tell that the money was spent wisely on the movie. It’s kudos to the director Jon Favreau for making the movie feel like an old-school action adventure that relies heavily on practicality instead of the overuse of CGI. While the movie does use CGI for some of the monstrous creatures in the movie, some look good. The Hutts look good, but at times they looked a little wonky, which I found off-putting whenever they were moving.
The movie’s visuals are absolutely stunning, which is what really makes it worth seeing on the big screen, especially in IMAX, since it was filmed in the format. There are certain moments in the film that have breathtaking shots, like when they’re on the planet of Shakari and the city is well-lit at night, giving it a neo-noir aesthetic that reminds me of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.
Another big highlight for the movie is none other than Ludwig Göransson’s music score. Electric from beginning to end. Göransson has done the music, including the main theme from the streaming series, so it made perfect sense for him to return to do the music for this movie. “Shakari” deserves its place as one of the best music score pieces in the Star Wars family.
As the cast and characters, Pedro Pascal continues to be a great Din Djarin. He truly is the character, even tho most of the time we barely see his face, but you can tell through the voice-over how raw and caring Djarin is, and when it comes to action, it’s mostly done by the two stunt doubles, Brendan Wayne and Leetaf Crowder who also did an excellent job. All three of them make the Mandalorian really theatrical in this form. Grogu is of course, adorable, and the father-son relationship between the two is very heartwarming. Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White voices Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s son, and he makes quite the impression of being very unrecognizable, which makes him stand out amongst the cast. Steve Blum returns to voice Zed from the fan-favorite animated series Star Wars: Rebels, and the character doesn’t disappoint, from his sass to delivering some fun action moments. As for Sigourney Weaver, who plays Ward, who’s a leader for the New Republic Adelphi Alliance, I have to say that while she’s a great addition to the Star Wars franchise, she doesn’t do anything that’s unique or interesting to the role and is basically just there to bring star power.
Now, here is where the flaws of The Mandalorian and Grogu come in. As much fun as this movie is, I have to say that the runtime is unnecessary. It’s a 2-hour and 12-minute movie. I feel this movie could’ve benefited from being shorter. The pacing is very slow because there are moments that mostly include Grogu exploring a forest that really drags for quite a long time.
Because this movie was originally supposed to be a fourth season, I can definitely tell how episodic this movie feels from certain moments that cut. It seems like they decided to combine at least 3 to 4 episodes into one movie, and that sadly makes the movie still feel like a TV show, but displayed on the big screen. Even the plot is very thin, and some of the dialogue feels very lacking. It doesn’t make the movie feel at all organic or bring anything new to the Star Wars Universe.
Mando and Grogu are great characters without a doubt, I just feel they could’ve had a more compelling story to tell within the movie that doesn’t feel like I’m watching a massive filler episode of the original TV series.
But overall, The Mandalorian and Grogu is still a crowd-pleasing, adventurous, action-packed thrill ride that has more positive than negative flaws. Whether you’re a die-hard or casual Star Wars fan, you should treat yourself to some popcorn and a fizzy soda and even tag along some friends or family members on this journey to a galaxy far, far away and have a good time. I highly recommend seeing this in IMAX for the visual feast.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently playing in theaters worldwide.
