TL;DR – A generally solid, if only occasionally ambitious Star Wars film, but can’t quite escape the feeling that they took a season of television and smashed it into a film.  

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

The Mandalorian and Grogu Review Introduction

Today, we have an interesting film, as it has so many competing factors needed for it to work as a film. The Mandalorian and Grogu have to be a conclusion to a whole range of Disney+ television series, it has to be a tent-pole production bringing the cinematic glam back to the Star Wars Universe, and it has to be a good film in its own right. That is a lot of different tasks, all with their own baggage being brought to the table. Add to this a rapidly changing cinematic landscape in general, Disney+’s hit-and-miss aspect to its stories, and their profound inability to confront the toxic aspect of their own community. So yes, I’m concerned. But let’s see if they’ve managed to stick the landing.
 
So, to set the scene, since retiring from pulling bounties for more despicable people, The Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal/Brendan Wayne/Lateef Crowder) and his apprentice Grogu (Himself) have begun working bounties for the New Republic. Capturing those of the Imperial Remnant before they can cause more harm. But Colonel Ward gives Din Djarin a new mission deep in the territory of the Hutts. He needs to rescue Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), but that might mean making deals with the exact people he has tried to stop working for.

Is it Star Wars?

It has been seven-odd years since the quite disastrous ending to the Disney sequel series, The Rise of Skywalker, graced the big screen. So, does M&G capture that same energy that brings people to want to see a grand space opera? Well, yes, but only in places. A good example of this is the opening sequence that gives the feeling that you are watching something grand, much as the train sequence in Solo. However, while there are these moments, it also spends more runtime than it should, just plodding along. The story is a surprisingly contained narrative given the scope of these films. I don’t know, I am more likely to give the MCU more of a pass on this than Star Wars, but you can feel that Pedro Pascal is isn’t physically present most of the time. You can get away with that on the small screen, not so much here.

However, recent offerings have shown that there is a lot of space in the Star Wars Universe where you can have more cutting, mature stories in Andor, but also fun, goofy ones in the vein of Skeleton Crew. Tonally, I would put this film closer to Skeleton Crew, I mean, you do get a fast-talking, wisecracking, Martin Scorsese alien. Within this space, the film is quite funny at times. There is a broad selection of physical and situational comedy that had the entire cinema in stitches.        

The Mandalorian and Grogu?

One thing I think gave people some pause is the title of the film. From a casual perspective, it did feel like a marketing decision entirely because Baby Yoda brings in the merchandising bucks. But I am happy to say that the movie’s narrative absolutely backs that title up. Probably one of the strongest sections of the film is when we follow Grogu on an adventure, almost like it was an odd standalone episode of a TV show, think Beard After Hours or Sunflowers from Ted Lasso. I do respect that they let this section have the time to breathe, which I think the film needed.   It also helps that this section ups the film’s ‘cool little dudes’ quota with a gaggle of Anzellans who are comedy gold.

This is the Way

When it comes to the characterisations in the film, there are some standouts and some unfortunate choices. The Mandalorian is and continues to be the slightly dour rock on which the film is based. It is an okay performance, but you are not going to see anything new there. I was honestly surprised by just how much I ended up liking Rotta the Hutt. Jeremy Allen White helps give them some depth and nuance, which was a nice touch given how one-dimensional they have been everywhere else. Unfortunately, all the villains, all of them, are just as dull as having to remove stubborn wallpaper from a wall. I watched the film yesterday, and I could not tell you a single villain’s name less than 24 hours later because they are the definition of unmemorable.      

Is It TV

Now, is it a perfect film? No, and your mileage will probably depend on whether these are deal breakers for you or not. The first issue is that, actively or subconsciously, this film does feel like a bunch of episodes from the next season crushed together into a movie. It is not as egregious as the disaster that was Section 31, but it was very noticeable. This is escalated by some dire pacing issues during the middle chunk of the film that really could have been tightened up, and a narrative that becomes threadbare in places. It is also in this middle section where the action scenes get very choppy and discombobulated. Thankfully, those in the bookends of the movie are fine, so you open and end on a good note, but it is there. Then there are the many contrivances, like the Razor Crest, that just feel forced, pun not intended.   

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend The Mandalorian and Grogu? I wasn’t sure, but I think I would. Even though it is an M-rated film, it is also pitched to a younger crowd, with there being only one really dark sequence that might be a bit much for younger viewers. Also, I was discussing it with my guest after the screening, but I think the women in the audience, at least at my screening, enjoyed it more, and for a Science Fiction film, that is almost unheard of. However, I should mention that I have colleagues whom I respect who have given the film much higher and significantly lower marks. I think how much those negative aspects pull you out of the film will be a significant barometer of how much enjoyment you will get out of the proceedings.     

Have you watched The Mandalorian and Grogu? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked The Mandalorian and Grogu, we would recommend Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves to you because it has the same jaunty adventurous feel to it, and it is just a fun blast of a film that you should watch if you can.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Mandalorian and Grogu
Directed by – Jon Favreau
Screenplay by – Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, & Noah Kloor
Based on – Star Wars by George Lucas & The Mandalorian by Jon Favreau
Music by – Ludwig Göransson
Cinematography by – David Klein
Edited by – Rachel Goodlett Katz & Dylan Firshein
Production/Distribution Companies – Lucasfilm, Fairview Entertainment, & Walt Disney Studios
Starring – Pedro Pascal, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver, Jonny Coyne, Steve Blum, & Martin Scorsese
With – Dave Filoni, Hemky Madera, Deborah Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, & Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
Rating – Australia: M; Canada: PG; Germany: 12; New Zealand: M; United Kingdom: 12A; United States: PG-13