The Mandalorian and Grogu Review
It’s been a while since Star Wars fans got anything in theaters, given how Lucasfilm is shaking things up. However, on the television side of things, fans have gotten many incredible shows to watch. From animated shows like Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord and Visions to the live-action ones like Ahsoka and The Acolyte, everyone can appreciate what we’ve been given. Of course, none of this would’ve been possible without The Mandalorian in the early 2020s, which felt like a rebirth for the franchise. Now, Jon Favreau and company look to cap off the grand narrative they’ve created with The Mandalorian and Grogu, a fun little adventure to send off this iconic duo.
The Mandalorian and Grogu sees Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his little one, Grogu, taking down bad guys for the New Republic. Working under Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) and with help from Zeb (Steve Blum), the heroic duo travel the galaxy to take down remnants of the Empire. However, on one specific mission to rescue Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), the Mandalorian finds himself in the crosshairs of the Hutt Cartel when he tries to do right. On the run, the duo must survive whatever the Cartel throws at them.
Initially, some might feel like The Mandalorian and Grogu didn’t need to be a full-length film. With how the Disney+ series ended with Din finally liberating Mandalore, it didn’t seem like it needed a continuation. Although this can be reasoned, the whole film does its due diligence in reconnecting audiences with why we love this duo in the first place. The whole reason we got The Mandalorian was because of the unique father-son relationship of Don and Grogu. At its core, the film very much retains that thematic element through one simple idea: “The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old.”
In its two-hour runtime, Favreau splits this theme into a dedicated hour between Din and Grogu. The first hour or so sees Din doing what he does best: hunting down and taking out Imperial warlords. Most of this first hour is action-driven, which causes the story to rapidly jump from beat to beat. We go from fighting snowtroopers in walkers in one moment to bar fighting with a bunch of gangsters the next, all within 30 minutes or so. All of this is supposed to connect back to Ward’s search for an elusive Imperial warlord, but this initial problem is quickly resolved within the hour. Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor’s writing tries to play up the hype behind this guy, but the reveal feels underwhelming because the bad guy gets little time.
To make up for this, Favreau and the team try to have smaller character moments, but they’re mostly there for world-building purposes. There’s some emotional weight that carries with Din’s interactions with Rotta and the hilariously nervous Hugo (Martin Scorsese). Yet, Rotta’s dialogue only explains his grudge for Jabba, his dad (which was made clear in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) in a formulaic way. We know that he doesn’t want to live in his father’s shadow, but the way it’s constantly reiterated can be tiring. At least the scenes with Hugo do add a bit of comedy, even though they exist for cameo purposes.
Speaking about Rotta, he’s somewhat underutilized even though The Mandalorian and Grogu revolves around him. The Twin Hutts, who were seen in the Disney+ show, want him cut out because they want everything for themselves. However, he is completely out of the picture beyond the film’s first half, but is integral to the plot enough just to be prominent. In order to show his importance, Favreau and company decide to create a bond between Rotta and Grogu, which is admittedly cute to watch. It’s unexpected for someone so tough as Rotta to get along with the cute Grogu, but there are only a few little scenes.
Fortunately, for those looking for more of Grogu, the second half will definitely feed you. In the second hour, Grogu takes full charge after finding himself stuck on the Hutt Cartel’s home world, leading to some cute hijinks. Due to the fact that Grogu still can’t speak, we’re treated to an adorable puppet showcase of Grogu trying to survive. The cautious, tiny movements and the facial expressions of the Grogu puppet will certainly make one smile. It’s impossible to not fall in love with Grogu again, especially when he tends to Din’s body in a very Amblin-esque sequence.
The blend of audiovisual and practical effects is what carries The Mandalorian and Grogu. The Anzellan quartet get some good laughs with their pitched-up, old-timey ramblings, especially when they’re with Grogu. The comedic timing with the group lands just right to get the energy back up. If anything, the puppetry is what absolutely makes this film worth the watch. Ludwig Göransson’s cyberpunk-esque soundtrack is simply amazing, with some worthy bops. Particularly, the Shakari tracks are some of the best ones to listen to, easily easing you into the concrete underbelly. As for the action, more props have to be given to Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, who are the true Mandalorians because of their stunt work. I was happy to see that they get credited near the start, given how we barely see Din’s face anyways.
The Mandalorian and Grogu does a good job reinforcing why we fell in love with this iconic duo all those years ago. Jon Favreau delightfully presents a fun little father-son adventure that transpires in Star Wars’ expansive universe.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The Mandalorian and Grogu releases in theaters on May 22.
_
Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.