It’s been over six years since audiences last sat down in a movie theater to watch a new Star Wars movie. There have been a number of announced films that have either lingered in development limbo for years, such as Taika Waititi’s untitled film, and ones that never really got off the ground, like Steven Soderbergh’s much-discussed The Hunt for Ben Solo. In that time, Star Wars fans have flocked to streaming television for shows like Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and, of course, The Mandalorian. The show was notable both for being the first live-action Star Wars TV show and for its massive success, built around a brand-new character and featuring an adorable little puppet who seemed to almost break pop culture with how instantly beloved he was.
Now, the Mandalorian and his force-using sidekick Grogu star in their own movie, fittingly titled The Mandalorian and Grogu. But for what should be an exciting translation of iconic TV characters to the cinema, the film is completely devoid of stakes or emotional tension.
It follows the pair, now working for the New Republic, as they attempt to hunt down a wanted ex-Imperial, and in doing so get tangled up with the Hutt gangsters. What transpires is what feels like the product of taking three episodes of television and shoving them together, with a plot more befitting of a theme park ride than a movie. It’s almost ironic, as critics of the most recent season of the TV show argued it was better in the early days, with its mission-of-the-week structure and dabbling in the western genre. But now, as the movie attempts to bring Mando back to his bounty-hunting ways, it falls flat, having lost what made the show so unique in the first place.
It begs the question: why make this movie at all? It’s hard to parse an answer when it feels like everyone involved in this film was just going through the motions, from Jon Favreau’s straightforward direction to the script to all of the performances. With a bizarrely all-star cast that ranges from Sigourney Weaver to Jeremy Allen White and Martin Scorsese, it’s a shame that not a single person seems to have their heart in it. Whether or not you’re a fan of Favreau and co-writer Dave Filoni’s previous contributions to the franchise, you could always tell that they were having fun with it, and you don’t feel that with this movie. The strongest addition to this film comes from Ludwig Göransson, whose score is the only thing that feels exciting in this lifeless adventure movie.
If the sole purpose of this movie was for audiences to hang out with Mando and Grogu for a couple of hours on an IMAX screen, then mission accomplished. There are certainly fun moments here and there, and the two are a fun pair even though the movie doesn’t seem interested in developing either their relationship or them as individual characters. But it’s somewhat depressing to see a franchise born of so much passion and a desire to tell a story with broader meaning turn into a formulaic CGI romp.
Going all the way back to the original film, it’s still striking how thought-out the worldbuilding is, how tactile the sets and creatures are, and how much emotion is infused in every beat. In The Mandalorian and Grogu, every planet looks virtually the same, with no sense of a larger world or deeper history, and there’s no whimsy that comes from seeing the new creatures that have been concocted because they’re all just superficial computer images.
Funnily enough, the best comparison between this and any other Star Wars film is to the 2008 Filoni-directed animated film The Clone Wars (which also marks the first appearance of Jeremy Allen White’s character, Rotta the Hutt). It’s another movie that has some fun moments and fan-favorite characters, but it ultimately had little impact on audiences beyond kicking off the popular TV series of the same name.
The one pitfall this movie does avoid, and the one that was a collective fear among fans, is that it doesn’t turn into a complete cameo fest. Filoni and Favreau have the restraint to not have twenty different characters from their various TV shows make appearances in this movie. These sorts of tie-ins are limited to Rotta, Clone Wars bounty hunter Embo, and Star Wars: Rebels pilot Garazeb Orrelios, all of whom were featured in the film’s marketing. There are no desperate attempts to tie this into every other Star Wars movie and show, and it’s respectable that this movie stays contained to its own story, even if that story isn’t enough to sustain a film.
None of this is to say you should skip the movie entirely. If you’re looking for a popcorn movie on a hot afternoon, that’s what you’re going to get. If you just really love Grogu and are dying for more of his signature cuteness, the movie delivers. Much like he was key to The Mandalorian’s success back in 2019, without him, this movie would lose the majority of its charm. The lack of compelling side characters (unless you’re really into Rotta giving five different impassioned speeches about how he doesn’t want to be like his father) means that Mando and Grogu have to carry the whole movie, and they do (for the most part).
As for those Star Wars fans who were wishing for something better, you’ll have to hope Star Wars: Starfighter has a little more in store for you later this year. And if not? Well, you can always rewatch the original trilogy and reminisce about what this franchise used to be.
Review Courtesy of Claire May Lewis
Feature Image Credit to Walt Disney Studios & Lucasfilm