Star Wars is back on the big screen after a seven year break! There is nothing quite like watching Star Wars at the cinema and after such a big gap, expectations were pretty high for The Mandalorian and Grogu. After the success of the TV show The Mandalorian which began airing in 2019 and the subsequent connecting shows, it was no surprise that everyone's favourite Bounty Hunter and his adopted force user son Grogu would get their moment on the big screen. TV to Movie transitions can be tough, but if done well they can be incredible, so does The Mandalorian and Grogu impress on the big screen or does it fail to jump to light speed? Read on for my full review, there will be minor spoilers.
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Jon Favreau (Director and Writer) and Dave Filoni (Writer) have long been hailed as the future of Star Wars, after lots of fantastic contributions to the Star Wars universe through TV shows, The Mandalorian and Grogu is their first Star Wars cinema outing. Unfortunately, the transition from TV show to film is not an overwhelming success. The Mandalorian and Grogu struggles, feeling like an over-stretched TV episode of The Mandalorian. The Narrative arch which sees Mando (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu carry out missions for The New Republic under the command of Ward (Sigourney Weaver), is entertaining but it fails to leave a lasting impact. Outside of the trilogy films, we have seen two Star Wars Stories so far: Rouge One (2016) and Solo (2018) both of which were smaller in scale, telling small complex stories that had an impact on the wider universe. The Mandalorina and Grogu, is a small story, but at times it feels too small, too insignificant especially when compared to the wider universe and even the TV shows.
The film is packed with action sequences, the opener is particularly thrilling, violent and slickly filmed. However, as the film progresses the endless fight scenes, often against creatures become repetitive, and eventually they feel like nothing more than boring padding to an incredibly limited storyline. That being said, for fans that love endless action sequences this is the perfect non-stop fight flick. Amongst the action, Grogu is the star of the film. Adorably cute and funny, Grogu will charm adults and children alike. His scenes on Nal Hutta are some of the best in any Star Wars film, incredibly reminiscent of the original trilogy and perfectly filmed. Whilst Grogu is already responsible for widening the Star Wars fan base, he may also be the future of the whole franchise, which is incredibly exciting. The film is shot well and delivers some fantastic visuals making it the perfect IMAX watch. These breathtaking visuals span a good mix of planets, space and interior and exterior sets. It's exactly what you want from a Star Wars film. The score perfectly matches, feeling experimental at times, but always delivering. The Mandalorian theme is perfectly woven throughout. Fans will notice a huge amount of easter eggs, which enhance the viewing experience and highlight Favreau and Filoni's love for all things Star Wars.
Elsewhere there are the Hutts, The Twins hire Mando to track down their nephew Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White). The Twins fulfil the role of villains and for fans of The Clone Wars (2014 - 2020) seeing them again will be exciting. Rotta the Hutt is an interesting character, but you have to get past the terrible voice acting and repetitive dialogue to appreciate the nuance of the character. The cast is compact, and it feels like Favreau fumbled the opportunity for a big cameo. A cameo that would have elevated the narrative, adding some much needed depth and complexity. The intention was clearly to tell a Star Wars story without lightsabers, big name characters and fan service, feeding into the beauty of a smaller story. But the question is, was this story enough? The answer, probably not. Yet oddly enough I do think this film will be a grower, that over time it'll become well regarded - as is the Star Wars way.
Overall, The Mandalorian and Grogu is an entertaining action packed family film. It gives fans a much needed Star Wars cinema experience, with Grogu stealing the screen with his adorable scenes. Unfortunately, the limited narrative is a hinderance that makes the film feel like an extended TV episode. It's not quite a return to form for the franchise but it is a positive step in the right direction. The sunset X-Wing shot, the Grogu scenes on Nal Hutta and the opening fight sequence combined with Ludwig Göransson's score are some of the best scenes in Star Wars history! The film is certainly worth a watch and it's so much fun to see Star Wars back at the cinema.
3.5 Stars!
Thank you for reading xx
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