REVIEW: The Mandalorian and Grogu

This review contains minor spoilers. Read at your own risk.

I got to go see my most anticipated film of the year: The Mandalorian and Grogu!

I would consider myself more of a Mandalorian inter-universe fan than a fan of the overall Star Wars universe itself, despite watching anything and everything Star Wars as soon as it's available. I loved the prequels, enjoyed the sequels, and feel neutral towards the originals. I enjoyed Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi enough. The only Star Wars content I truly do not like is Rogue One and its spin-off, Andor. I actually left the theater early when I saw Rogue One due to how bored I had become, and I could not get through the first season of Andor no matter how hard I tried. But The Mandalorian and its spin-offs are where my love truly lies. I think that the main series and Ahsoka are some of the best content to come out of Star Wars in the sequel era, and I think I'm one of maybe five people who enjoyed The Book of Boba Fett for what it was (despite essentially turning into The Mandalorian season 2.5 midway through lol). So, it seemed pretty obvious that I was going to enjoy this film no matter what.

And I was right; I had an absolute blast! From the moment the lights dimmed, I was hooked. It was action sequence after action sequence, with very little moments of calm in between. I was pleased with the quality of the plot, acting, and the visual effects. Pedro Pascal's acting as the Mandalorian never disappoints; he's truly mastered the art of playing this character, and Jeremy Allen White's performance as Rotta the Hutt was certainly a highlight. I wish that Sigourney Weaver's character had been utilized a little bit more, but I loved her performance nonetheless. There was no time that I was bored at all, there were plenty of funny and heartwarming moments, and a ton of Grogu! If you already enjoy the series, you are bound to enjoy this; it's very similar in tone and style. I would honestly say that it felt like a season of the show had been compressed into a two-hour film (and not in a bad way).

My only critique of this film is the lack of ties to the series. I understand that this is meant to be geared towards all audiences as an entryway into Star Wars, but there was potential for a cameo of Bo-Katan Kryze, Ahsoka, or even a character as minor as the Armorer would've been nice. I would've even taken an offhanded mention of a character like Greef Karga in honor of his actor's passing. Instead, this film completely disconnects Din and Grogu from anything and everything that's come before in the main series and spin-offs. No mentions of Mandalore, or references to the other Mandalorians. The briefest thing that is touched upon is the Creed, and not even by name. Overall, it is a very self-contained story that requires no viewing of The Mandalorian series, let alone any Star Wars content at all prior to viewing.

That said, I do appreciate how it is left open ended. It doesn't feel like a conclusion to The Mandalorian's story, but I wouldn't be unhappy if this is the ending he gets. And we know that Grogu has a long road ahead of him in the future of Star Wars, as he's set to be in an upcoming film alongside the sequel trilogy's Rey. Because this story is so self-contained, we could easily get a sequel or fourth season of the television show without needing to watch this film in the same way. My hopes aren't high, but Jon Favreau has previously stated he has season four scripts on his desk ready to go and Disney knows that Baby Yoda sells, so I'm happy to stay aboard this train as long as they keep it chugging along.

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