Disney Star Wars is in a sorry state – with most of their wounds self-inflicted through countless lightweight, woke and lore-breaking releases over the past decade. But it’s not as bad as some pundits constantly make out, as there were times when decent Star Wars moments have shone through within some of their less-than-average shows – such as the Baylan Skoll scenes in ‘Ahsoka’ and extensive parts of ‘Andor.’
I would rate ‘The Mandalorian’ Seasons One and Two as further examples of when Disney managed to get Star Wars just about right, but things would fall away sharply following the spin-off series ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ and this decline would continue into Season Three of ‘The Mandalorian.’
Which brings us around to ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ – a project that Disney played so safe with, that in Blackjack terms this would be the equivalent of standing on twelve.
This is a film made for kids – almost exclusively so. It is harmless and there is nothing in there that anyone could take offense from – unless weak writing and inconsistent pacing are what grinds your gears.
Personally, I found myself zoning out a lot throughout the movie – particularly during the second half – as it felt like I had seen it all before and was watching a re-run – but again, what I saw wasn’t necessarily ‘bad’ but bored me nonetheless. I am aware of other reviews claiming that this film plays out like three average episodes of what should have been Season Four strung together and repackaged into a theatrical-length release – and I would have to agree with those comments.
But let’s dive a little (spoiler-free) into the movie itself…
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ opens with a scene that sets the story up, where the New Republic have sent the heroic duo on an assignment to arrest an Imperial Warlord. This sequence is okay; lots of action with some lighter moments thrown in – before the main body of the movie plays out featuring Hutts, Stormtroopers and some characters from other Star Wars shows – as well as Sigourney Weaver.
The plot moves along quickly throughout the first act of the film, where Mando and Grogu set out to return Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta – who has been enslaved as a gladiator – back to his family in exchange for information critical to the New Republic. I was still engaged with the adventure at this point, although the feeling that I had seen it all before was beginning to creep in…
For me, as an adult viewer and long-time Star Wars fan, I felt that the film dropped away from around the halfway point; grinding to a near halt for a good twenty minutes just before the finale. As for the ending itself – it consisted of little more than huge robots, some fighting and a squadron of X-Wings.
I did say this was going to be an honest review, so I will highlight a few things without writing an essay – trying my best to keep it brief and hopefully avoid any spoilers.
Firstly, the overall plot was serviceable, in that there were few inconsistencies – again, this would be the filmmakers playing it safe. In this current Star Wars climate, I will take that as a small win – remembering how shows like ‘The Acolyte’ and ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ were riddled with plot holes so large that you could drive a truck through them.
Secondly, the special effects looked a little off to me – and at times I thought I was watching an episode of ‘The Thunderbirds’ or ‘Space 1999’ with ships and puppets shaking about. I found it to be funny more than anything else – but was this the studio trying to limit production costs?
Also, I do have to touch on some of the finer aspects of the writing. Whilst already saying that the screenplay did its job to a degree; the writers’ refusal to take any risks or unveil any bold new ideas – and instead coat their beloved main characters in plot armour – is precisely why Star Wars fans are tuning out in their thousands. This seems to be a dynamic that Disney are unwilling to shake.
Finally, I must give a special shout out to Dave Filoni and his cameo in the film as a character called Trapper Wolf – yes, that’s what he named himself! Disney Star Wars is in safe hands with this guy, right?
Filoni jokes aside, as I stated earlier, ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ was not a ‘bad’ film – but rather a ‘nothing’ film. For those who have been Star Wars fans for decades, this offering will be considered by most to be more Disney slop, and I can’t argue with them there – but it’s nowhere near the worst of what’s been served up in recent years.
I can only defend this below par movie on two fronts; the fact that it played it by the numbers and tried not to destroy any more Star Wars lore – and that kids would have loved the end product. Make no mistake; this is a children’s film – whether or not the producers intended it to be – and I will therefore mark it accordingly.
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ gets five out of ten from me.
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ is currently in cinemas. All screenshots courtesy of Disney and Lucasfilm.
Sean Carslake 