The Mandalorian and Grogu: May the Schmaltz Be With You, and in IMAX No Less
By John Kirk
Rating: A-
A definite crowd-pleaser for Star Wars fans and fans of the Mandalorian TV series. The Mandalorian and Grogu delivers exactly what it promises ... with some well-pulled heartstrings in all the right places.
Continuing the adventures of Din Djarin, aka the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his young protégé, Grogu, the bounty hunter is now in the service of the New Republic. Hunting down remnants of the Empire. It’s what he does best.
There are no complications in this film. It's everything fans will expect and want to see. That's probably best. After all, why fix what isn't broken?
The Mandalorian and Grogu. Who were you expecting?
In all candor, this is essentially an extended episode of the TV series. It has the music, the same vibe, and there’s even a point in the film when the story could end quite easily – at about 43 minutes in.
Star Wars doesn't have to be sophisticated in its delivery of the many iterations of its franchise. But it does have to be lore-smart. Writer Dave Filoni has those ingredients. The Palace of the Hutts on Nal Hutta is what a former Rebel - now New Republic - base would look like, with the right weaponry and vehicles. Filoni has that lore and shows he doesn’t have to work hard at its inclusion. Again, he proves that he can provide that material that fans would expect.
Then, there's the setting. Placed immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi, the New Republic still sees the Empire as its major threat, but has the greatest heroes of the Rebellion still within striking distance of any episode. Series fans saw that with Luke Skywalker's return in Season Three.
Then there's the cameo appearances. We see Zeb Orrellios (Steve Blum from the animated Star Wars: Rebels series), Mandalorian Director Deborah Chow gets into the on-camera action, and seeing Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward adds fun to the mix. Legendary film-maker Martin Scorsese has a role. Heck, even folks from the Prop Department are in this. In short, Filoni and director Jon Favreau are just having fun.
There are some other great surprise appearances, which I won’t reveal, to watch for as well. But let me just say, one of the most iconic lines in Star Wars ("Here they come!") gets a repeat delivery.
The lore details are rich. Left-over clankers from the Clone Wars, The Return of Rotto the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), who fans will remember from Rebels, and, as we've seen from the previews, even the old Razorcrest is back.
Finally, there's the action. Plenty of Mando hand-to-hand combat duels by Pascal's stand-in, Brendan Wayne. Lots of starfighter battles and yes, crazy creatures abound. In fact, if you think back to the chess-like game on the Millennium Falcon in Episode IV: A New Hope, you might recognize some of the monsters in this film.
Oh, and make sure you see this in IMAX. The various planetary backgrounds are epic in scope and are best seen on the extra-big screen.
Peppered in between all this is the reminder that Din Djarin and Grogu are a family. Their relationship is still at the heart of this story, as the unimaginative but perfectly apt title would suggest. Grogu is still adorable and while that angle may play a little too thick at times, so what? It’s nice to see a little bit of light on the big screen.
Like I said, Filoni doesn’t work too hard on the storytelling on this film. It’s overly simple in its structure but it doesn’t have to be to be enjoyed. Star Wars is a romance, a story that doesn't want you to understand, just believe. That's the essence of fantasy and it's the fabric of what makes a successful addition to this franchise.
Fun, exciting and a little bit schmaltzy, The Mandalorian and Grogu gives fans what they want.
May the Schmaltz Be With You.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. Directed by Jon Favreau. Stars Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Blum, Brendan Wayne, Jonny Coyne, Martin Scorcese, Hemky Madera
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theatres Friday, May 22.