What if I told you it was new Star Wars is the movie in theaters this week? One directed by Jon Favreau, a steady hand to the farmer who helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Man of Steel and the current installment of Disney live-action remakes and The Jungle Book? Seven years have passed since a Star Wars entry was in theaters, and for the longest time since one got a good rapport from fans, so you’d think the release of The Mandalorian and Grog this Memorial Day weekend would need at least a little excitement. Instead, the film lands as a plate of cosmic vegetables to be dutifully eaten by the undead and otherwise shoved aside among Hollywood’s buffet of summer blockbusters.
The Mandalorian and Grog is the big screen sequel of The Mandalorian TV serieswhich in 2019 debuted the Disney+ series of Star Wars program-a few weeks before the start of the non-sequitur saga Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker movie theaters. In comparison, The Mandalorian I felt soft and charming, with human stakes to be appreciated. The show, created by Favreau, follows a costumed bounty hunter (played by Pedro Pascal) as he traverses the lawless edges of the galaxy. He eventually takes a cute, Yoda-shaped critter named Grogu as his reward; where Mando is a man of few words, Grogu is a 1-foot-tall magical alien who speaks in grunts and grunts. The main story is smaller than average for Star Wars but sized right for TV—still full of impressive visual effects but less concerned with the franchise’s narrative.
These days, however, franchise name-brand are cursed with the disease more. Everything needs to grow—to add characters and change—and all the pieces eventually come together. Like The Mandalorian plodded up in three seasons, got bogged down used as the middle of Star Wars TV World; launched another series and dropped its classic “event of the week” formula of introducing a cameo from Luke Skywalker (played by a digitally aged Mark Hamill with a body double) and so on. Credit then, to Favreau and his co-writers, Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor, who have done it carefully. The Mandalorian and Grog more self-sufficiency. The problem is that removing the film from the larger story makes it feel like a TV show, even when you’re watching it on an IMAX screen.
Compared to the latest Star Wars movies that sparked heated debate, The Mandalorian and Grog it seems impossible to offend anyone; not a a confusing mess neither so offbeat like dividing the fan base. Instead, it’s content to be a burger, two hours of laser blast duty and flat dialogue that will do enough to put toys on the shelf. The plot is straightforward: The Mandalorian now serves the fledgling New Republic, hunting down the remnants of the corrupt Empire (the story is written after Return of the Jedithe sixth Star Wars period). Republic Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) gives him a contract to rescue Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), a muscular slug alien who is the son of the evil Jabba, and return him to his family in exchange for some important information. Things spiral into various side events from there, but the plot doesn’t really matter; whenever it seems to be headed for a wider galactic adventure, it ends up taking an easier route. The idea is to enjoy watching our hero get into scrapes, with cute little Grog helping him out.
If they adjust their expectations, Star Wars fans will be basically satisfied with The Mandalorian and Grog; they should prepare for a low-level thrill ride, not a space opera. It seems to be aimed more at kids—quick and heavy on the roaring monsters and silly little creatures. My heart rate continued at a comfortable pace throughout, and only two places made me lean forward in my seat. The first was during a few scenes where director Martin Scorsese voices a four-armed alien who drives a food truck; How this casting decision came about, I don’t know, but his character is just one and something of a personality, which was enough to wake me up for a minute.
The second moment comes in the third act, when the Mandalorian is temporarily sidelined and Grogu becomes the main character. Set in an absolute swamp of puppetry creations, this section evokes Amblin’s ’80s kid-friendly adventure films. Favreau’s work is clearly indebted to that lineage, and Grogu’s song alone creates an anxiety that wasn’t there. Not enough parts to make The Mandalorian and Grog mandatory viewing, though Disney clearly hopes it is Star Wars branding the name will suffice to do so however. But it’s evidence that Favreau left the chance to make a more memorable film on the table.
