Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Just like the U.S. Defense Department had their playing cards identifying Saddam’s fellow Socialist Baath Party war criminals in Iraq, the New Republic has their own deck of wanted high-ranking Imperials. Of course, each fugitive comes with a bounty. Needless to say, a resourceful Mandalorian bounty hunter like Din Djarin (a.k.a. “Mando”) would be interested in that business. In fact, they are the only gigs the newly respectable bounty hunter now accepts in Jon Favreau’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which opens this Friday in theaters.

As the title promises, this is the same Mando and Grogu fans know and love from the streaming series. Mando presents himself as a hardnosed adventurer for hire, he is really a sentimental do-gooder, especially when it comes to his adopted son-apprentice Grogu (a.k.a. “Baby Yoda”), who matures at a much slower rate than mere mortals, but already wields considerable command of the Force.

Despite his innocence and small stature, Grogu’s power makes him handy to have around when Mando collects bounties. Judging from the extended prologue, he and Mando can just barely handle an entire regiment of stormtroopers, between the two of them. Taking down the first Imperial warlord gets messy. Their next assignment gets even messier.

Col. Ward orders/hires/bribes Mando to “rescue” Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s estranged and reformed son, from a Bladerunner-like world and return him to his not-so loving uncle and aunt, in return for information on the mysterious Janu, the one of the highest-ranking cards left in the deck. Weirdly though, Rotta seems like a heck of a nice whatever he is—and he doesn’t want to leave.

The most frequent complaint leveled at M & G is that it plays like three new episodes of the streaming series, filmed in IMAX with somewhat more elaborate special effects. Basically, that is true, but seriously, isn’t that what fans want? More of the same. This is the same Mando and the same Grogu. Favreau doesn’t need to “put his stamp” on the characters, because he created them in the first place.

In fact, Favreau and co-screenwriters Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor seem to have learned from the franchise’s past mistakes. They never indulge in identity politics or virtue-signaling, but maintain strict character consistency with the series. Essentially, it is all action, all the time. We should all be so lucky to have a quarter for every stormtrooper who gets blasted to his eternal rewards in this film. The alien worlds also look fantastic in IMAX, particularly the mountain vistas of the prologue and the Hutts’ planet, distinguished by its giant toadstool landscape. However, some of the CGI is awkwardly iffy, especially the dragon-snake.

Shrewdly, the subplot involving the Hutts provides an apostolic link to the original trilogy. It deepens and enriches fans understanding of Jabba’s empire, without changing his character one iota. As a considerable bonus, Jeremy Allen White contributes one of the best voiceover performances of the year, making Rotta sound bizarrely soulful.

M & G also reminds us just how lucky Pedro Pascal was when he was cast as the Mandalorian. His voice entirely lacks both the richness and the distinctiveness of White’s. Plus, in the action sequences, it is usually stunt-performers wearing the helmet and armor. In the case of the film, that would be Brendan Wayne and martial artist Lateef Crowder doing all the real work. Somehow, Pascal has his name on the poster, but everyone else is carrying him, especially the puppetry team bringing Grogu to life. However, Hemky Madera and Jonny Coyne entertainingly chew the scenery as the sinister warlords, while Sigourney Weaver wisely opts for a laidback sarcastic tone as Col. Ward, which serves the film nicely.

Regardless, this film works, because it is too busy fighting stormtroopers and feral aliens to lecture the audience. Frankly, you can see the influence of the serials and comic strips that originally inspired George Lucas and his buddy Spielberg. It is one darned thing after another, but in a way that leaves the characters and universe just as it found them. Again, isn’t that what fans would prefer? If you want to watch Mando’s butt-kicking and Grogu’s preciousness, then this film delivers. Recommended as a healthy rebound film for franchise fans, Star Wars: Th Mandalorian and Grogu opens just about everywhere this Friday (5/22).