*Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu* is a largely entertaining *Star Wars* film that, at the very least, offers some kind of "new hope" for the franchise.
For me, *Star Wars* has always revolved around the films. I have seen all eleven—the three trilogies, plus *Rogue One* and *Solo*—yet I am no expert on the animated material and have watched very little of the *Star Wars* series available on Disney+, including the highly acclaimed *Andor*.
Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Noah Kloor
Stars: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Martin Scorsese
Even so, I looked forward to the 133 minutes of *The Mandalorian and Grogu* with great enthusiasm, especially since I understood that one need not be up to date on the storyline to enjoy the film as a standalone work.
Well, naturally, that old *Star Wars* habit persists: explaining to the uninitiated exactly what the movie is about right at the very beginning.
Directed by Jon Favreau—from a screenplay he co-wrote with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor—*The Mandalorian and Grogu* is set after the fall of the Galactic Empire and the rise of the New Republic.
In this era, surviving Imperial warlords continue to pose a threat; consequently, the New Republic recruits bounty hunters like Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice, Grogu (voiced by Dave Acord), to capture them for intelligence purposes or, simply, to eliminate them.
Their modus operandi is showcased in the spectacular opening sequence, which—after the first fifteen minutes—gives way to the opening credits; a first for the *Star Wars* franchise.
After that, the real work begins.
Mando and Grogu are tasked with locating the mysterious Commander Coin; to do so, they must collaborate with the crime lords known as the Hutt Twins and rescue their nephew, Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), who is apparently being held captive by Captain Coin. All this to the great displeasure of Mando, who considers the Hutt Twins his sworn enemies. The search for Rotta—who turns out to be a rather amusing character—proves surprisingly simple, largely because Mando and Grogu obtain all the information they need from a likable street food vendor.
A character voiced by none other than the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who has always found it difficult to resist the temptation to do a little acting—whether in a small arthouse film or a major blockbuster. It isn't a Marvel movie, so I’m sure his conscience gave him a pass; I’m also convinced he had fun with this role—small, yet surprisingly amusing and endearing.
After Mando and Grogu embark on their mission, I found the film temporarily less enjoyable. This is primarily due to a somewhat mediocre narrative, in which every plot twist feels predictable, making the first half feel unnecessarily episodic.
Even so, the film never quite falls apart completely.
This is due, above all, to two factors: the highly effective action sequences, and an overload of creatures—some instantly forgettable, but others quite formidable—such as the underwater monster employed by the Hutt Twins, which threatens the lives of more than one prominent cast member.
It is almost as if Lucasfilm had looked at the *Jurassic World* franchise and thought: "Hey, maybe we can steer the saga into monster-movie territory and produce films that don't have to systematically gross a billion dollars."
I did, however, have a few other objections. The special effects are decent, but visually, I found the film somewhat flat and nondescript; the colors never really pop, which I felt was a shame.
My other issue lies with Ludwig Göransson’s score. I know the composer has won three Oscars, but on this occasion, there is simply an excess of that stimulating electronic folk; the music ends up feeling overwhelming—almost as if the director, Jon Favreau, knew he needed to use it to mask the film's weaker aspects.
In the second half, Pedro Pascal gets the chance to show his face for about ten minutes before once again hiding behind his Mandalorian mask; thus, it remains, in essence, a voice-only role, with the bulk of the physical work being performed by two other actors.
Sigourney Weaver also appears in the film, playing Colonel Ward—Mando’s stern instructor; however, I am not sure how much she enjoyed acting alongside a masked actor (or in front of a green screen), as I thought I detected a rather apathetic look in her eyes.
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