Aarcflick

 *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...