There is something that just feels so special, and so right, about Star Wars on the big screen. The franchise is back in theaters for the first time in seven years, as The Mandalorian and Grogu premiered this weekend. The long-awaited theatrical debut for the titular characters was a fun, if sometimes convoluted and inconsequential, adventure that will be sure to delight fans of The Mandalorian series.
That word, fun, is what keeps coming to my mind when I think of the movie, and I mean that in a good way: I left the theater with a smile on my face. The film is full of lots of great action sequences, amazing puppetry, a fantastic score by Ludwig Göransson, and a fun adventure story about the Mandalorian and his child, Grogu. It is fitting that they added Grogu’s name into the title for this one, because he truly is the star of the film, taking center stage in ways he never has before. He continues to be adorable, and funny (he elicited plenty of laughs in our theater), and more than capable of holding his own.
This is without question the most alien-centric Star Wars movie to-date, and the puppetry and visual effects teams made it work tremendously well. Grogu is the star like we all expected, but the surprising standout of the movie is Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), Jabba’s son. I did not expect to enjoy his scenes as much as I did, as not only is he remarkably adept and fit as a fighter but also is a pretty compelling character – at least as far as compelling characters in this movie go. This movie is heavy on the exciting action and very light on any substantial character arcs. Mando is surprisingly stoic and hasn’t really gone anywhere since season two, Sigourney Weaver sadly mails it in as Colonel Ward, Zeb and other New Republic figures are supporting characters who are mostly there to look cool, and the main villains don’t even have names yet.
It has been said before that The Mandalorian, and the connected shows, feel like showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni pulling their Star Wars action figures out of a box and playing with them. I think that is accurate, and I think that is both one of the best and worst parts about these stories, which is exemplified in this movie. On the one hand, it makes for a lot of really fun adventures, exciting moments, and fight sequences. There are lots and lots of monster fights in this movie (I’m not sure if it’s hyperbole to say it felt like this one has more than the other movies combined). There are multiple raids to take down Imperial warlords. There’s a fight against the Hutts on Nal Hutta. All of this is precisely what so many of us dreamed up when playing with these action figures. But as any kid who grew up doing this knows, we didn’t spend a whole lot of time on character growth and relationships and emotional weight and storytelling – and this movie doesn’t either. It’s not really focused on telling a story; it’s focused on entertaining you.
And I think that’s perfectly fine for a Star Wars film to do. It is very important for this franchise to be able to have multiple genres and approaches to telling stories, and it’s a very good thing that both Andor and The Mandalorian and Grogu can both exist within it. Few Star Wars projects will ever be able to rival Andor in its storytelling, character development, writing, acting, and direction – but to expect everything to match the tone and style of that series is unfair and unwise. Star Wars needs pulpy action movies that are just a good time at the theater, too. That’s what George Lucas did, and this movie does feel very Lucas-esque in many ways.
I’m not making excuses for the movie, which certainly isn’t without narrative faults. Sections of it drag on, and the plot can feel convoluted with side missions and back-and-forths that should have been ironed out in the script and editing. The dialogue in the movie is incredibly bland. But, again, it’s just a fun movie, and if you go in with that expectation I think you’re going to enjoy it – as long as you enjoyed The Mandalorian, at least.
In the end, this is a movie without a whole lot of substance and featuring a totally self-contained story that doesn’t really tie-in to anything else in the larger storyline. It’s just an action-adventure movie with Mando and Grogu, and while that is a bit frustrating to a Star Wars fan like myself who was hoping for at least some sort of bigger stakes, I also think it’s a good thing that the franchise can have a movie that doesn’t need the galaxy hanging in the balance. And, honestly, I think that helps to explain why this was a good choice to re-introduce Star Wars in theaters. The longer it’s been since the last movie the more pressure will be on the next movie(s) to lead the saga into a new era. Already we have seen outlets writing about how The Mandalorian and Grogu might not have saved the franchise, as if this movie was ever intended to. This film does introduce Disney+’s biggest stars to the big screen, but it isn’t being asked to usher in a brand new chapter of the franchise or save Star Wars or anything like that. It’s just giving audiences a fun two-hour adventure. And I don’t think that’s a bad way to jump back to theaters: let The Mandalorian and Grogu break the ice a bit, so to speak, before Starfighter pushes the franchise forward into a new era next year.
This won’t be anywhere near the best Star Wars movies, but it doesn’t have to be. I have seen fans scoffing at the idea that fun is a good thing, as if reviews saying this is just a “fun” movie are admitting it stinks. But couldn’t we all use a little bit more fun, especially when you look around our world today? Isn’t it nice to have a feel-good action-adventure flick to keep you entertained for a few hours? Wouldn’t many of us describe the Star Wars we grew up on as “fun”? Fun is a good thing. Sure, we could – and should – hope that Star Wars stories deliver more substance than The Mandalorian and Grogu, but I still had a blast watching it.
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