By Mark Fields
Inert Expansion of Star Wars Series Offer Little to Celebrate
I enjoyed the three seasons of The Mandalorian series on Disney+. The deliberate development of the mentoring relationship between the bounty hunter Din Djarin and the young Force-empowered Grogu (AKA Baby Yoda) formed the connective tissue between adventures on a variety of worlds in the Star Wars galaxy and the encounters with many colorful and memorable characters.
Now the two characters and their story have shifted to the big screen with The Mandalorian and Grogu, but unfortunately the creative team, including director Jon Favreau and co-screenwriter Dave Filoni, seem to have left behind the charms of the property when it was on TV.
There are very few well-developed characters beyond the title duo. The Mandalorian (voiced by Pedro Pascal), of course, rarely appears without his face obscured by his shiny helmet and Grogu doesn’t speak. Without some interesting people or creatures with which to interact, they have a challenging time holding the audience’s interest. What’s left is an endless parade of fight scenes and chases that are entertaining after a fashion, but also disappointingly inert and frankly a bit exhausting.
The bare-bones story involved the Mandalorian’s pursuit, at the assignment of Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), of the mysterious Lord Janu. To get to Janu, the bounty hunter must first interact with two Hutts, twin relatives of the infamous Jabba from the original films. They also are searching for someone, a nephew Rotta (soulfully voiced by Jeremy Allen White); they will exchange information for his return. But to reference a classic moment from The Return of the Jedi, “it’s a trap!”
Rotta’s appearance offers one of the few moments of genuine engagement in the story. Rotta eschews the gangster lifestyle and the sybaritic lifestyle of his fellow Hutts, and as voiced by White, he is a thoughtful, almost melancholic character. The creative team smartly has Rotta speaking English, making him even more easy to sympathize with.
In keeping with Star Wars tradition, as well, the movie is packed with Easter eggs and cameos: some entertaining and apparent, others frustratingly opaque to all but the most deeply initiated fan. I enjoyed hearing Martin Scorsese as a four-armed simian food vendor. And although she’s given little to do but tersely barks orders and look imperious, it is fun to see Sigourney Weaver (a veteran of the Alien, Ghostbusters, and Avatar films) in yet another movie franchise.
One approaches a Star Wars film – in fact, all Star Wars entertainment properties – with the understanding that they are made for a very specific (albeit potentially large) and enthusiastic audience, half of whom are looking to adore it and the other half waiting to pounce on every perceived mistake.
Now that Star Wars has been absorbed into Disney, each new project is also a source for new merchandise and perhaps even a theme-park attraction. (My viewing partner leaned over at one point during the screening to say “that will be the ride.”) It’s a little sad to realize that the tale of Din Djarin and Grogu is not just part of a vast and creative galaxy but also a vast and exploitative corporate machine.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is a movie best approached with modest expectations.
Official Trailer
