MOVIE REVIEW - STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU

The latest installment in the STAR WARS series of films is a spin-off of the DISNEY+ series THE MANDALORIAN. This time following the further, amazing exploits of Din Djarin (THE MANDALORIAN, played by Pedro Pascal) and his young ward/apprentice, the “Baby-Yoda” Grogu.

And…it succeeds as a continuation of the series (call it Season 4). But... it falls down as a blockbuster “wow” movie going experience.

There’s a lot to like in this film, starting with the central performance of Pascal as THE MANDALORIAN, even though his face is concealed inside a helmet for a majority of the film, one can sense what he is feeling throughout and is a very easy character to root for thanks to his high moral code.

Grogu (the CGI Baby-Yoda) is cute as a button as his sidekick/apprentice and audiences will once again fall in love with this character. Sigourney Weaver (ALIENS), Johnny Coyne (THE BLACKLIST) and Martin Scorcese(!) are all along for the ride and they look like they are having a blast playing in this world.

Written by Star Wars stalwarts Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau and Directed by Favreau (the first IRON MAN film), MANDO & GROGU hits some very fun notes, digging deeper into Star Wars lore, filling out this well known universe with care, giving a richer, deeper feel to a world that feels like it could have actually existed.

The knock on this film is that it feels like 3 Episode of THE MANDALORIAN sewn together into a movie and that is a legit complaint - if you think this is a complaint. It was fun to have the “further amazing adventures” of Mando and Grogu and the big screen gave the creators license to “amp up” the action. The explosions were bigger, the spacecraft were more awe-inspiring and the attention to detail was more ornate.

But it is wrapped in a story that has no real emotional weight to it and that feels like a bit of a let down for a big summer blockbuster film. But it is a fun ride, kind of like riding a very good and enjoyable Theme Park ride at one of the various Disney Parks around the world (but not the best one).

If you are a fan of THE MANDALORIAN TV Series, you are going to like this film, if you are new to these characters and this “non-Skywalker” part of the Star Wars Universe, you might want to skip this one and watch the 3 Seasons of THE MANDALORIAN on Disney+.

Letter Grade: B+

7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)