Is the Star Wars franchise dead? Considering how long it took me to finally watch The Mandalorian and Grogu, not even a cute baby Yoda is enough to get me watching new releases on a timely schedule. The IP is in a meh state, and I haven’t even watched The Ninth Jedi yet, despite its critical success and strong word of mouth. I need either originality or the return of characters I fondly adore to keep watching.
What has kept this galaxy far, far away alive for nearly fifty years is its love of pulp adventure. Those roots remain intact with this pairing, and the performances feel much more lived-in. But somehow, I didn’t feel the need to know what happened right away. All this cinematic offering does is show its version of “Lone Wolf and Cub” doing their thing, only better. The home video release reinforces that point with its standard collection of mini-docs and behind-the-scenes looks. The only aspect I cared to know more about was how Zeb, Embo and Rotta were translated from animation into live action.
Here, we see that the little green hobbit has more control over his powers. From a production standpoint, I’m glad the producers opted to balance close-up puppet action with digital effects, allowing the character to be as spry as Yoda was back in the day. Also, with Dave Filoni in charge, this film feels more like a bridge to the bigger universe at play.
What’s presented feels more like a natural companion piece that brings the world of Rebels to the live-action front, and I’m pleasantly surprised. Because years have passed between the television series and this film, it hardly feels like a continuation of The Mandalorian. What we’re given is a story unto itself, one that brings another fan-favourite character from the animated world into live action. That becomes obvious the moment Zeb (Steve Blum) graces the screen. It’s a nice tip-of-the-hat moment, and it makes me wish more cameos existed rather than just this single character nod.
Rather than expanding Din Djarin’s personal journey, what’s presented feels more like the duo stumbling across a family squabble. What I’m observing is how Jabba’s family is duking it out following his death. Factions exist, and one particular Hutt is despised by his family. The fact that he’s lean, mean and a fighter in some fight club is odd. After years of showing other Hutts as slow and menacing, this version changes things by making him lean, agile and able to parley.
Now that I’ve finally watched The Mandalorian and Grogu, whether it is considered worthwhile depends on how much fans still love Grogu. His appeal has weakened over time, and what I need is fresh blood or innovation to keep me watching. In this film’s case, it comes down to one little scene, when he pounces on a scorpion to devour it before it can sting Din.
Although the performance isn’t quite polished, I laughed. The camera angle and the way the kid pounced on it looked very awkward. Computer animation could have made the scene more realistic, but the fact that it wasn’t recreated the handcrafted charm that Frank Oz brought to Yoda. The result is endearing rather than distracting. It gave me chills to see some of that old-school ILM spirit return.
Because this instalment is very self-contained, no prior knowledge is needed. There’s enough recap to invite casual fans back in. All anyone needs to know is that Din and Grogu are father and child, and they work together to gather bounties. When Pops says, “Let me die,” the boy doesn’t see a new hope. The tiny tyke succeeds where the Skywalkers often failed between generations. Grogu refuses to let Din die, and this parallel to the original trilogy is difficult to unsee. It’s a moment that works, and perhaps we will indeed see the return of the Jedi once Grogu grows up.
3 Stars out of 5
The Mandalorian and Grogu Movie Trailer
