After years of dominating the small screen, The Mandalorian and Grogu, aka The Child, make their big screen debut in the first Star Wars project to hit cinemas in almost 7 years. Directed and co-written by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu film follows former lone bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu as they take on a new mission. Set after the fall of the Galactic Empire, during a time when imperial warlords still threaten the galaxy, the New Republic recruits the pair to rescue Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White) in exchange for vital information from the Hutt Clan about a New Republic target.
Whilst the premise may sound strong on paper, the newest instalment feels like it would have worked better as a fourth season of the Disney+ series. With its almost episodic structure, the film suffers from uneven pacing, and some sections land far stronger than others. While there are genuinely brilliant moments throughout, they’re often buried within a film that can feel inconsistent, like picking out small bits of treasure from something far less rewarding overall.
The film starts strong, showing these glimmers of treasure as the Mandalorian completes one of his many missions for the New Republic as they make their way through Ward’s (Sigourney Weaver) imperial warlord deck of cards, as they seek to gain withheld information. Not long after his return, he’s tasked with his new adventure, this time searching for Rotta in a built-up, gritty-looking city that immediately gives the film a larger sense of scale. But this mission turns messy pretty quickly, spiralling into the rest of the film.
Although the plot begins to get rocky as the film continues, you cannot deny that the film is visually striking as they use a mix of puppetry, animatronics and practical effects to bring its otherworldly creatures to life. These characters really are impressive, and I can admire the craft that went into them on a film of this scale. Alongside each planet’s setting having its own distinct atmosphere and style, immersing the characters and the audience into each planet. Even when the story loses its momentum, there is still plenty to admire visually.
That said, there are still some really engaging scenes even if they’re scattered across the long runtime rather than forming one cohesive film. This is particularly true in the choreography of the earlier fight sequences, especially in an underground fighting ring where we see the Mandalorian take on a range of different opponents, resulting in one of the film’s most impressive moments. And, of course, any scene involving Grogu will get a reaction from the audience, as we can’t resist the small but capable companion who is once again supporting the Mandalorian on his missions, adding both a bit of heart and humour to the story.
Having Ludwig Göransson on board to score this film was one of the best decisions made, as yet again, he delivers an exceptional score, helping to shape the film’s tone while distinguishing the different worlds and experiences the characters encounter throughout the story. Some of the more synth-heavy tracks have a strong 80s feel to them, which fits surprisingly well with the film’s sci-fi atmosphere and adds a fun sense of adventure to several of the larger sequences.
Overall, the film has plenty going for it in its isolated moments; however, when put together, it struggles to maintain that level of consistency across its 2-hour 12-minute runtime, making the experience feel a lot more drawn out than it needed to be. As a result, some of its stronger ideas don’t land with the impact they should; the film constantly shifts before it’s had time to develop fully, and it never quite builds real momentum and has a real lack of emotional stakes.
There is still a lot to enjoy with strong performances from the main cast (and the supporting creatures) and impressive world-building that keeps the film engaging even when the story falters slightly. You can really tell that to some extent, this was a passion project which has a lot of love, care and attention put into it. It’s not a totally disappointing film, and still offers audiences a good time; it’s just not quite what viewers have come to expect from the franchise.
But I do think it’s time we accept there will not be a Star Wars film that comes close to the original films, with this new instalment significantly lacking the strong storylines the earlier entries delivered. This one instead feels more like a generic, combat-heavy character adventure, rather than the epic space drama many of us have come to expect from the franchise. Whilst the film is an enjoyable watch, it never quite comes together into something as emotionally or narratively rich as the franchise was at its best.
★★★
In cinemas on May 22nd / Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver, Martin Scorsese / Dir: Jon Favreau / Disney, Lucasfilm / 12A
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