The Mandalorian and Grogu Leaves Little Behind

I have a usual rule when I’m reviewing media. If possible, I wait twenty-four hours, at minimum, before I start writing down my thoughts. Sometimes this is unnecessary, especially for shorter works like the latest Magnus Protocol review, but—apparently—for others it’s a bad idea. The most damning thing I have to say about The Mandalorian and Grogu is that it’s so unsubstantial in its storytelling that it’s going to take extra effort to remember what happened.

This doesn’t mean The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t entertaining; it’s more that you shouldn’t think of it as a movie. It’s a visual effects showcase. Star Wars has a lot of cool vehicles, weapons, alien designs, and planets, and a clearly momentous budget makes all of it come alive in a zippy fashion. The “story” is every action movie ever conceived, with an obvious twist put in the middle of everything seemingly to pad out the runtime. If you’re a student of story structure, it’s actually kind of a fascinating look at the Hollywood movie formula stripped back to the barest of bones.

Certain Scenes In The Film Are Shockingly Generic

But what’s funny is the writing in The Mandalorian and Grogu seems to be fully aware of this shortcoming. Not in a satirical way, or trying to circumvent the issue, but in a shrugging, “Come on now, we all know what you’re here for” way. Dialogue is so plainly expositional sometimes that it comes off as impressively efficient (in a morbid sort of way). We get a new character for our duo to hang around, and the first time he really talks, he just spells out his entire motivation, backstory, and lays out his arc in one scene. I was actually startled by how badly it was done, but also couldn’t argue with how it affected the pacing.

And yet, there’s this one stretch of the movie, believe me, you’ll know it, where The Mandalorian and Grogu becomes a completely different thing. The pacing, so aggressively maintained, is utterly abandoned for a methodical, very quiet, slightly sad group of scenes. I hate to spoil, even for a movie like this, but I kind of need to a little, just to praise it as a decision. It’s almost like the title of the movie is being evoked in a bold way. We get endless scenes of “Mando” doing his mercenary thing, while Grogu does silly/cute stuff in the background, but then they actually get separated and even when they find each other again, Grogu becomes the de facto main character. And if you know anything about the lore of this show, you’ll know Grogu doesn’t talk and is usually a practical effect.

One Decision Elevates The Mandalorian and Grogu

The Mandalorian and Grogu actually uses a lot of puppetry and practical effects, when possible (it’s often not even remotely possible), but these specific scenes are Jim Henson-style magnificence. If you like Grogu, you get a lot of Grogu. It feels entirely alien to everything before and after, but he gets a full-on short film. A slightly boring one, if I’m being honest, but I can’t argue with the technical skill. It’s so rare to see a modern movie take its time, actually let the situation and the setting breathe—I’m amazed I haven’t heard people raving about it.

And if knowledge of that scene interests you enough to go see The Mandalorian and Grogu, then you may as well. It’s funny to think about now, given our modern technological landscape, but a well-choreographed action movie with incredible special effects would’ve been enough of a draw for someone to use up a few hours—but we’ve gotten so many movies with all of that, plus so much more, that The Mandalorian and Grogu feels very, very medium. I’m not usually this positive about a solid five-out-of-ten movie, but I guess that just shows my Star Wars bias.