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There was a time when a new Star Wars film felt like an event. The original trilogy was the trend-setting sci-fi fantasy of the late 70’s and early 80’s and defined a generation. And say what anyone will about the merits of the prequel or sequel trilogies, but those, too, felt like events.
Aiding that aura were the long gaps between sets of films. Sixteen years separated the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace. Ten years passed between the end of the prequels and beginning of the sequels.
And now, perhaps unbelievably, seven years have passed between The Rise of Skywalker and the latest feature theatrical release in the franchise. Yet as the time window has shrunk each time, there is an even bigger factor as to why The Mandalorian and Grogu does not feel like an event: there hasn’t been a gap in the same way. Instead, Disney+ hosted seven different live-action Star Wars shows in that time and seven different animated shows, whether new shows or new seasons in older shows, as well.
Now, it would be unfair not to note there was a plethora of Star Wars content between the OT and prequels, and prequels and sequels. The entire Star Wars Extended Universe formed in those periods, with a multitude of books, video games, some animated and live-action shows as well, and more. One could argue there was the same splurge of content between every set of films and Disney is merely doing its duty as owner of the franchise to satisfy fans.
Yet, there is something undeniably different this time. Perhaps because these are all live-action “official” works, they feel more obligatory and present?
Regardless, unlike the peak anticipation for The Force Awakens, it feels as though The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters with even Disney’s marketing treating it as just another movie. Indeed, that is the biggest criticism of Jon Favreau‘s first theatrical feature since his “live-action” The Lion King, another film that could have the same critiques levied at it. The Mandalorian and Grogu does not feel like an event. It barely feels like a feature film.
Favreau and company do a very adequate job at crafting this work. It is better than many of the trash blockbusters that have occupied cinema screens in preceding years. When it comes to creatively bankrupt IP mining, movies like A Minecraft Movie, Borderlands, Madame Web, and more all spring to mind as much lazier, more cynical, and idiotic films.
Yet, The Mandalorian and Grogu is so lacking in ambition that it is a far less memorable and entertaining experience than watching many of these other far worse movies. For one, it is an editorial slog plainly bearing the hallmarks of having once been 3-4 episodes of the show repurposed together into a feature. The result is multiple periods of narrative dead space, with the seams of story beats so bright it felt like episode credits ought to start rolling.
For another, because it must occupy a safe middle ground, the movie does nothing to advance its characters in any meaningful way. The titular duo are largely in the same exact space at the end of the tale as the beginning. There are no arcs, no difficult decisions to be made, and no sense of stakes or momentum to anything happening. While this avoids having a script loaded down with convoluted plot holes, it also avoids any sense of audience investment or that watching this film brought one something. It’s the Star Wars equivalent of watching ivory white paint dry, though dare we say you might see more change to your wall in two hours than in watching this film.
Yes, Pedro Pascal continues to do an affable job as the stoic Mando, and the puppetry work of Grogu is as cute as ever. If there are commendable aspects to the movie, it is the commitment to using more practical effects at times including multiple puppet characters and a battle with stop-motion animated droids. If only this approach could have been applied to the Hutt characters. They look as though the film tried to transfer the cheaper CG of the Hutts from The Clone Wars show to the big screen and, as a result, are ugly as sin.
Speaking of, the main attempt at an emotional center involves Rotta the Hutt, the son of deceased famed character Jabba. Voiced by Jeremy Allen White, he is the closest thing to emotionally dynamic or complicated this movie has. Unfortunately, such conflict is delivered mostly in bland exposition where White is clearly struggling to find a voice for the character and Rotta blankly tells Mando his backstory and personal struggles without much prompting. This is the most amateurish way of writing in background and is accordingly dull. Further, the decision to have him speak in English the entire movie feels entirely at odds with how Star Wars has shown Hutts to date.
Equally dull are most of the supporting cast. Sigourney Weaver crossing into Star Wars ought to feel like a big deal, yet her character is barely in the movie and has no real personality or character traits. There are apparently a number of cameos from characters originating in Dave Filoni’s cartoon shows such as Zeb and Embo, but one of these doesn’t even speak. Not exactly engaging. Martin Scorsese bizarrely offers a voice acting cameo in this too, though for a minor side character. One has to wonder what happened behind the scenes for that to happen.
One would hope at least the action is solid in a film largely focused on fight scenes with the character work so miniscule. Indeed, when Favreau first helped create the show these characters originate from, one of the more notable aspects were the creative sequences making for a “western” style Star Wars. Yet oddly, most of the battles here are cut in a haphazard manner where its difficult to tell much of anything happening half the time. Aside from the solid introduction sequence, the majority of action can be difficult to make out.
Ragging on the plot beats almost seems pointless given how narratively dead most of this is, but as part of the pervading choice to ensure none of this matters, the movie has Mando lose his helmet again, something the show established is sacrosanct to his code. Yet this all resolves in a manner to ensure there is no consequence to it.
Same for a sequence where Mando is seemingly poisoned by a deadly toxin for multiple days. While this allows one of the few interesting attempts at filmmaking, where there are nearly fifteen minutes of silence focused on Grogu caring for his father figure, it kills the pacing and stretches credulity given how poisonous the venom was said to be. It’s a shame because it gives glimpses of what a better version of this movie could have been.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is one of the most aggressively average films to grace cinema screens. Designed to offend no one, it seems unlikely to stick with anyone either. Indeed, the movie is full of shots referencing older works and more memorable moments in the franchise. Even the two lead characters are ultimately visual stand-ins for things audiences already liked from earlier films. This duo is IP-mining the safe and familiar at its most calculated. Such is where Star Wars is now: turtles all the way down on everything being a facsimile of a facsimile of substance.
Though in a way, it seems perfect as a meta-text on the status of Star Wars. Disney made a movie to match the climate of the audience. There is a lack of fanfare for the newest theatrical release and this is a film thoroughly lacking in excitement or intrigue. Even the mostly great musical score from Ludwig Göransson does little to add thrill to this empty house.
While we now only have a year to the next Star Wars theatrical release, one has to wonder if anyone cares. Even if Star Wars: Starfighter is good, it feels as though excess has diluted the thrill and special feeling this franchise once had. This seems like the direction for most major media franchises too.
Perhaps its time to look back at what The Last Jedi said about letting the past die, letting the Jedi end, and moving on. Maybe the status of the franchise is because the fans couldn’t heed Rian Johnson’s portents that it was time to do something different, and this is what has been wrought.
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