Introduction
Last night, we went to the local drive in movie theater to see “Toy Story 5” and “The Mandalorian and Grogu”. Disney double feature with Aiden’s girlfriend’s family. Because people can’t just enjoy things in this day and age, both movies faced intense criticism. I saw some people calling “Toy Story 5″ a cash grab. Never mind that’s the lowest hanging fruit when it comes to critique lately. It just doesn’t make any sense. We live in a ‘yay, capitalism” society, but companies aren’t supposed to make things for money? Make it make sense.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, meanwhile, got called out for pacing issues. Some said that Filoni stealth released it as the 4th season of the show but on a larger budget. At the very least, I can see both of them as valid even if I don’t agree completely. Besides, we all know that nobody hates Star Wars quite like Star Wars fans. Luckily, I don’t count myself among them.
The Story
Without giving too much away, Mando does Mando things. He collects a bounty after things go south and the guy dies. He then meets Jabba the Hutt’s son, Rotta, makes a tentative alliance with the surprisingly in shape giant slug. Rotta, as do most sentient beings, falls for Grogu. There’s plenty of Grogu cuteness and comic relief in the form of Anzellans.
The action mostly takes the form of hand to hand combat, but they give us a couple of star ship dog fights as well. Mando gets into big trouble, Grogu nurses him back to health, the good guys save the day and blow up another Hutt structure. Overall a fun movie, but I see why people didn’t want to pay movie theater prices for it.
Why I Love The Mandalorian and Grogu
- Music: Never underestimate the value of a good soundtrack. The title track alone kept me interested in the movie and humming along the entire time. They also played a techno version of the soundtrack that felt out of place in a Star Wars movie, but fit the overall vibe of the Hutt’s home world.
- Title Characters: I just read a summary that complained that the movie offered no character growth for either Mando or Grogu. I admit that I found it strange that they only gave us two major force moments for the little guy, but the two of them together always makes for heart warming and funny interactions.
- Rotta the Hutt: I never expected to come out of this movie with as much respect for him as I did. I half joked with myself (because my wife fell asleep) that Jeremy Allen White can only play broken men with daddy issues, but the story worked for the character.
- Western Theme: They went for something completely different with this series and it worked initially. People seem to have lost some interest in that and now lump this in with the “worst Star Wars era ever” seemingly forgetting how negatively the prequel trilogy was initially received. With all that being said, I like that this character gets his own version of the Star Wars mythos.
- Nostalgia: Yes, it hooks me every time. I know people always pine for the old days and say that Star Wars lost it’s luster. I honestly don’t understand where that comes from. Star Wars has always been lame acting covered up by good special effects, and the hero’s journey barely disguised as a space opera. The movies exist to sell merchandise and they do that very well.
- Fun: Even so, the movies are always fun. They let me forget about everything outside, enjoy a movie with my family, and laugh and cheer on unambiguous heroes. In a world where art often takes itself too seriously, that’s usually all I need.
The Verdict on The Mandalorian and Grogu
Following up my previous article with a review of The Mandalorian and Grogu may seem strange. But, I promise that I also kick started my gaming. I played several games over the last week and plan to play more over the next two months. But, I wanted to put my positive vibes out there into the ether. Who knows, eventually all of this uplifting content might finally reach an audience. Then, together, we can rule all of nerdom and bring balance to the fans.
