It goes without saying that Star Wars is one of the biggest movie franchises of all time. Thankfully, after a handful of years of focusing on streaming series, the franchise has made its way back to the big screen with The Mandalorian and Grogu. Let’s see if this newest trip into the galaxy far far away is worth the leap back into theaters.

The Good

This movie is jam-packed with intense action. Hand-to-hand fights, spaceship battles, blaster shots flying through the air, and more make the action feel fun and fresh throughout the movie. It’s all creative, well-choreographed, and suspenseful. There are a few moments that make this feel like John Wick and space, and it’s something moviegoers need more of.

The visuals are a solid mixture of CGI and practical effects. The traditional effects used for the puppets, makeup, and sets all look incredible and truly transport audiences to the Star Wars galaxy. The same can be said for the majority of the CGI. Most of the movie looks lifelike, with designs that look just plain awesome. The effects team did an overall fantastic job, and it’s clear by the effects that the budget was higher than it typically is for the TV show.

There are prominent themes throughout regarding doing the right thing, what actually is the right thing, and being a good person despite what you’re actually told to do. There are a few characters who prove to others they have good intentions and good hearts, and it’s rewarded in some way each time. These themes add some extra emotional weight to the story, as well as lead to a smile on the audiences’ faces and give them something to root for.

The movie may be both action-packed, dramatic, and heartwarming, but it also offers its fair share of comedic moments. There’s a small number of visual gags, like a comically tiny ship that Din Djarin can’t fit on or Grogu knocking on Din’s helmet, that lead to laughs from the entire audience. The same can be said for memorable one-liners from comic relief characters like the Anzellans. It’s not like the movie made Star Wars into a complete comedy, but these humorous moments were well-done and welcome.

Grogu has plenty of adorable moments throughout the film. This is no different than the TV series, but it’s still a ton of fun to see on the big screen. Whether he’s eating sweet snacks when he’s not supposed to, pushing the wrong button on the ship, or knocking on his dad’s helmet, he’s so cute and at-times hilarious. It’s one of the elements that makes him such a memorable character. It’s also really cool to see his growth as he ages, in which he’s moving more, making more noises with his mouth, thinking for himself more, and using the Force more frequently and with more control. His gradual growth has been a nice detail throughout the show and this movie.

One of the most fun elements of the film is the inclusion of all the creative alien creatures, vehicles, and environments. The aliens range from scary to wacky to fascinating. The vehicles are just as cool as they always have been in Star Wars. The environments look awesome and detailed enough to make the audience want to explore them themselves. These are what make Star Wars so much fun, and it’s always an exciting ride to see on the big screen.

The Bad

While the movie is mostly fast-paced and action-packed, there is a moment where things slow down a little too much and grow a little dull. It wouldn’t have been much of an issue if the scene was shorter, but it felt like it dragged on for a while. It’s probably the result of the Season 4 script being turned into a feature-length movie, but that doesn’t mean the scene goes on a little too long.

While most of the CGI were overall pretty impressive, there are some elements where the effects could have been handled a little better. This issue is mostly on a select few characters’ faces. It’s also a little too noticeable when CGI is used for things that were once done with traditional effects, like the AT-ATs. In those cases, they don’t look bad, it just jumps out a little since we’re used to seeing them one other way.

The biggest issue with this movie is an issue with many modern blockbuster flicks, and that’s the homework associated with seeing it. Nowadays, it’s often the norm for a movie to have required viewing to fully understand or appreciate it. The Mandalorian and Grogu expects its audience to have seen several seasons of television as well as have at least some familiarity with Star Wars, the Empire, and the Republic. If you’re familiar with the material, this movie is extremely enjoyable. If you go in blind, you might be a little lost on certain things.

Conclusion

The Mandalorian and Grogu is pure Star Wars good stuff. It’s chock full of riveting action, tremendous visual effects, whimsical creatures and planets, and heart. Sure, it’s not without a couple of issues. It’s not the best Star Wars movie, but it’s far from the worst. It’s a lower-stakes adventure that’s an absolute blast. It’s what any audience would want out of an exciting blockbuster. Anyone who’s already caught up with The Mandalorian Disney+ series and is familiar with the world of Star Wars will enjoy this quite a bit.

Rating: 8/10

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