The Mandalorian and Grogu is a sequel to the excellent The Mandalorian series on Disney+, a science-fiction space western that takes place shortly after the fall of the Galactic Empire.
Non Star Wars fans might have a hard time identifying with this movie. The Clone Wars animated series built up the Mandalorians to be an important part of Star Wars lore. Likewise, the first two seasons of The Mandalorian were terrific, telling a Lone Wolf and Cub type story about a bounty hunter, Din Djarin, who develops a parental bond with a Force-sensitive "Baby Yoda" named Grogu.
When The Mandalorian and Grogu was announced two years ago, many YouTubers, some of which can be extremely negative, tried to dismiss the film as just season 4 of The Mandalorian, claiming that it doesn't belong on the big screen. Some of this negativity carried over to reviews of the film.
However, there are many positive reviews, stating that the movie is a fun watch, which it is.
Almost all reviewers wish that we had gotten a more monumental Star Wars film, instead of this "small" story adapted from a TV series. However, it tells a self-contained story that anyone can appreciate without having seen all the material that built up to it.
With my expectations being fairly modest, I was very pleasantly surprised. This is indeed a fun movie to watch, with some thrilling and at times scary action sequences. Although I didn't think that the movie would kill off one of its main characters, it somehow made me fear for Din Djarin as he faced off against mortal danger.
The first half of the film is mostly a John Wick action movie. The Mandalorians are a warrior race, and Din Djarin is portrayed as an excellent fighter able to take on many dangerous enemies.
The second half gives Grogu more time to shine. He is no longer the helpless baby we saw in the first episode of The Mandalorian. He is developing as a character who can do things, including to help rescue Din Djarin.
The character of Grogu will appeal to children, but I think that some of the action sequences and monsters are too scary for young children.
The ending is a bit underwhelming, like they didn't know how to wrap up the story. This is a trend that I have noticed in many movies, where the final sequence will feel rushed, such as in Superman.
As a standalone film, it is comparable to Solo: A Star Wars Story, but The Mandalorian and Grogu is better. It has more likeable characters and better action sequences.
Rating: B+
No comments:
Post a Comment