The Mandalorian and Grogu review

My thoughts on The Mandalorian and Grogu movie:

It’s no surprise that Disney chose to make a movie of The Mandalorian. The series has been incredibly popular on Disney+. The world fell in love with Baby Yoda back in 2019, and the demand is still there. But what would The Mandalorian and Grogu be like on the big screen?

Very much like on the small screen, it turns out, but… bigger. You very much feel like you are watching a few connected episodes of The Mandalorian. I really appreciated that it stayed true to the series. It’s not trying to do anything crazy, or have any huge reveals. (We don’t learn who Grogu’s real parents are, or the name of his species, or anything like that).

You have the space western format that worked so well. There’s a fantastic soundtrack, and the focus is on our two main characters: The Mandalorian and Grogu. And just like the show works, the movie also works as a fun, action-packed time.

Onto my review! Please note that I really don’t love the name Grogu, so I will continue to call him Baby Yoda at times.

The plot of the movie is straightforward and simple. Mando the bounty hunter is now taking jobs for the New Republic. He’s given the task of finding Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta and bringing him back to his aunt and uncle. Various conflicts arise, battles are fought, and Grogu is a bit of a troublemaker.

You didn’t really need to have a ton of background knowledge to enjoy this movie, which I think is a good thing. Honestly, I feel like you could go into this without having seen the series at all and still catch on pretty quick. I had been trying to rewatch the series to refresh my memory but only got halfway through season 2. I was worried there would be references I wouldn’t remember, or plot points that had slipped my mind, but the movie was pretty close to a standalone in terms of the plot.

So don’t worry if you don’t recall all of the details about the Mandalorian culture or traditions, what happened with the Jedi, or anything like that.

I think many reviews are citing this as a large criticism, but I see it as a positive. The Star Wars universe is so vast now, with over a dozen films and numerous TV shows. It’s exhausting to try and keep up with it all, and the expectation that the audience would have tons of background information can take away from the enjoyment of it for all but the most dedicated of fans. Not every movie has to be a work of art or commentary on some big theme. This is a movie that is fun, exciting, heartfelt, and funny. And honestly, sometimes that’s enough.

For me personally, I could have used a bit more balance to it in terms of action scenes vs. more character and plot development. There were some good bits, but it was very action-heavy. I prefer less fight scenes and more dialogue, but I realize I am probably in the minority with many fans. There were too many monsters to fight as well. So many different alien monsters were introduced, it felt a bit much.

There is one other improvement that I believe really would have pushed this movie to the next level. I think it needed a stronger female presence. Sigourney Weaver is really our only major female player, and I’m using the word “major” loosely here, as she’s only in a handful of scenes for brief moments, and doesn’t do all that much. It’s a shame we lost Cara Dune as a character. Peli Motto should have made a return! 

The good news is that Baby Yoda did not disappoint in terms of cuteness and antics. We love Baby Yoda because he’s the cutest thing we’ve ever seen, of course, but also because he is loyal, stubborn, a bit of a troublemaker, and pure in a way that only a child can be.

And he might be growing up very slowly (at least from our perspective), but we do start to see some of Grogu’s growth. Yes, he is still a bit of a troublemaker, but he seems more thoughtful than when we first met him. He’s still using his force abilities, but he’s clearly learned a lot from Mando. There is a portion of the movie where Grogu really has to take charge, and it was a powerful moment.

There is something heartening about seeing a story featuring two characters who will do anything for each other. That kind of loyalty and dedication can sometimes feel lacking in the real world, but Mando and Grogu’s bond is one of the strengths of this movie.

For the comedic relief, we did have the “Babu Friks” (as I called them in my head). I could not remember the name of the species, only the character that appeared in The Rise of Skywalker. (It’s Anzellans). A great choice, because Grogu is just the right size to pal around with them. And they had some very funny lines and moments. I loved that they called Grogu “baby”!

And Rotta the Hutt’s character was interesting. I was not expecting him to be the kind of character he was, so it was a neat surprise. And seeing him playing in the ocean with Baby Yoda was something I didn’t know I needed.

Although you really don’t need much Star Wars background knowledge for this movie, there are still plenty of easter eggs and references for the biggest fans. We see Mando take down some AT-ATs. We have Zeb from Rebels teaming up with Mando. And the moment where we are shown Rotta’s baby photo is a nod to when we are first introduced to him in Clone Wars.

One other note: I experienced this movie using something called a “D-Box seat.” I hadn’t heard of it until my friend got the tickets, but they are large, reclining seats that also vibrate and shake lightly in time with the movie. There is an intensity meter on the chair so you can adjust it to your preference. I started out lower to see what it was like, but ultimately cranked it all the way up, because I was there for the experience!

I think it added to the movie, and most of it was well timed. You’d get a quick vibration when someone fired a blaster, or a less intense but longer one when jumping into hyperspace. I’d probably only choose this seat type for this sort of movie – Star Wars or Marvel, for instance. With a more serious film it might feel a bit over-the-top, and with a less intense movie it would probably be silly (the chairs did move and vibrate during the Toy Story 5 trailer, and that really just made me laugh).

Overall it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it, even if there were areas where I think it could have seen improvements. At least for my own personal tastes! But if you love The Mandalorian on Disney+, it’s very much the same vibe on the big screen. I really enjoyed it, and seeing Baby Yoda in action again brought me lots of joy.

Have you seen The Mandalorian and Grogu? What did you think of the movie?