"The Mandalorian and Grogu": Mando and the Monster Muppets
After three seasons, Mando is hitting the big screen. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” relies on fast-paced action and a simple story to entertain “Star Wars” fans.
(Image: Disney)
Rarely has Star Wars been as good as in “The Mandalorian.” The hype has long since evaporated into a galaxy far, far away, but the start of the TV series on Disney+ in 2019 was a real surprise. An unwavering Western hero, a cuddly Baby Yoda, a few clever callbacks to the original film trilogy, and for at least one season, old fans could feel a few decades younger again.
The trick worked, but unfortunately it was neither the first nor the last time that “Star Wars” wanted to reinvent itself, return to its roots, and switch to the right side of the Force. The hero in the helmet struggled through several seasons and long broadcast breaks with all sorts of horrors, his cultural heritage, supervillains, and deepfake Jedis until he was finally allowed to breathe.
How do you deal with this knowledge when watching “The Mandalorian and Grogu”? It's best to forget it. The film is probably better if you don't go back and check which showdowns and longueurs these characters have already been through. All you need to know is: The Mandalorian is now freelancing for the New Republic, and Grogu is his apprentice.
Suddenly Sigourney Weaver
Even as a fan, you initially feel like you've missed something. Sigourney Weaver appears as Mando's boss at the Republic, and she plays with such casual authority that you want to Google afterward whether she hasn't played the role before. Mando also has a monkey-like, computer-animated alien buddy with him, who has apparently already experienced the toughest things with the bounty hunter. You should have been there.
Many characters can be recognized from “The Clone Wars” or the spin-off series “The Book of Boba Fett,” but you really don't have to. The fact that such characters simply appear feels like a message when watching: We don't have time, and the film doesn't have excessive length. There's still a special effects budget to burn. If you sit down in the chair, you should buckle up. The film starts with an over-the-top action scene like in James Bond; it explodes even before the opening credits. After the opening credits, it usually explodes too.
„The Mandalorian and Grogu“ im Kino (10 Bilder)
Disney
)Don't Brake
The film's story is deliberately simple. Not only does the title “The Mandalorian and Grogu” sound like a melodramatic B-movie, the film feels like one too: new, improbable, and dangerous creatures are constantly being revealed. Most of them will try to kill Mando. His victory against the overwhelming odds is as improbable as it is inevitable. Mando is stunned, captured, and submerged underwater. You watch to find out how he frees himself from the predicament, collects himself, and overcomes opponents. The fact that he always does this is not a spoiler, but a plot pattern from the good old penny dreadful. Anyone who thinks about plot holes is actually in the wrong genre.
The film starts at full speed and whirls until just before the halfway point. At first, this is highly entertaining, almost intoxicating in the rapid alternation of variedly choreographed action scenes. But it also becomes a bit much. Inevitably, you've seen it all before. Human faces are more likely to be seen in supporting roles. In more than one scene, the feeling creeps in that you are watching completely computer-animated action like in a video game. When the film finally slows down, it briefly feels as if only a particularly opulent episode of the series has been completed. But then it quickly continues with the rollercoaster.
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Puppet Show in the Stars
The series itself lived from the contrast between a deadly serious hero and his cuddly sidekick. Stop-motion, squeaky puppets, and tone changes have always been part of Star Wars. And here, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” makes a bold reference. Grogu not only gets to show in fitting key scenes that he masters the Force, by the way, he plays the main role himself for a stretch of the film. Dramatically, he has earned it, but in these scenes, credibility is strained the hardest.
The film changes genre, suddenly everything is funnier, and it looks like hand puppets are competing against computer-animated monsters. The change in mood is reminiscent of the Ewoks' first appearance in “Return of the Jedi”: The villains act even dumber than usual against the small heroes. Any danger can suddenly dissolve into slapstick. Whether this feels wonderfully nostalgic or rather ridiculous is a matter of taste. It can be both at the same time.
The fact that there was obviously more money available for sets and special effects is one of the clearest differences between the film and the series. Of course, it also helps that the tension arc is not stretched over eight hours this time. The alien worlds look more inhabited and detailed than on Disney+. In addition, new animated aliens, robots, and characters moved by stop-motion constantly appear. Fortunately, there's no Jar Jar Binks, most of the creatures are actually appropriately cute, frightening, or disgusting. But you have to get involved in some pretty wild nonsense and a plot like an illusionist's. If you think about it, the story falls apart. But if you get into it, it's pure magic.
The Cinema Film of the Week
Whether “The Mandalorian and Grogu” disappoints is a matter of opinion. It cannot revive the overused, worn-out “Star Wars” brand. Anyone who has seen all the spin-off series and films of recent years will not be able to shake off the deep feeling of exhaustion with this film either.
But Mando successfully focuses on the essentials. Those who manage to sit in front of the largest possible screen for about two hours with an open mind and think as little as possible while watching will be entertained first-class. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” works as an entertaining, competent action film with funny aliens. That should be enough.
(olb)
