Hope for Star Wars?

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NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, May 22nd. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: after a long hiatus, Star Wars returns to the silver screen. 

Arts and Culture editor Collin Garbarino reviews The Mandalorian and Grogu.

COLLIN GARBARINO: It’s been seven years since The Rise of Skywalker left Star Wars fans with mixed emotions over the state of the galaxy far, far away. 

Then, Lucasfilm began cranking out streaming content for Disney+ instead of developing new films. Much of that content was of such middling quality that the emotions of diehard fans started to become less mixed and more hostile toward parent company Disney.

MUSIC: [Mandalorian theme song]

But it wasn’t all bad. Both critics and fans adored the first season of The Mandalorian—a Western-inspired series about a tough-as-nails bounty hunter who rescues the eminently meme-able Baby Yoda named Grogu. 

Now Lucasfilm wants to pivot back to theaters, so it’s adapting its most popular duo for the big screen.

MANDO: What are you waiting for? Hop on.

The Mandalorian and Grogu takes place during the years after the Empire’s defeat in The Return of the Jedi. Mando is no longer a gunslinger for hire. He and his force-sensitive ward make their living working for the New Republic, rounding up imperial warlords who remain at large.

MANDO: I only hunt down imperial war criminals. I don’t work for gangsters anymore, especially the Hutts.

COLONEL WARD: That’s right, you don’t. You work for us. And right now, this is what we need you to do.

Their next mission will test their resourcefulness.

COLONEL WARD: Commander Coyne. Our missing ace of staves. No one knows what he looks like and most believe him to be dead.

MANDO: Not a lot to go on.

In searching for their quarry, Mando and Grogu run afoul of the galaxy’s most notorious crime family. The Hutts don’t take kindly to having New Republic bounty hunters meddling in their affairs.

HUTT: We know the Mandalorian creed. You will be outcast for letting an enemy see your face.

MANDO: Not if you all die.

It could be a tough sell for Disney to convince folks who are used to watching this story on the small screen to get off the sofa and head to the theater to watch the next installment. 

But the film includes some truly cinematic visuals. The movie was filmed for IMAX, and it drops us into an expansive, beautiful, and thrilling world.

MANDO: This is worth a lot more than the bounty on that imp.

COLONEL WARD: Well, let’s call it an advance on the next mission.

Even though the film is rated PG-13, it’s probably safe for younger kids who don’t mind sci-fi action. There’s no foul language or sensuality. Mando might come across as the John Wick of the Star Wars universe, but for the most part, his action packed battles remain bloodless.

Though don’t expect the gritty Western feel from the TV series. This movie is more like Blade Runner meets Gladiator meets Predator.

It’s typical for Star Wars films to have a healthy dose of humor, and this movie is no exception. Mando might be a no-nonsense tough guy, but his nonverbal sidekick peppers the film with amusing moments that are also terribly cute. And the father/son bond they share gives the film its emotional core.

MANDO: Grogu, I need you to go to the control panel. Remember the buttons I told you never to touch? I’m going to need you to touch them.

But while many fans will enjoy The Mandalorian and Grogu, the film isn’t perfect. In many ways it manages to recapture the look and feel of the original trilogy, but one of the computer-generated Hutts never looked quite as real as the giant Jabba puppet from The Return of the Jedi. 

Also, the 132-minute film is about 20 minutes too long. The second half drags, and a couple scenes don’t add anything to the story. We also have to listen to one character give the same cliché-laden speech twice.

IMPERIAL WARLORD: Did we get him?

AT-AT DRIVER: Not yet, sir. But we will.

Despite its deficiencies, Star Wars fans will enjoy the movie because it respects the franchise and the audience. Even folks unfamiliar with the series can enjoy it. Those who thoroughly know Star Wars lore will be delighted by some of the inclusions. But knowing the back story isn’t necessary; the film tells you what you need to know.

And embedded in this story about a grizzled warrior and his adopted son is a message that America, in the midst of a demographic crisis, needs to hear. As Mando says, “The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old.”

MANDO: This is the way.

I’m Collin Garbarino.

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