The Mandalorian And Grogu Review: More "Awww" Than Awe-Inspiring?

The Mandalorian and Grogu (PG13)

Starring Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White

Directed by Jon Favreau

The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t just a movie — it’s a life preserver. No, make that a fundraiser. The cause? The Star Wars franchise itself, which, let’s face it, has been treading water for a while.

At least on the movies side. The, er, empire continues to thrive on its merchandising, which is said to be worth US$40 billion (S$51 billion).

There hasn’t been a Star Wars feature since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker (yes, it’s been that long), and after that, it’s just one series after another for Disney+, where the offerings have been a mixed bag. (Andor is still the best while…did anyone care for The Acolyte or Skeleton Crew? More fillers than killers, actually.) And of all the features announced over the years, how many actually came to fruition?

The Mandalorian was one of the earliest Disney+ home runs that ended its third season three years ago (yes, it’s been that long). So, short of making Season 4, what better way to reward fans than to give them an IMAX-worthy adventure? Even if it feels like four episodes stitched together. Nothing wrong with that: the best Mandalorian episodes are mini-movies.

Set in the post-Return of the Jedi era, the movie sees bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal, mask off; Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, mask on) and his apprentice, Grogu, aka the artiste formerly known as Baby Yoda, hunting down fugitive Imperial officers for the nascent New Republic. (Don’t think they were successful in capturing them, considering what happens next in The Force Awakens.)

Following the explosive prologue (which is fleetingly topical in light of the current US administration), The Mandalorian is sent on a mission by New Republic Commander Ward (Sigourney Weaver, still working in space) to save Rotta the Hutt (The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White voicing the CG shredded slug) — Jabba’s son — in exchange for intel on an elusive warlord. Only to be stuck in a shitstorm.

The story is pretty much standalone, which means you don’t need to do much homework. But if you want a little more meat, expecting it to expand on the series (So is Moff Gideon really, really dead and what happened to the other Mandalorians?), it’s — here’s a word that gets thrown around a lot — inconsequential.  

I can’t speak for the die-hards but as someone who knows enough to get by, The Mandalorian and Grogu is perfectly acceptable distraction. With The Mandalorian all-out badassery in his shiny armour, Grogu’s industrial-strength preciousness, Ludwig Göransson’s gunslinger-y theme music — what’s not to like?  

Besides, you can’t stay too angry at it: every time that happens, the movie cuts to Grogu being an adorable space-toddler. More awww- than awe-inspiring.

At its most superficial, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a two-hour toy commercial. By the time the credits roll, I’m already making plans to get hold of a life-sized animatronic Grogu doll. Resistance is futile. This is the way. (3/5 stars) in cinemas now

Legends (M18)

Starring Tom Burke, Steve Coogan, Hayley Squires, Ami Ameen, Jasmine Blackborow, Douglas Hodge

Created by Neil Forsythe

Why isn’t Netflix pushing this at all? Then again, that’s how Netflix rolls. (What’s the point of having a publicity team in the first place?) If Narcos was all about the US’ war on drugs in Latin America, then Legends is its across-the-pond cousin, showing us how things were done to contain the heroin epidemic at the tail-end of Thatcherite Britain. And if Legends looks — how shall we put it delicately? — less expensive than the slick, high-octane Narcos, well, the irony isn’t lost on us. Unlike their more glamorous DEA counterparts, the unsung heroes at Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise didn’t have deep pockets — understaffed, ill-equipped — which makes their behemoth task even more compelling. Steve Coogan lends humour and gravitas as the Head of Operations with the unenviable job of assembling a ragtag team of regular civil servants with zero field experience. Rule No. 1 in infiltrating the dope-trafficking network: they must have solid legends, or false identities. To sell the deception, they can’t just pretend — they must become their alter-egos. But going method exacts a high price, especially on Tom Burke’s character, a family man slowly losing his grip on reality. Legends unfolds like a low-fi Mission: Impossible where the desk jockeys-turned-operatives rely less on geeky gadgets (none to begin with, in fact) than on each other and sheer grit. Sure, it’s short on flash (no major gun battles…what a shock), but it’s still thrilling, and those needle drops more than make up for it (hello, Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’!) (4/5 stars) on Netflix