Baby Yoda (we would later learn that his name was Grogu) came into our hearts and homes in late November of 2019 in the pilot episode of the first Disney+ Star Wars show The Mandalorian. Nobody really knew what to expect, and the producers and showrunner Jon Favreau had kept such a tight lid on the adorable little puppet that they weren’t able to get toys out for the 2019 Christmas season in time. It was a decision so bent on artistic integrity, on surprising audiences at the detriment of the bottom line, it’s a little disappointing that the company’s decisions surrounding the feature length film starring the little green guy feel like the antithesis of that choice.

The first Star Wars film to hit theaters in seven years feels like all it wants to do is not make anyone upset. The franchise has had it’s peaks and valleys with it’s always reasonable fan base. Everyone was incredibly normal when Rian Johnson came out with Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. Then Disney tried to get their affairs in order with Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker which performed worse at the box office, but at least had fans agreeing that it was no good, as opposed to the infighting that occurred on the previous entry. Now Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu feels like it’s primary goal is to sell Grogu merch and not get anybody yelled at by angry mouth breathers. Nothing will change about our small adorable friend, he will be cute, he will save the day, and he will return to flying shotgun with the taciturn bounty hunter that we have all come to know and love.

Things do of course happen in Mandalorian and Grogu, but none of it feels like it has any weight. Moreover, each plot point feels like it could so easily be chopped up into four episodes of the Disney+ show, one wonders why they even bothered bringing it to the big screen? After all, Disney has trained their audiences that if they simply wait they can watch all their films on their streaming service in roughly 75 days anyways. A decision that they’re surely regretting after getting body slammed by Obsession and Backrooms last weekend at the box office.

But I’m getting distracted. Mando and Grogu finish a bounty mission, and they get another bounty mission from their boss played by Sigourney Weaver (one of the few hints that you’re watching a movie is they got a movie star on screen for fifteen minutes). They have to go save Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), the son of Jabba the Hutt. They do a couple things, go back and forth a couple times in the same way one does standard fetch quests in most video games, and then the credits roll. It’s only slightly more involved than that rundown if we’re being honest. Pedro Pascal voices Mando, and was able to make it to set for at least a day to shoot a few scenes where his helmet comes off. There is one sequence though where Grogu must give him medicine, and the small alien awkwardly reaches up under his mask to deliver it. Seems Mr. Pascal was only booked for so long.

What it lacks for in plot however it makes up in cuteness. The point of the film after all, is to show off how cute Grogu is, and it succeeds splendidly at that goal. I love Grogu, I fear I would die for him. There is a section that lasts about thirty minutes where Grogu is teamed up with other small creatures and they get into a small space ship to save The Mandalorian. The sequence is genuinely fantastic. Grogu and his friends are all puppets, they all look amazing, they’re truly funny, and it’s exciting to see them move around these sets that were built for them. Moreover, the whole movie does look pretty incredible. The aforementioned sets, but also costumes, special effects and score heighten everything appropriately, it’s just the video game nature of the story that leaves me wanting more. And at least in video games characters level up! The most frustrating thing about the film is that nobody changes, nobody learns anything. It’s a hero’s journey from Point A to Point A.

It’s hard to guess where Disney is going to go with Star Wars from here, but if they learn something from the box office this past weekend it’s hopefully to take more chances. That’s how Lucas was able to make his original concept, that’s how all of the IPs that Disney manages got their start! You’ll sell less Grogu dolls if nobody goes to see the Grogu movie. Figure it out!

2.5/5