‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’: A Classic Film Fueled by the Classics

Beginning, perhaps, with Zane Grey’s dime store novels of adventure and mayhem on America’s western frontier (that is, the “wild west” about which Grey made wilder than it actually ever was,) a good western became a microcosm in which any tale of morality could transpire. Radio shows and early TV series were driven by the trustworthy sheriff that could defend the poor town folk from the evils of cattle rustlers, stage coach robbers, con men, and even tightly-corseted vixens who called out card sharks from the saloon stage. The erstwhile quiet towns of the west became a metaphoric mirror reflecting the greater world in which evil abounds.

Although not the first of its genre, in 1977, George Lucas’s Star Wars flipped the script. Now the entire, mysterious universe became the varied settings of tales that harken the fight of good versus evil in our own more modern cities. The microcosm has become a macrocosm which serves the same intent Zane Grey more or less established in 1916. From that first introduction of Luke Skywalker has come nearly countless spin-offs drawing from the dozens and dozens of alien characters Lucas set forth (beginning in order of production) with Star Wars: A New Hope and all the way through his last epic release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

But you don’t need to know any of those characters to enjoy The Mandalorian and Grogu, a sure-to-please action-adventure tale which opened the summer season of blockbuster films Memorial Day weekend.

One of the most popular Star Wars spin-offs The Mandalorian first streamed upon the launch of Disney+ in 2019. And to the delight of many, The Mandalorian eschewed the vast majority of characters we came to know from the greater Star Wars franchise. One didn’t need to know what or who a Sith was, where Jar-Jar Binks disappeared, how Princess Leia died, or that an X-wing starfighter is the most versatile craft in the Rebel Alliance’s fleet. All you really need to know is that the Mandalorian is a bounty hunter. He is a one-man army who is paid to capture the very worst enemies of the really good guys. And, yes too, he is very good at his job.

And so starts the big screen release of this successful, once-streaming spin-off. The Mandalorian bursts in on a court of nefarious judges who have conspired outside the rule of law. His mission is to capture the supreme judge and bring him back alive. No courtroom drama has ever before seen such action. Of course, the supreme leader escapes. The Mandalorian tracks him down on a snowy mountain top outside, steals a two-legged robotic climber, launches himself into a massive, mobile barracks of Storm Troopers, and decimates two entire regiments of heavily armed soldiers, including the judge, before calling it a day. Perry Mason’s courtroom never exacted such justice so swiftly executed here. The adventure begins.

Indeed, like most every Star Wars episode, we find ourselves light-speeding across the universe, one planet to the next, seeking out the ne’er-do-wells who must be brought to justice.  But, what makes this film so wonderfully appealing is that we, too, are on a journey of the greatest stories in classic literature and action-adventure cinema. The Mandalorian and Grogu gives a respectful tip of the hat to them all. From the insane combat between gladiators in a Roman coliseum to the dogfighting of top gun jet pilots, from escaping a booby-trapped subway to making-do with what remains from crashing on a deserted island, from outsmarting the mob boss while surrounded by his well-armed henchmen to respecting the freedom of a longtime fugitive living his best life alone fishing, from seeking a wicked vial of antitoxin to revealing that a hideous beast’s heart is truly soft and tender, it’s all here. There are even elements of Lassie, Come-Home, of 20,000 Leagues under The Sea, of Jason and the Argonauts, of Treasure Island, and of most every best-seller young adults can find in their local library.  

The adventure is nearly seamless thanks to the creators of The Mandalorian: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor. Favreau directed. As from the start of this independent Disney franchise, Pedro Pascal plays the action hero with his soft, raspy voice, challenged only by a helmet-mask he must wear through much of the story. Sci-fi fan favorite Sigourney Weaver takes on the role of Ward, leader of her Rebel Alliance team. And, notably, two distinctive voices develop their own new characters: Jeremy Allen White speaks for Rotta the Hutt, and Martin Scorsese has a lot of fun fast-talking as a street food vendor who reveals secrets he should not.

And, of course, there’s cute, adorable, long-eared and green Grogu. He doesn’t speak, but in this big picture episode, he walks and hops, and is made active by puppeteers in ways he never moved in the streaming stories. Grogu is commonly known to many fans as “Baby Yoda,” but, while he has the power of kinesis to move objects by thought, he is not to become the Yoda of the original Star Wars series. (Or so we are told.)

The very nature of action-adventure films is that there’s little time for character development.  Or of story exposition, for that matter. Neither are necessary here. Typically, the hero must conquer his fears before he can conquer his enemies. But that’s not a plot line here either. The Mandalorian is tough, stalwart, and quick to act. He is armed with every kind of techno ammunition imaginable. He can fly, he can operate any spacecraft (without a manual or any lack of fuel,) and he can fight for hours at a time without ever having to catch his breath. But he doesn’t emote, he doesn’t develop personal relationships, and he has little compassion outside of his job. What he does have is the sense of morality any western sheriff wears on his sleeve, in his heart, and under his white cowboy hat.  

Don’t expect the Mandalorian to ride into the sunset, to beg forgiveness from the townsfolk, to saddle up to his honey Nell, or to remove his helmet for a kiss. Do expect a ton of clever combat, of incredibly creative and menacing monsters, of sensational scenes somehow reminiscent of great movies and books you’ve read before. And do expect a lot of fun. 

Summer may have started. Yet, like the joy of reading a memorable classic, The Mandalorian and Grogu is here to stay.

C. Prentiss Orr is a Pittsburgh-based writer who covers film, live theater, and other topics for Entertainment Central. He is the author of the books The Surveyor and the Silversmith and Pittsburgh Born, Pittsburgh Bred.

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