The Mandalorian and Grogu Parent Guide

A newish sort of movie has been appearing in theaters in the last few years. A television series releases a film on the big screen—complete with the same actors, writers, directors, etc.—rather than putting another season on television. We’ve seen Peaky Blinders do it.  We’ve seen Downton Abbey do it to death.  Now Lucasfilm has brought us another TV show branching into cinema, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.

The title character, who often goes by “Mando” (Pedro Pascal), is a former bounty hunter turned fighter for the New Republic.  He’s also a follower of the fascinating Mandalorian religion, which demands that its adherents be skilled warriors who seek to avoid violence, using it only to defend the weak and helpless.  Mando carries and cares for Grogu, a baby of Master Yoda’s species.  The juxtaposition of all that cuteness with all that toughness makes for a charming combination, on both large and small screens. 

In this story, Mando is out to find Rotta, son of Jabba the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), so he can obtain some important information for Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), his main contact in the Republic’s army. But the plot isn’t as simple as it seems.  Double-crosses and surprises take Mando on a journey as dangerous as any he’s ever faced. 

The Mandalorian television series has a lot going for it: solid writing, strong acting, skillful direction, and excellent technical effects. So, when I say this film brings you more of the same, that’s not an insult.  Everything functions at the level of a very good TV show, with perhaps two exceptions, positive and negative.  On the plus side, the money that Disney will spend on an action film is usually greater than what they’ll spend on TV, and it shows.  This movie is full of amazing special effects and battle scenes—and no kidding, there is real entertainment value in making things blow up beautifully.  On the downside, because the film is only long enough for one movie rather than several episodes, it can’t take its time with character and story development like the series can. 

Parents should know this film’s PG-13 rating is earned by a whole lot of fighting, right from the first scene.  Characters are shot with laser weapons, burned with fire, stabbed, shocked with electric prods, bitten by beasts, and blown to smithereens (though the explosions conceal implied deaths and we see only minimal blood and no flying body parts).  There are military battles, vehicle crashes, and gladiatorial combat with fearsome beasts wielding blades.  The violence never descends to gore, but it is intense and there’s a lot of it.

It’s often said that Star Wars, though ostensibly a work of science fiction, is, at its heart, a Western.  I think that’s true. Likewise, this movie is really a film noir thriller.  It has the mysterious, brooding characters, the dark, wet street scenes, the layers of corruption, and the relentlessness of one man pursuing a goal.  There’s even a character I’d say was modeled on Sidney Greenstreet sitting beside his parrot.  If you enjoy a good Bogey mystery, I think you’ll have fun with this film. On a more obvious note, if you like The Mandalorian, you’re going to like this film.  Even if you just like Star Wars, you’re probably going to like it.  It brings everything the television show brought, and it does it very well. But if you haven’t watched the series, start streaming now. There are three seasons worth of backstory that you’ll need to see if you want to fully appreciate this film.

About author

Donald Bugg

Donald Bugg is an actor, singer, composer, choir director, writer, attorney, and retired military officer living in Utah. He is married to a beautiful Canadian, has six children, and has always loved movies.