Michael's Movie Grade: B
A really fun adventure movie.
This movie is a continuation of the Disney+ streaming series, The Mandalorian. Its TV origins are easy to see. Rather than some big event featuring a massive story, this feels like a multiple part episode of a TV show. This is felt by how this movie doesn't focus on a story involving the entire galaxy but rather simply on our two main characters. This does have its advantages though. It allows this film to focus more on being a fun adventure than feeling like part of a big saga. Because of this I had more fun watching this movie than I had at many recent Star Wars films. The original Star Wars was George Lucas' tribute to the old Flash Gordon movie serials and classic B-Westerns (with that in mind it is appropriate that wearing the Mandalorian armor (even if Pedro Pascal is providing the voice) in many scenes is John Wayne's grandson Brendan Wayne). This movie comes closer to capturing that feeling than any recent Star Wars movie has. As an adventure film, this movie is a lot of fun. The action scenes are top notch, and they actually manage to get more exciting with one. Each planet our characters visit is excellently designed, pulling you further into the world of the film. The filmmakers also know exactly when to use humor. There are some really funny moments here but there is enough space between them to keep the movie from becoming a joke itself.
However, the greatest thing about this movie is the relationship between the title characters. There is a father and son relationship between them that is actually really sweet. Because of this you care about these characters and what happens to them. This also allows the film to insert heartwarming and touching moments without becoming overly sentimental.
I also want to praise this film for having Grogu be a puppet throughout rather than CGI. This not only makes the character feel more real, but it also gives the film an old school feel that is perfect for this type of old-fashioned adventure story.
What keeps this movie from getting a higher grade is that the villains are very bland and forgettable. This is where the TV origins hurt the film. These are simple and forgettable villains of a week that may work in TV episodes but don't feel worthy of a feature film. This is especially true once you consider that this is from the franchise that gave us Darth Vader.
While this may not be on the same level as the original trilogy, it is a fun adventure film that makes for a delightful trip to the movies.
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