I’m going to assume you saw the movie, but if you didn’t, there may be some spoilers ahead!!!

I saw The Mandalorian and Grogu on Sunday and I’m giving it a definite thumbs up.

It’s a super-fun popcorn movie that will entertain most in the family (it is PG-13 for space-related violence). And while I had a great time watching it in the theater, I do have some thoughts. I won’t summarize the whole movie, but I’ll make a list of things I loved about it, and a list of things that bugged me.

What I loved:

• The action was incredible. The opening scene was intense and thrilling, and though there’s a lull mid-film, the movie was chock-full of action.
• Grogu was as charming as ever. The puppetry is so amazing, you forget you’re watching a puppet. He and the Anzellans were all adorable and funny. And it’s great to see Grogu being even more independent, healing Din and taking care of him. He’s a good boy!
• Zeb! He looked great and was in more scenes than I thought he’d be in.
• Ludwig Goransson’s score, as always, was awesome. I loved Rotta’s techno theme, which is new but fit right in.
• Speaking of Rotta, I think he’s my favorite new character in this movie. The fact that he has no interest in his father’s legacy and wants to be his own man makes his character interesting. He’s a formidable pit-fighter, but he’s also kind of sweet and thoughtful, and loves Grogu. The scene where he plays with Grogu on the beach just gave me joy, and I rooted for this guy throughout the whole movie. The most surprising thing about him was his voice–Jeremy Allen White does a great job. After Jabba’s baritone “huh-huh-huh” Huttese, and the Twins’ awkward Basic, it was refreshing to hear Rotta just speak like a regular joe trying to make his way in the galaxy. Loved it.
• Lots of monsters, aliens, and droids throughout. I’ve seen people complain that there are barely any human actors in this, but considering people complained that Andor didn’t have enough aliens, this just baffles me. It was chock-full of Star Wars pulp and fun.
• The Anzellan’s tiny ship. Of course it’s tiny, and it’s adorable, lol.
• I like that Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder (the men in the suit when Din has his helmet on) get some top billing. Pedro is the face and the voice, but these guys do a lot of the heavy lifting, and it’s great to see them get credit where it’s due.

Okay, so having said all that, here’s a few things that bugged me:

• The helmet rule is getting annoying, for several reasons. First, I want to see more of Pedro Pascal. Sorry, not sorry. Second, it seems they’re just making up the rules as they go along. The Twins remove Din’s helmet to shame him, “forever,” as they put it, but Din replies, “Not if you all die.” Okay, but did we know about that rule before? The Armorer never mentioned it. There’s just no consistency with it. And I’d really hoped during Season 3 that Din got over all the Mandalorian rules, but I guess he’s a man of faith and is stubborn about it. Third, it would just be nice if his son could look at his face now and then, you know? There’s no room for any kind of emotional intimacy that you get with human expressions, and I feel like Grogu deserves more. Especially after Grogu heals him and looks after him for days; he doesn’t even get a thank you, just a Mandalorian platitude. I get that Disney probably doesn’t want to pay Pedro Pascal for being in the entire movie, but come on, they can afford it. Stop being cheap, lol.
• The way Din told Grogu, several times, to “heel.” I actually winced at that. Is he his son, or a pet? I think it was played for laughs, but it was just weird and not cool. Granted, Grogu doesn’t always listen to Din, and maybe he came up with that to show he means business. I still don’t like it, lol.
• No one uses Din’s actual name throughout the entire movie. He’s just “Mando” to everyone. And that’s fine, I guess, but why are we reverting him back to early Season 1 Mando? He doesn’t really have a character arc in the movie. He doesn’t change in any substantial way. Maybe he doesn’t need to, but it would give the movie at least a little emotional depth. I know it’s about action and fun Star Wars weirdness, but it is a story, and every story needs a viable character arc. I guess Grogu is shown becoming more independent and capable, and even Rotta overcomes his challenging relatives. I suppose that will have to do.
• I think Sigourney Weaver was rather wasted here. She got a few scenes that anyone could have done, really. I wish her part had been a bit more juicy.

Those are my main thoughts. I do think that Din and Grogu’s story would have been better served as a Season 4 on Disney+ rather than a movie. We could have slowed down and got those emotional moments and character growth that I’d like to see. I don’t know whether we’ll ever see a Season 4, but I hope so. Jon Favreau had it written, but had to set it aside to do the movie, so who knows. I also think this movie is a kind of bulwark, a “safe” movie to put out ahead of Starfighter next year.

So, despite it being a “safe” movie, and my list of grumblings, it definitely was a good time at the movies. If I had to rank it, I’d probably give it a 7 out of 10. I’ll probably go see it again just for some Grogu sweetness, lol.

What did you think of the movie? Good, bad, meh? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!