Before getting too far into this review of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, a shout out is in order.  For my new releases, I tend to go to the same movie theater each week, which means that the staff has come to recognize me.  I am fine with this, and some have even asked about me.  I have told them about The Legionnaire, and one of them today said he is looking forward to reading what I have to say about this latest installment in the Star Wars franchise.  I pray that he gets something spiritual out of my reviews as well, but I am just thrilled to know somebody out there is aware that I exist.  It was a blessing, just as it is a blessing to be able to go to the cinema and do what I do.  What I am here to do now is to expand on the “pretty good” I gave to this gentleman as I walked out a few hours ago.

If there is one thing to be said about the first title character (Pedro Pascal) in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, it is that he is more than “pretty good.”  Although the galaxy knows him as The Mandalorian, his real name is Din Djarin.  I will be using this last one because I do not want to be constantly repeating the name of the film.  Him and his “Baby Yoda” sidekick, Grogu (and there is no getting around this one) are bounty hunters rounding up the remaining warlords squabbling over the remnants of the Empire, doing so for the New Republic.  That is enough politics because want you want to see is the pair’s brand of science fiction action as they take down a number of storm troopers before blowing up their target.  The fact that this contract is not completed alive is annoying for Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), who is hoping to glean information on more such potential threats to the fledgling galactic government.  Though the arrangement is not quite as she wanted, she pays Din with a new Razor Crest ship similar to his first one that had been destroyed during the show from which this movie springs.  There are a couple plot points in here that make more sense if you are well versed in Star Wars lore, but I digress.  There is a catch, though, in Din accepting the craft: he must take on a new mission of capturing the elusive Imperial, Commander Coin.  As a bounty hunter, this might not seem like a big deal, but it involves dealing with the Hutts, a race of sluglike criminals for whom Din has vowed not to work.  Colonel Ward hints at this, and a subsequent visit to their home planet of Nal Hutta and their twin leaders confirms it.  The price for the Hutts’ information is the rescue of Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), the son of the infamous gangster Jabba the Hutt (Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)).  This requires a jaunt to yet another planet, this one called Shakari, where Rotta is being forced to fight in an arena.  Being new to the place, Din learns this from a street vendor named Hugo (Martin Scorsese).  Giving this information is easy enough for the owner of what is essentially a food truck, but getting Rotta to leave is another story.  During their visit, Rotta claims that he has been well treated and that he has only one more match to finish before being granted freedom.  The person doing the granting is Lord Janu (Jonny Coyne), and he is someone Hugo does not want to discuss.  Nonetheless, Din makes a visit to try to buy Rotta’s freedom.  Instead, Lord Janu requests that Din take up armed combat for entertainment, and gasses the bounty hunter when he does not agree to the proposition.  With Grogu locked in a cage, Din is forced to square off with Rotta, though the two come to an understanding when other monsters are released, thus showing that Lord Janu has no intention of letting Rotta live.  They realize that they have to work together to survive, though Rotta initially tries to escape.  Upon Rotta’s recapture, he pleads with Din, telling the Mandalorian that a return to Nal Hutta will mean death for the Hutt.  Further, Rotta reveals that Lord Janu is Commander Coin, which they learn when they stake out Lord Janu’s palace and find it surrounded by stormtroopers.  With some help from Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios (voiced by Steve Blum), a New Republic soldier and co-pilot, Din captures Commander Coin and brings the bounty to Colonel Wade.  With another job done, Din requests some time off for himself and Grogu.  Yet, their respite is interrupted by Embo, a rival bounty hunter working for the Hutts.  He captures Din, but Grogu escapes with a group of Anzellans, a race of mechanics smaller than the “Baby Yoda.”  It is up to these diminutive beings to rescue Din from Nal Hutta.  They arrive after the twins remove Din’s helmet, a scandalous matter for a Mandalorian, before being dumped into a pit to do battle with a giant dragon snake.  Grogu and company manage to get Din out, but not before the bounty hunter is poisoned by a bite.  Din tries to get the others to leave him behind, but Grogu stays with the Anzellans saying they will return.  With Din unconscious, Grogu cares for his surrogate father, getting some help from a local named Hogsbreth (voiced by Matthew Willig).  Once Din is conscious and healed, he and Grogu make their attack on the twins’ palace, getting a boost when they free Rotta again, who had also been acquired by Embo.  When the Anzellans get back, they bring several X-wings and Y-wings led by Colonel Wade.  This time, the New Republic’s gratitude is more genuine, particularly since Din had helped expose the Hutts’ duplicity.  With this, he and Grogu ride off into space together, presumably on to their next adventure.

Adventure is probably the best word to describe Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which, in a narrow sense, makes it the perfect entry in the franchise.  It is what they are made for, but as a fan of the series and a Catholic, sometimes I have to shake my head at this style of storytelling.  Like the Jedi, God does not want us seeking out these things.  My favorite of all these movies, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), has Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) teaching Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) this very lesson.  The irony, of course, is that Grogu is often referred to as “Baby Yoda,” an appellation I find a little annoying.  Then again, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is not aimed at true fans, but rather those who think “Baby Yoda” is cute.  The nerd in me should be angry at this, but I find that I am not as plussed as maybe I should be.  The argument can be made that every one of the films since the original trilogy has been produced with the largest possible audience in mind.  Sometimes this works, sometimes it leads to a truly awful story.  Let me give you a Catholic explanation for why this broad messaging is not a bad thing.  Inexplicably, the word “inclusive” has become a pejorative during the current presidency, though it has been a part of Church teaching from the beginning.  Catholicism has expanded over the centuries in large part thanks to the effort of missionaries and others trying to fit many beliefs under one Faith.  This often works because God is either in all or He does not exist.  Since the former is true, it follows that many of the things we might dismiss, like “Baby Yoda,” are what bring people in instead of excluding them.  While I will continue to pine for more authentic Star Wars (and a deeper relationship with God), I will welcome anything that can turn more people into fans.

There was a moment while watching Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu when my Faith and Star Wars fandom collided.  In one scene, Din advises Rotta that life is messy.  This might be purely a Catholic reaction, but my mind immediately leapt to Life is Messy (2021), a book by Catholic author Matthew Kelly.  Though I have not read it, I have it on my shelf because many parishes give out his work after he writes another tome.  Regardless, Din is correct in his assessment.  Life is an uncertain proposition at best, and we can feel alone and powerless in dealing with its trials.  This is what a film like Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is good for: showing how things can be challenging even for a skilled warrior like Din.  It is evident that Grogu cannot do it alone because he is basically a child.  While Din is the grown-up, he also needs assistance, and it comes in the smallest of packages.  Though it is obvious, it bears repeated that there is nothing specifically Christian about the film.  At the same time, in thinking about how Grogu cares for Din when the Mandalorian is unconscious, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 1:27 where Paul talks about the weak shaming the strong.  There is no shame involved, but the fact that someone as mighty as Din needs someone so small is a testament to the kind of truth that can only be of divine origin.  God puts such people in our lives, especially when we are at our most vulnerable to wounds of pride, in order to humble us.  Din could be arrogant because of his abilities, but Grogu keeps him level.

Perhaps it is old age, and just seeing a lot of movies, but I feel like I had a pretty level reaction Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.  It is not perfect, but it is fun enough for me to see it again, which I will be doing Friday.  People will complain about the pandering, but seeing Weaver in the cockpit of an X-wing made me smile.  I think you will do the same if you see it.