When The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+ it was must watch television (or wherever one watches their shows now). Disney struck gold with this Lone Wolf and Club inspired story of a Mandalorian protecting baby yoda. The show was filled with Star Wars lore that made fans fall back in love with the franchise after a few misfires. It’s been 6.5 years since the show premiered, 3 seasons of adventures and now Mandalorian and Grogu have invaded IMAX screens and theaters for another adventure. Does The Mandalorian and Grogu, capture the magic of the series? Or was this a cash grab move from Disney and Lucasfilms?

There is no denying that the film does feel like an extended episode of the show, even down to the score by Ludwig Goransson returning. Din Djarin and Grogu are working for the New Republic to hunt down warlords as they take on a mission for the Hutt Twins. The mission is to rescue their nephew Rotta (voiced by The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White) in exchange for information on a mysterious warlord. However, the twins have different plans that may jeopardize the life of Rotta. Din and Grogu’s relationship is a test as the realization that Din will not be there forever and Grogu may need to learn how to defend himself.

The story is extremely safe and does not take any chances, usually this would deter me from enjoying a film, but very much like Mortal Kombat 2, The Mandalorian and Grogu knows its audience. The film opens with action that made Star Wars so popular to begin with, AT-ATs and Grogu showing how strong he has become since last time he graced the tv screens. The action and special effects is where this film succeeds, it’s been a while since I watched a movie with such a heavy reliance on visual effects. Also, not that many humans are in this film, with Pedro Pascal only showing his face for like 5 minutes and Sigourney Weaver’s Ward being the only consistent human character throughout the film.

Jeremey Allen White and Martin Scorsese are interesting additions to the film. Scorsese as Hugo Turant is entertaining with some moments that had me chuckling, however it was a little jarring to hear his voice. This is a common trend with White’s Rotta, who comes off as if he was modeled after Terry Malloy from On The Waterfront. Rotta, who was introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as a baby and now he is a fighter with a debt to pay. It is very entertaining and does feel like a tonal shift for a cute character that was introduced 18 years ago as a baby Hutt. I really wanted to like Rotta but towards the end of the film, I found myself only attached to the main stars of the film.

This movie is all about Grogu! He is adorable and has some more of the memorable moments in the film. The main point of this movie was to advance the story for Grogu with a focus of him eventually not needing Din anymore. I do ask, what does this mean for the characters going forward? If this is the end of the story for Din and Grogu, it was played safe and satisfied fans of the show. At the end of the day, this is a movie made for families and fans of Star Wars. I would say that if by chance, someone goes into this movie without seeing the show, the emotional parts will not hit as well. It does feel like watching The Mandalorian is mandatory viewing going into this.

This does need to be seen in IMAX, this makes the film feel more than just an extension to the show. Shoutout to Emagine Theaters in Lakeville, MN for their new IMAX screen, where we saw this film. I do wonder how the viewing experience will be on a regular screen or a typical TV once it is streaming on Disney+.