Why “The Mandalorian and Grogu” Didn’t Fill Theaters
“Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” has clearly underperformed at the box office. This is not the way. So, what went wrong?
First off, this is not a bad movie. In many ways, director John Favreau has given us the perfect summer flick. Action-packed. Fun. Great special effects. And the cutest character in a galaxy far, far away.
Plus, it’s fresh “Star Wars” material. We haven’t seen a new movie in over six years.
But with all that is good with it, there’s also this feeling of… been there/seen that.
Nothing New
If there had not been three previous streaming seasons of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+ (2019-2023), I think this movie would have performed much better.
The series had time to provide a deep experience regarding Din Djarin’s backstory. His bounty hunting adventures were only part of the larger narrative, including the Mandalorian people and culture.
But the movie couldn’t simply pick up from where the series left off, because not all movie goers would know (or remember) the previous plot points.
So, the movie was effectively forced to exist as a standalone and otherwise disconnected bounty-hunting adventure. Everything else from the series had to be stripped away.
As a result, Mandalorian fans didn’t get to see anything especially new.
A Razor Crest Isn’t Just Another Ship
Sure, there are a few new characters here, but if you’re a Mando fan, you might be disappointed after watching the movie, because the larger story arc didn’t move forward.
Yes, there were lots of background references to the larger series, but few were allowed enough time to create emotional impact.
Even the moment when (minor spoiler) we see the new Razor Crest, there’s barely a pause in the dialogue as Mando takes this replacement for his previously destroyed ship (season 2, episode 6).
I listened for an emotional surge in the music, but it never came. He admired this particular ship’s restoration, but you wouldn’t otherwise know the importance of Mando flying another Razor Crest.
The ‘Dadalorian’
I’ve read many reviews that said this felt like a few episodes stitched together. Yes, I agree this could easily have been part of a season 4.
But guess what? We didn’t get season 4.
And quite frankly, I was happy to get to watch a few more episodes, so to speak.
And it’s always nice to spend a little more time with Pedro Paskal’s ‘Dadalorian’ and Grogu.
Baby Yoda Rocks
And if you’re a Grogu fan, you’re in luck. Baby Yoda has a lot to do here.
He delighted the row of kids who were sitting in front of me in the theater. But they certainly weren’t old enough to officially be part of the PG-13 crowd.
Which makes you wonder about the target audience for this movie. It’s PG-13 for all the fighting. And G-rated for Grogu. That’s a difficult balance to maintain to satisfy everyone.
The Challenge Turning a Series into a Movie
I think in many ways it just comes down to this: Successfully converting a TV series into a big screen movie with the same cast is often hard to do.
“Firefly” couldn’t get “Serenity” to fly.
Sure, “Star Trek” did it, but it needed two attempts, and “The Wrath of Khan” certainly didn’t play it safe.
Sigourney Weaver Stopped By
Not only did this Mandalorian flick play it safe, it felt like an extended premiere of season 4.
And while that was fine with me, that won’t draw the crowds who will otherwise watch it in a few months (weeks?) on Disney+.
But wait! This movie’s got the great Sigourney Weaver. Hmmm… well, she actually didn’t seem that excited to be there.
Hold on… We’re introduced to not one, but three Hutt characters, including Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), who is Jabba the Hutt’s son. While that’s certainly interesting to some, more giant slug Hutts didn’t fill seats.
Grogu is Sad
Still, this is a solid movie, and I enjoyed seeing it in a theater. But it was just not enough to satisfy the broader fan base. It feels like the entire human race is quickly losing interest in this particular galaxy that’s now almost half a century old.
As a result, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” has already disappeared from my local multiplex on week 3 of its release. (I’m sure that made Grogu cry.)
At this point, can anything save this franchise?
“Star Wars: Starfighter,” directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling is set to launch in theaters on May 28, 2027.
I certainly hope the Force is stronger with this next one.
