A reminder that the galaxy far, far, away can still be fun.
My family went to the cinema to see The Mandalorian and Grogu this week. Most of us are very big fans of Star Wars, and we’ve been looking forward to seeing this new movie for some time. Leading up to the release date (we always try to see movies on “Preview Thursday” if possible), the negative chatter online about this latest addition to the Star Wars tapestry was unavoidable, try as we might.
And maybe that is the problem with how we talk about Star Wars now. Every new entry seems to arrive carrying the impossible burden of being profound, franchise-saving, nostalgia-perfect, canon-correct, critically bulletproof, and somehow still fun. But sometimes a Star Wars movie can simply be a joyful adventure, and that can be more than enough.
The fact is, the movie was great fun; everyone in our group loved it. The story was simple but engaging, the visuals were spectacular, the music of Ludwig Göransson was incredible, and as we’ve come to love about Jon Favreau films, a sense of warmth and charm was pervasive. So why all the negativity?
I think there are many reasons why new additions to the Star Wars saga receive such harsh initial criticism. For the media including influencers, negativity sells, and painting a picture of doom and gloom (i.e. “Mixed reaction from critics does not bode well for the Star Wars franchise!”, or “Box office projections indicate The Mandalorian and Grogu may be the biggest failure since Solo!”) will generate clicks and views.
For passionate fans, the lead-up to the public debut of anything Star Wars is usually quite long, allowing a range of emotions to build, and as is human nature, the vocal minority will amplify fear and doubt- fear that this new work will not meet expectations, and doubt that equaling or eclipsing past successes is even possible. Combine this with the proclivity of the media to focus on the negative, and the conclusion is an atmosphere of nervous negativity that can carry significant influence (over moviegoers, in this case).
With all this being said, let’s get into some specifics with The Mandalorian and Grogu…
First, is the movie as good as Andor, the Star Wars TV series that many consider a high-water mark for the sprawling saga? To be clear, Andor was fantastic, but for very specific reasons. Where Lucas has continually emphasized that “Star Wars has always been a kid’s story”, Andor was a sophisticated, first-class, and very timely political spy thriller made very much for an adult audience.
Okay, so does it have the emotional weight of The Empire Strikes Back, generally accepted as the best Star Wars movie of them all? Arguably no, as The Mandalorian and Grogu does not have any major narrative-shifting reveals (“No, I am your father”).
But, to my point, So what?
Perhaps it is my age, or maybe it’s the era we live in, but when I go to the movies, first and foremost, I just want to be entertained, and boy, was the new Star Wars movie entertaining, and not just for me! In our group of 5 that took in the Thursday Preview screening was my youngest daughter (now in her 20’s), who loves Star Wars, but for most of her life has not really enjoyed the movie-going experience. Honestly, watching her smile, laugh, cheer, and clap as the movie played was probably the highlight of the entire experience for me!
I just love the fact that George Lucas has given us a universe where Andor, The Empire Strikes Back, The Mandalorian and Grogu, The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka, The Bad Batch, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, and The Star Wars Holiday Special (okay, kidding on that last one) can co-exist.
So, if you want to stay away and complain about the fact that The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t “Tolstoy in Space”, or perhaps “Cassian and Grogu”, by all means, go ahead. I’m going again tonight with another big group, and this will leave more popcorn and Twizzlers for us.
May The Force Be With You.