After Rogue One I definitely did not expect a big event of Star Wars films.
Mandalorian at least feels way more enthusiasm than Rogue One.
Mandalorian at least feels way more enthusiasm than Rogue One.
Crazy insane notion: Perhaps not every Star Wars release needs to be an event.
Rather than focusing on making a movie an "event", I'd rather they just tell a fun story that keeps me engaged for 2 hours. Sometimes a movie is just a movie.
Er... que?
Well, in 2023, at the end of Ahsoka S1, Thrawn returned to the main galaxy, and the characters seemed to think this would be a very big deal, despite the fact that he didn't even merit a mention in the ST. Since then, we were told that a new movie coming out next year, starring one of Hollywood's hottest actors, will be continuing the saga past the ST.
And now, we're getting a follow-up (I assume) to Ahsoka S1, and a prequel to the ST, in which Thrawn is back, and... there's been zero mention of him in any previews. (I would guess he maybe gets mentioned once or twice in the movie itself.) Soooooo... it's not as though the Star Wars franchise is using consistent or propulsive storytelling across projects to drum up general public interest.
there's pros and cons to such things.
Having a seemingly more of a standalone adventure shouldn't rule out deeper characters or their development and arcs (even though that's always a challenge in a movie time).
Going by the reviews, it lacks the latter sadly.
I dunno, I'm thinking about what a bad idea it was to put key Mandalorian plot and character developments in The Book of Boba Fett, a show that not every Mandalorian viewer would necessarily see. Given that, I think I find it preferable if the movie doesn't change the characters or status quo in any way that would have an effect on a fourth season of the show (although it does change the status quo in restoring the Razor Crest, at least).
Granted, one thing I've often had to do as a Star Trek novelist (and a Marvel novelist a couple of times) is to find a story that takes the main characters on a personal journey that doesn't change their status quo or affect the larger series. I've found that a good way to do that is to put the characters in a situation that challenges their core values and ends up reaffirming them. Which is also a good way to tell a standalone story about them, basically recapitulating their character journey in microcosm, so that someone who only sees the movie and not the show will still get to experience that journey. So it is possible to do such a story in a way that feels like it has real meaning for the characters.
Exactly. I'm going to watch a movie. Hopefully it's entertaining and enjoyable. I like the characters and hopefully they have a fun adventure.
At this stage in my life I hate events. Can't stand them. Just want enjoyable moments.
Saw it in IMAX 3D this afternoon.
If you go see it like me - a new Mando & Grogu adventure - it was entertaining and felt rewarding. I've enjoyed it. Would describe it as a 2-3 episodes special that they decided to show on the big screen.
the very bone of the story is decent, but there's not much outside of that.
Some cameos of fan favorite character of all types and races aside from various Star Wars mediums.
the
was a fun surprise. Didn't know this is a thing.
the music was excellent, both Mando-nostalgia and electronic. Going to look up the new tunes.
Best of all: the primary characters - Mando and Grogu - do actually evolve and grow
. While it's not a complete arc in itself, it's a part of it. If you have seen the show it feels rewarding. If you haven't, it still kinda works too is my guess.
If you go see it like me - a new Mando & Grogu adventure - it was entertaining and felt rewarding. I've enjoyed it. Would describe it as a 2-3 episodes special that they decided to show on the big screen.
the very bone of the story is decent, but there's not much outside of that.
Some cameos of fan favorite character of all types and races aside from various Star Wars mediums.
the
IMAX intro, but Mandalorianized
the music was excellent, both Mando-nostalgia and electronic. Going to look up the new tunes.
Best of all: the primary characters - Mando and Grogu - do actually evolve and grow
their father/son relationship
I didn't mean to say it should be an event, just that for me in my personal perspective the fact a Star Wars movie is coming out hasn't been looming over me and dominating my life the way the other movies did when they came out.
Yeah, that sound like a nothing burger and more a Me problem, and maybe that's true. But it's just the way I'm seeing things at the moment. I do still plan on seeing the movie and don't doubt I will enjoy it, I'm just kind of surprised at how low my anticipation is at the moment is all.
That has been the key point that I've noticed across all these reviews. Those that were expecting a huge galaxy type event like the trilogy movies were disappointed. Those that simply wanted to see a big screen adventure with Mando and Grogo enjoyed it.
I can understand the former. It HAS been hyped as "the first Star Wars movie since 2019." That carries with it certain expectations. The trilogy movies were always big events that you looked forward to. This sounds more along the lines of Solo: A nice side story adventure that you enjoy in and of itself.
I completely get what you are saying. I loved Star Wars growing up. For me a new Star Wars movie was the Super Bowl because that was the only time you got to see new Star Wars. After a decade of streaming series, its not going to have that same luster, despite the fact it hasn't been in theaters. I'm very curious to see what the audience reaction will be since not everyone streams.
I'm not saying I'm burned out on Star Wars or anything. Indeed, back in March I did a rewatch of all seasons of The Mandalorian (including Book of Boba Fett) and enjoyed it. And just this past weekend I ended up watching both Rogue One and Solo. I still have passion for this franchise, that's never going away.
Hopefully the Feloni-verse's first big movie in theaters does well this weekend at the box office.
Hopefully people enjoy the film.
Just got back home from the cinema, and I had a very good time. It is very much a movie version of the TV show, no big Rebels vs Empire/Jedi vs Sith epic, but pretty much a condensed version of a season of The Mandalorian, adapted into the new format in a good way, because Favreau knows how to make an entertaining movie.
One of my worries was that it would be too much bigger SW universe with the New Republic, based on the trailers featuring Weaver's character as an X-Wing pilot, and that line about hunting Imperial war criminals. Luckily, that was not what that movie really was about. I mean, yeah, Din is working for the New Republic, and he spends some screen time hunting Imperial war criminals, but that's pretty much just the set-up for the proper conflict of the movie, which is very much between Din & Grogu and some non-Imperials. And while Din is working for the New Republic, he is still mostly a lone wolf (with cub), even going against his mission
There's also a fight with some big droids that moved like stop motion, and I was delighted to see Phil TIppett's name in the credits, so that likely was proper stop motion.
Anyway, it's fun, it's a very good movie continuation of the TV show, and I hope it does well enough to warrant more Mandalorian adventures.
I'll say, the one thing I really didn't like, or rather would have preferred done differently, was the end credits being done in the style of the main SW movie series, blue font against space background. I would have much preferred they kept the painted-scenes style credits from the series.
One of my worries was that it would be too much bigger SW universe with the New Republic, based on the trailers featuring Weaver's character as an X-Wing pilot, and that line about hunting Imperial war criminals. Luckily, that was not what that movie really was about. I mean, yeah, Din is working for the New Republic, and he spends some screen time hunting Imperial war criminals, but that's pretty much just the set-up for the proper conflict of the movie, which is very much between Din & Grogu and some non-Imperials. And while Din is working for the New Republic, he is still mostly a lone wolf (with cub), even going against his mission
There's also a fight with some big droids that moved like stop motion, and I was delighted to see Phil TIppett's name in the credits, so that likely was proper stop motion.
Anyway, it's fun, it's a very good movie continuation of the TV show, and I hope it does well enough to warrant more Mandalorian adventures.
I'll say, the one thing I really didn't like, or rather would have preferred done differently, was the end credits being done in the style of the main SW movie series, blue font against space background. I would have much preferred they kept the painted-scenes style credits from the series.
Oh thank God I didn't hate it.
I mean, it had some issues but it got better as it went along and left a positive overall impression on me.
Some good points:
Some not-so-good:
Granted the negatives are pretty major, but they didn't sink the movie for me. Like I said, it starts weak and improves as it goes along so the final impression is a good one. It certainly beats starting strong and deteriorating.
*My wife thought there were too many gross bugs and monsters, but I loved that stuff. Her verdict: "That was too much Star Wars for me."
So there ya go.
I mean, it had some issues but it got better as it went along and left a positive overall impression on me.
Some good points:
- Surprisingly I liked Rotta. Everything about him on paper was something that sounded awful – a jacked, English-speaking nice Hutt who originated in bad episodes of the Clone Wars cartoon? Oh god no. But actually I thought he was pretty cool. Good job Favreau.
- The opening James Bond-style action intro is good fun and makes a nice intro for Din, as most reviewers have said.
- Seeing Nal Hutta for the first time was great. It's an appropriately gross planet* and the Hutts there are nice and loathesome. You really hate those guys and want to see Din fuck them up.
- Grogu is critical to the plot from about the midpoint on. In fact, he basically becomes the main character for a while and gets probably as much development as he has in all of the series proper. Star Wars has always had a deeply weird side, and large parts of the second act are just puppets and CG characters running around solving problems and jibbering. I found it all rather charming.
- There's some really fun action with clone wars era droids and I always get a kick out of seeing those Doug Chaing designs.
- There was a point where I really, really, really wanted Din to crash a ship into something...and he did. Hell yeah.
- Seriously, fuck those Hutts.
Some not-so-good:
- For a movie based on The Mandalorian, Mando is about the least important character in it. He shoots and fights and cares about Grogu and that's about it. There's some vague, vague tilting at the notion that maybe he's too nice a guy now that he's a dad to be effective at bounty hunting, but it's thin stuff. So thin I might be reading into it something that isn't really there.
- The first act, after the intro, is pretty bad. Weaver is lifeless and saddled with nothing but exposition. Any opportunity for conflict between her and Mando, or any character development for either of them, is avoided. There's a scene where Mando has gone against orders and Weaver starts to take him to task for it...and then the script backs away from any possible conflict faster than an N-1 out of Begger's Canyon. Baffling.
- Grogu's presence hampers any sense of danger for the first 20 minutes or so. Din finds himself in various John Wick-style shootouts and his having a little baby on his shoulder sucks all the tension out. It's like if Wick was carrying his dog around while getting shot at. You know nothing bad is going to happen. (Luckily this stops being an issue from about the second act onwards.)
Granted the negatives are pretty major, but they didn't sink the movie for me. Like I said, it starts weak and improves as it goes along so the final impression is a good one. It certainly beats starting strong and deteriorating.
*My wife thought there were too many gross bugs and monsters, but I loved that stuff. Her verdict: "That was too much Star Wars for me."
So there ya go.
Isn't Grogu over 50 years old?
He can't speak and makes baby noises. His being 50 is irrelevant; he is at best a young child. Like, toddler to preschool age, and often coded as even younger.
(That's one of the criticisms I've seen of the movie; it's very inconsistent about exactly how mature Grogu is. )
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