A fun, low-stakes ‘Star Wars’ film

It’s been nearly seven years since the last “Star Wars” movie released in theaters, 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” tried and failed to recapture the magic of George Lucas’ original trilogy. One month prior to “Rise of Skywalker,” Disney drove millions of subscriptions to its newly launched streaming service with “The Mandalorian,” a show that succeeded in part by eschewing the Skywalkers and telling a tightly focused, Western-influenced story about a fearsome bounty hunter and his diminutive, force-sensitive ward, Grogu (née Baby Yoda).

With “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” director Jon Favreau tries to split the difference between the vastness of Lucas’ saga and the small-scale storytelling of his Disney+ series. The resulting film is a breezy, low-stakes effort with a few standout scenes, particularly those that make full use of the vertical IMAX screens. In short, the movie is more ambitious than simply smushing three “Mandalorian” episodes together – but not much more. 

“The Mandalorian and “Grogu” begins with Mando (Pedro Pascal) doing contract work for a New Republic leader (Sigourney Weaver), hunting down Empire bureaucrats like a galaxy-hopping Simon Wiesenthal. In an early sequence sure to please fans, Mando easily topples a couple of AT-ATs (the giant Imperial walkers from “The Empire Strikes Back”) while disposing of a fugitive official running a protection racket. It’s honest, well-paying work, but the bounty hunter is never going to fully sign himself over to the employ of the good guys. (As he might say, this is the way.)

The Mandalorian’s second mission proves more complicated. Weaver’s Colonel Ward asks Mando to obtain information from the twin cousins of Jabba the Hutt, the slug-like crime boss from “Return of the Jedi.” Their price: The safe return of Jabba’s son, Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”). The twins profess concern for the boy, but Mando (and the audience) know better than to trust a Hutt.

From there, Mando and Grogu begin planet-hopping from one harrowing scenario to the next, giving fans their fill of shiny new ships and shinier CGI aliens, including a four-armed simian inexplicably voiced by Martin Scorsese. It’s a largely enjoyable romp, though some of the fight scenes begin to blend together after a while. One of the film’s real highlights, in fact, is the only section where everything slows to a stop, with one character (who we won’t spoil here) suffering a grievous injury. 

In essence, once the duo arrive on the planet of Shakari in search of Rotta, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” has already established a blueprint for the remainder of the film: A heavy dollop of references to the existing “Star Wars” universe, a sprinkling of new creatures and locales that echo existing media (Shakari is straight out of “Blade Runner,” for one), and enough cute creatures to keep the younger set entertained — and sell a bunch of toys in the process.

Grogu, who comes to life on screen via a mix of puppetry, miniature figures and CGI, remains the main attraction in that department. But Favreau also adds a quartet of even smaller and sillier aliens that basically serve the same purpose as Dreamworks’ Minions. 

Speaking of CGI, casting Jeremy Allen White as Rotta — who has abandoned his family in a dual quest for gladiatorial supremacy and to become the first Hutt with abs — was certainly a choice. Between the digital effects and the slowing of White’s dialogue to make him sound more Hutt-esque, none of what “The Bear” actor typically brings to a performance is present.

There’s nothing wrong with a solid base hit, and that’s what audiences will get with “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” Just don’t head to theaters expecting “The Mandalorian Strikes Back.”

Rating: **½ stars (out of 4)

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” will be released in theaters May 22.