For the most part, I knew what I was going into with The Mandalorian and Grogu, and I think that’s true of most viewers. The promise was of a fun, entertaining ride; there’d be nothing particularly groundbreaking, no shocking twists or major lore reveals that had been hidden from the trailers, but simply a good time watching a Star Wars movie in a theater for the first time in seven years. (Warning: SPOILERS, such as there are any, from this point on.)
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For the most part, that’s what I got. Opinions very clearly vary, since The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s reviews aren’t exactly showering it with praise (though general audiences have proved more receptive to it so far). But it was a very enjoyable film and largely moves, well, like a theme park ride, going at pace from one sequence to the next.
The exception to this is a stretch of 15 minutes or so where it really slows things down: after Mando is poisoned, Grogu has to take care of him, and we got a long sequence of him doing exactly that. And it gave me a couple of things I didn’t expect to find in this movie: something unique for Star Wars, and something utterly perfect.
Why The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Biggest Grogu Scene Is Perfect
Admittedly, I’m easily pleased when it comes to Grogu. Ever since “Baby Yoda” was first introduced, his charms have been irrepressible. I’m not sure there’s ever been a cuter movie/TV character, and whether it’s him using the Force or trying a lemon on the press tour [go watch on YouTube and have a lovely time], everything he does is gold. And yet even with that, this scene of him caring for Din Djarin exceeded what I had thought possible, achieving a real sense of movie magic, like a perfect blend of Star Wars and something out of a Jim Henson movie.
The genius of Grogu, and this sequence in particular, lies in the animatronic puppetry, rather than him being fully CGI (though some is used for augmentation). The Mandalorian and Grogu further elevates this by relying less upon The Volume, the virtual production stage used for most of The Mandalorian, with more practical sets used. This has a winning effect on the Child, as allowing him to interact with real environments makes it all the more enchanting (and feel a little more real).
Puppetry has long been important to Star Wars thanks to the work of the great Frank Oz with Yoda, and this builds wonderfully upon that legacy. Add in the visuals of the location – more saturated greens, more textures to the environment – and it stands apart from everything else in the film.
None of this would be that remarkable, though, if not for the character it focuses on. The switch in point-of-view to that of a child having to care for a parent is the movie’s greatest twist, and is where I think it does something truly special within the Star Wars sandbox. Seeing him potter about, occasionally with a cane like Adult Yoda before him, is full of charm and whimsy.
This also allows for some more development for Grogu as a character. It’s right that he gets co-billing in the title, because it’s very much his movie as much as Mando’s, if not even more so. He might not talk yet, but we’re seeing him gain both his own independence, and learning how to become the caregiver in the relationship, and this is central to that and the movie’s father-son dynamic and themes.
The sequence moves slowly but deliberately, in quite a meditative sort of way. Watching him perform these tasks, such as getting water for Din, taking fish from a fisherman (named Gatori, and voiced by Stephen McKinley Henderson), or snuggling in for the night, are bittersweet, and among the most tender and simply lovely things Star Wars, or any summer blockbuster, has done. It brings a level of emotional heft that’s otherwise too often missing from a movie that moves like a thrill side, and slowing it down for this was exactly what it needed.
I don’t fully subscribe to the notion that this movie feels like a bunch of episodes stitched together, as I think there is a clear and solid enough movie structure. But if you were to make them episodic, and “The Swamp” was an individual instalment, I’m not sure I’d ever tire of watching it. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt, melancholic, perfect sequence with a character who is just impossible not to adore, and whatever can be said about the rest of The Mandalorian and Grogu, I’m glad it exists for this.
That’s a bad baby Good job, baby!
The Mandalorian & Grogu is now playing in theaters.
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