(Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney)
Pedro Pascal suits up as Din Djarin, and the animatronic Grogu receives extra grease for his tiny joints one more time in "The Mandalorian and Grogu", which releases this Friday (May 22). It remains uncertain if this is the last ride for the "Star Wars" version of Adam Sandler's "Big Daddy" in space, but even if it isn't, it might very well be a case of milking a thala-siren dry here.In this new movie, the Galactic Empire is no more. Emperor Palpatine has been sent to the great big Sith graveyard in the dumpster — until future movies retcon this plot point — and it's a better tomorrow. Despite the cause for celebration, that doesn't mean all is well in the New Republic, as there are still a few bad seeds running amok and practicing basic thuganomics. So the Mandalorian bounty hunter and his big-eared sidekick get roped into fighting the good fight.
(Image credit: Disney)It's been three years since the third season of "The Mandalorian" concluded. The finale provides the perfect conclusion to the story, as Djarin adopts Grogu and they move into a cosy cabin on Nevarro. After all they have been through, this is the happily ever after they both deserve. But it isn't. “It only felt like the ending of a particular chapter," Pascal told Empire, while new "Star Wars" head honcho Dave Filoni touted "The Mandalorian and Grogu" as the beginning of a new era.Perhaps it is. Perhaps it isn't. There hasn't been a "Star Wars" film in theatres since 2019's divisive "The Rise of Skywalker", and "The Mandalorian and Grogu" appeared to be a safe bet for the franchise's triumphant return to cinema. However, it doesn't seem like an overwhelming victory lap by any stretch of the imagination.At the time of writing, the movie's main trailer has roughly 11 million views on YouTube. Compare this to other upcoming U.S. summer blockbusters like "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" (31 million), "The Odyssey (41 million), and "Supergirl" (25 million), and it's clear that "The Mandalorian and Grogu" doesn't exactly have people clicking to see what it's all about or dying to revisit a galaxy far, far away.This is "Star Wars"; just the fact that this film belongs to this prestigious universe should have people running — not walking — to theaters. Yet this doesn't have that big event feeling. It's muted by current-day standards.
