Today marks the 49th anniversary of the epic sci-fi franchise, Star Wars. Celebrating the occasion was the weekend release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first new Star Wars film in seven years. On the surface, this release should be a cause for celebration and a build-up for next year’s 50th anniversary but the film’s mixed reaction is a symptom of the state of the Star Wars franchise at this moment.
There is nothing wrong with The Mandalorian and Grogu, it’s a fine film that is exciting and fun, but given that we have not had a Star Wars film since 2019, one would think that this event would have yielded more excitement from fans. There are many reasons for this and it largely has to do with how Star Wars has fallen out of favor in recent years thanks to lackluster high-profile TV shows that diluted the brand and of course, the backlash against most of the Disney-era Star Wars films. But despite its merits, one nagging issue with The Mandalorian and Grogu is that it doesn’t feel epic. Sure, it has a solid storyline and terrific action scenes and character moments, especially with Grogu himself as he learns to survive on his own and helps rescue his father. But the relatively low-stakes story of the film could have been told in a new season of The Mandalorian. The fate of the galaxy was not in question, the overall storyline of the main characters, Grogu aside, did not advance significantly, and the same went for the worldbuilding. Again it has to be repeated that The Mandalorian and Grogu is an enjoyable film that is better than some of the recent Star Wars films, it just lacks an epic scale.
The Star Wars films are renowned for their topnotch production values and sweeping storylines that touch on mysticism or intriguing worldbuilding. Sure, this has to be well executed or you lose your audience (see the last couple of Star Wars films), but this is epic nature is why people would go out of their way to go to cinemas and spend lots of money to get immersed in an experience that is can’t be replicated at home. Just as important, the plot has to not just engage audiences but build towards an epic story with high stakes. Supposedly, The Mandalorian and Grogu was to be part of a larger storyline that would have continued in other related Star Wars films that would have culminated in a film where the separate characters confronted Grand Admiral Thrawn, but there is little evidence of a larger story in the debut film of the Mandalorian. Except for a plot line about the Mandalorian hired to track down ex-imperial officers, which is resolved fairly early in the film before it becomes a personal story about the armored bounty hunter and his son in a space version of Lone Wolf and Cub. But whether or not other Star Wars films will deal with this Thrawn plot is in question and depends on the performance of The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Trying to use the TV show, The Mandalorian, as a vehicle to explore a larger storyline was what damaged the TV show in the long run. The show worked best when it did not deal with larger galactic situations such as the founding of the New Republic or the return of the Galactic Empire. Part of the problem was that the overarching storyline was not very interesting as seen in Ashoka and the fact that the dull manner in how the New Republic is presented. The show faltered in its third season when the main character and his son Grogu seemed to take a back seat to other characters and their stories that dealt with wider scale situations. The film corrects this by focusing on the Mandalorian and his son, and by doing so it went back to a more personal story for the duo. But this is is not what Star Wars needs at this time.
To recapture imaginations and more importantly improved box office results, Star Wars films have to aim high and tell a compelling story with several characters and intertwined plots. The more personal and intimate storylines seem to work best with TV shows such as the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, Andor, and Skeleton Crew. The next Star Wars film to come out will be next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter, but it’s not known if it will tell that kind of story, but there is sense of excitement for it, and if it turns out well, it should be a fitting film to release in time of the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. But for now, we have a worthwhile film to help celebrate the 49th anniversary of Star Wars as a build up or placeholder for something more epic and befitting of Star Wars.
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