The Mandalorian and Grogu

Last night my sister, my nephew, and I went to a Thursday preview of The Mandalorian and Grogu.  I am a huge fan of the series on Disney+ and I enjoyed this even though it is basically like watching several episodes of the show on the big screen.  Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu are now bounty hunters searching for the last of the Imperial warlords on behalf of the New Republic.  Commander Ward (Sigourney Weaver) asks them to visit the Hut Twins to get information needed to capture the mysterious warlord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne).  However, the Twins will only disclose this information if they find their nephew Rotta (Jeremy Allen White), the son and heir of Jabba.  Djarin and Grogu travel to the planet Shakari to rescue Rotta from the crime syndicate holding him captive but he doesn't want to be rescued (for reasons).  Djarin ultimately finds Coin himself to avoid returning Rotta but complications ensue when the Twins seek retribution for breaking their agreement.  This does have a very episodic feel to it with lots of side quests (I even noticed when each episode could possibly begin and end) and the action sequences become a bit monotonous as Djarin fights one CGI creature after another (my favorite action set pieces are those that reference other films and shows in the Star Wars franchise, such as when Djarin and Grogu take down several AT-AT walkers, when Grogu and the Anzellans attempt to rescue Djarin, and when Ward attacks a droid army with a fleet of X-wing fighters).  I did like Rotta's character arc as a son trying to move out of his notorious father's shadow (although I thought it was weird that Jeremy Allen White's voice is almost unrecognizable) and I absolutely loved Grogu's development as an apprentice proving himself to his master (I think the scenes in which he cares for Djarin are absolutely magical).  Another highlight is Ludwig Goransson's score, particularly during the scenes on Shakari and the scenes with Grogu on Nal Hutta (the music here is incredible because it evokes such a sense of wonder).  This is fun but inconsequential and, if you are a fan of the series, you will probably enjoy it.

Note:  All I wanted from this movie was to learn how Djarin got the Razor Crest back and the explanation worked for me.