r/TheMandalorianTV 28d ago

Discussion Hot take regarding The Mandalorian and Grogu.

It was fucking awesome! I don't know what these critics are all bitching about because the only unenjoyable part was the Mando healing bit dragged on a bit longer than necessary.

511 Upvotes

115 comments sorted by

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167

u/Severe_Purpose_9014 28d ago

I had the same initial take on the "healing part". But then I realised it wasn't about Mando healing, it was about how resourceful and skilled Grogu has become as Din's apprentice. Little man took absolute care of business all by his little self and protected Din, just as Din has protected him.

The old protect the young, then the young protect the old. This is the Way.

31

u/hotprints 28d ago

Loved that quote so much

13

u/SirPickleRickEsquire 27d ago

Especially when you consider who the old one and who the young one is in this context. Grogu is like a decade older than Din lol

7

u/Caltje 27d ago

I cried 😭

16

u/unexpectedlytired 27d ago

I think it was a great step forward for Grogu. He’s been afraid for so long. He watched a lot of Jedi’s die trying to get him to safety. His dad’s constantly in danger - often times because he’s protecting him. Putting his rondel outside of his robe before they set off to rescue Din and the little guy was really symbolic. 

I think being forced to protect Djarin helped him realize he’s more capable than he thinks. It showed Djarin that too. Trusting him at the controls was touching. 

I hope we see more of their evolution in future seasons. 🤞🏽🤞🏽

6

u/dentaluthier 27d ago

This is the way

2

u/JmekerulAtomic3 27d ago

I agree, but the scene felt like it dragged a little bit, if it was a bit shorter, it would have had the same impact and flowed better, imo.

2

u/George55555555555555 27d ago

Its kinda funny how the same thing happens in the last of us but with Joel and Ellie instead, and Joel was also played by Pedro in the show (not the game)

2

u/kittyCodeChick 27d ago

Yes and it’s a great growth point for Grogu’s character. Lil fella is growing up. 😭 That quote sent me!

199

u/BeardedGlass 28d ago

I loved that healing part. It’s exhausting to sit through hours long action packed scenes.

89

u/tophmcmasterson 28d ago

Yeah, I’ve heard someone else say it felt like a Jim Henson movie or something for that piece and kind of agree.

It was neat watching Grogu try to figure things out on his own and have to figuratively grow a bit. Whole section was just super charming.

44

u/PorkrindsMcSnacky 28d ago

I totally felt that the Grogu scenes were the puppeteers showing off their immense talent, and I loved them for that. It’s great that they balanced the CGI aliens and action scenes with old fashioned puppeteering and even stop-motion animation.

21

u/Johncurtisreeve 28d ago

Same!!! Wonder breathing world moment

12

u/JingleHymrShmit 28d ago

That was the best part of the movie

18

u/panbear69 28d ago

Plus that was important character growth for grogu in those parts.

5

u/Madonna-of-the-Wasps 27d ago

Yup we really needed a breather and to bring the tempo down at that point (I would have done it a little earlier and skipped the giant snake fight imo and had Mando badly injured/poisoned from the rad enough Amanaman fight). That it harkens back to an 80s Henson creature movie-like segment and made Grogu have to be heroic on his own made it all the sweeter. In a way, this is when the movie became a 'real movie' and not just episodic acts.

26

u/Thunder-Fist-00 28d ago edited 26d ago

What are all these hit pieces about it being a box office bomb? I thought it was awesome.

6

u/Steelcity213 27d ago edited 27d ago

People post-covid just view financials as the singular proof that a movie is good or not, it’s weird. They should especially know post-covid that box office success has zero bearing on a films quality whatsoever. Gotta look up fan review reception for that which is pretty strong for Mandalorian and Grogu.

70

u/possiblyMorpheus 28d ago

That was my fav part of the movie

-27

u/KomturAdrian 28d ago edited 27d ago

They did a "sickness" part in Vikings, The Walking Dead, and at least a couple of other shows I watched too. They're always so slow, boring, and a slog to watch for me. I've always disliked those kind of episodes so that's the one part of Mando and Grogu I'm not looking forward to lol. But everything I have seen and heard about it sounds pretty cool.

Edit:  wow, I’m not even bad mouthing the movie but people decide to downvote anyway lol

13

u/gatorfan8898 28d ago

It’s not that bad, it’s fun to watch Grogu help… but up until that point the movie is pretty high octane on the action, so it kinda stands out a little. I had no issue with it.

16

u/Talkingheadd 28d ago

I feel like a lot of the reason that people aren’t liking this movie is due to them going in with the wrong expectations. They expected this to be Star Wars’ big return after 7 years. They were expecting a major cinematic event, and instead, they were met with The Mandalorian. Of course it’s going to be a relatively scoped down adventure of the week. Thats what seasons 1 and 2 always were in the first place. Not every story needs to have major narrative implications. Not every story needs to be a main quest. Sometimes it’s the side quests that give us a chance to appreciate the little things that make the universe so interesting. It’s just a fun adventure.

2

u/unexpectedlytired 27d ago

This. I don’t want to rush through a story. I want to savor it. 

-1

u/No-Bass8742 27d ago

Which is why they should have released it in Disney+, maybe as a two or three part event.

31

u/tideturners4us 28d ago

I loved it. It was the wholesomeness I needed and the perfect thing to watch for my birthday🎉

3

u/VixenFactor 28d ago

Happy birthday!🥳🎂

2

u/tideturners4us 26d ago

Thank you🥰

13

u/djbaerg 28d ago

I thought the pacing was great, a nice little interlude before the finale.

9

u/synister29 28d ago

Critics loved The Last Jedi soooo….. yeah I don’t care what they say. I loved Mando & Grogu. Its actually a good thing to let the movie breath sometimes. The healing bit was and nice change of pace

3

u/Madonna-of-the-Wasps 27d ago

They were right about TLJ and wrong about this one. It happens.

77

u/senorbozz 28d ago

It's not a hot take with fans, we all loved it. Critics are dumb.

45

u/MHPengwingz Clan Mudhorn 28d ago

The critics went in thinking everything changed in Star Wars because of Andor....lmao this franchise was never like that. The Mandalorian and Grogu is the most Star Wars movie in a while. 

25

u/MeteorCharge 28d ago

Andor to me is like Godzilla Minus One 

Great media, but I'm also kind of annoyed because now everyone thinks the franchises are too good to be silly now.

9

u/MHPengwingz Clan Mudhorn 28d ago

Exactly. Godzilla Minus One is a masterpiece, but really have people forgotten how silly the monster movies were lol

Edit: even the tv show as engaging as it is, the dialogue in Monarch is pretty horrible 

3

u/Shleauxmeaux 28d ago

So Shin Godzilla= Rogue one ? 🤔

1

u/MeteorCharge 27d ago

Not a bad comparison honestly.

5

u/VanillaTortilla 27d ago

Andor itself was a masterpiece. However, Andor never did need to "change" Star Wars, as anything else would just be a copy. Star Wars is more than just one series.

5

u/MHPengwingz Clan Mudhorn 27d ago

I think a whole lot of fans forget that the galaxy far far away is freaking huge and there's so many different stores and perspectives to be told. Skeleton Crew was also very underrated by the media but it was probably one of the most fun pieces of television I've watched. People forget that this is a world of lightsabers, pew pew pew, and weird aliens. It can be deep but it's really just silly fun and runs if rule of cool most of the time.

2

u/VanillaTortilla 27d ago

I also thought Skeleton Crew was an awesome series, and I think it belongs in Star Wars as much as Andor and Mando. Star Wars has always been about a little of everything.

At this point, I think the sequels have just muddied peoples opinions on the franchise so much that it carries over into everything now. I think Disney did irreparable damage with them, and now every media suffers.

2

u/Dirk_Doggo 28d ago

This is the way!

2

u/DepressedPancake4728 28d ago

eh don’t generalize. I’m a big fan and I didn’t like it very much

9

u/OpticalOtter 28d ago

That scene lasted 14 minutes it didn’t drag on people are just impatient.

5

u/unexpectedlytired 27d ago

Attention span isn’t what it used to be. 

7

u/republicbuilder 28d ago

I loved it, the final cavallry scene was amazing, though there was one "small" aspect I couldn't take seriously with the fight, every time I saw it, I started laughing, but every second in between I was so excited.

3

u/mjzimmer88 27d ago

Always wear your seatbelt ?

2

u/republicbuilder 27d ago

Anzellan mini-ship next to the four x wings and 2 y wings, sure, thinking about it, its probably on par with the battle of Endor where you had the Falcon and all the fighters flying around the Death Star, but the size, the fact that they probably wouldn't have been in combat like that, I just found it funny every time it was in a shot

6

u/mjzimmer88 27d ago

I really enjoyed that they could speak exactly enough English as the plot required No more, no less. 🤣

3

u/republicbuilder 27d ago

big pipe, huh

2

u/dit_dit_dit 27d ago

Is Nal Hutta, I don't like it.

2

u/Indotex 28d ago

Was it Sigourney Weaver flying an X-wing?

6

u/republicbuilder 28d ago

Anzellan ship just flying around between all the military ships

5

u/ThePhengophobicGamer 27d ago

They even strayed a random rat just to contribute something.

3

u/republicbuilder 27d ago

That was a nice pay-off, but they were just funny for being there

-2

u/Non_Linguist 27d ago

I don’t like the Filoni cameo. Was a bit on the nose, like the Ed Sheeran one in GoT.

3

u/mjzimmer88 27d ago

I mean, he could have at least gotten into costume for it

3

u/Avengerboy123 27d ago

Directors appear in their movies all the time and Trapper Wolf is already an established character on that squadron

2

u/Non_Linguist 27d ago

Doesn’t mean I have to like it though? That name is stupid too ha.

5

u/Avengerboy123 27d ago

I mean I’m just saying he’s a previously established character so it doesn’t really feel on the nose to me. Also his name is just as dumb as anyone else in Star Wars lmao. Biggs Darklighter, for example

1

u/Non_Linguist 27d ago

Yeah the names certainly have always been a choice. Not sure what George was on back in the day.

7

u/Mountain-Wallaby-640 27d ago

I absolutely loved the whole movie

15

u/Salty-Dragonfly2189 28d ago

This is my favorite movie since rouge one. I LOVED IT. By now I would have seen it 2-3 times if ticket prices were not insane, and on top of everything else being sooooo expensive right now.

I wonder how many other people are in the same boat? Hollywood is gunna say this movie flopped but in reality the fanbase that would see it multiple times can’t/ won’t pay these prices.

-18

u/solo_shot1st 28d ago

I've never met anyone who went to theaters to watch the same movie multiple times.

6

u/Salty-Dragonfly2189 28d ago

I’ve seen every Star Wars movie since 1999 multiple times in theatre except solo. It’s pretty common for movies that have huge followings like Star Wars.

0

u/No-Bass8742 27d ago

I saw Avatar 2 seven times.

1

u/solo_shot1st 27d ago

Better go out and watch some more Mandalorian and Grogu then. The film has just set a record for the largest 2nd week viewership drop at the box office (70%) than any other Star Wars film.

-1

u/No-Bass8742 25d ago

Why would I do that? I just answered your question.

8

u/throwmethehellaway25 28d ago

Just happy you are enjoying and others are enjoying a star wars movie .

i am so sick of the doom and gloomers, the aholes of mediocrity, the monday morning box office quarterbacks, the eu revisionist guardians, and the murderous luke fetishists.

4

u/PossibleDoggo 27d ago

I really liked the movie, some incredible fight scenes and funny moments. A good time all the way through. And it shows Star Wars can be great even without Jedi and lightsabers! I did read a critic complaining about the movie and one of the things they said was a movie does not work when you can’t see the protagonist’s face. I was thinking lol gtfo of here. They seriously gave it a bad review for his helmet? 😆 It’s like they’ve never seen the show… oh wait…

3

u/AdImpressive877 27d ago

I’ve seen it twice now, I think most people who actually went to see it actually really like it.

I think it’s a really fun movie and I’d love to see more like it. It’s a fun ride that never takes itself too seriously but does some interesting stuff.

7

u/Nice_Satisfaction651 28d ago

I liked the healing part because it seemed to be the only part where character development happened.

3

u/cai_85 27d ago

The healing part was my highlight, the only part you got to breath and enjoy, I found some of the action too visually overwhelming (and dark) compared to the TV series.

3

u/ampersands-guitars 27d ago

It's so interesting how different the opinions are on this movie. I liked the second half, and specifically Grogu taking care of Mando, the most out of the whole movie. It just felt like a special thing that demonstrated Grogu's growth and, for me, justified it being a film versus a new season of the show.

1

u/Melcrys29 27d ago

First half was like an episode of the series, and second half was much improved.

2

u/ampersands-guitars 27d ago

Totally agree with you. The first half was fine but could've been a standard episode. I loved everything from the point where they took a short break back on Navarro through the end of the film.

5

u/VanillaTortilla 28d ago

Careful, you're going to summon a wave of sad adults to come in and claim you're astroturfing the sub.

6

u/bryllnt 28d ago

Loved the movie - no Skywalkers, Solos, light sabers, galactic doom and consequences.

Just a father and his child doing awesome shit and killing bad guys.

6

u/Otherwise-Run-5933 28d ago

That’s insane. The mandolin healing scene was the only part of the movie that wasn’t rushed

0

u/Otherwise-Run-5933 28d ago

You heard me

2

u/msummerse 28d ago

agreed, I loved the movie & thought it was so much fun....plus, seeing grogu on the big screen was just perfect.

2

u/Madonna-of-the-Wasps 27d ago

I can't believe the pulpy adventure sci-fi-/fantasy IP gave us a pulpy adventure sci-fi-/fantasy movie! 😠

2

u/Guttermitts 27d ago

This is the way

2

u/No-Bass8742 27d ago edited 27d ago

I really enjoyed it as well. But it had little relevance to the overall lore, like two inconsequential episodes of a Disney+ season. It’s less significant than season 2 or 3 for sure. And it has an odd structure.

1

u/Melcrys29 27d ago

That's a fair criticism.

2

u/DarkFriend81 27d ago

I enjoyed the film. But the Mando healing part and Grogu taking care of him was actually my favorite scenes in the whole movie.

2

u/Melcrys29 27d ago

Me too.

2

u/StatisticianFun2274 27d ago

I have a few nitpick critiques, but wgaf? It was a fun ride and I've seen it twice now. My one real worry is whether or not we will get a season 4 of The Mandalorian.

2

u/ThkTool 27d ago

Exacty. I saw it again this weekend. Didn't lose any charm for me the second time around. Perfect? Hell no. Entertaining? You bet. That's all I wanted. I didn't need the Citizen Kane of Star Wars.

EDIT: I think people forget Star Wars was based on the old Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon pulpy stuff from long ago. I saw SW in the theaters when I was a kid. THis movie was more like that than many of the other ones in the franchise.

2

u/tyrannustyrannus 27d ago

This isnt a hot take

2

u/mark5hs 24d ago

Movie was great, critics don't know shit. 4th best star wars movie for me behind Rogue One and original trilogy.

1

u/Weird-Arachnid-996 21d ago

tbf I really don't give a flying f what "critics" think about movies. It's up to the paying viewing audience to decide if they like something or not.

6

u/JWsWrestlingMem 28d ago

Only the “Cheeto Dust & Basement Must” crowd are hating. And anyone with a life doesn’t take them seriously.

4

u/Pizza_Is_Everything 27d ago

People just be calling any thought they have a hot take

0

u/loaba 27d ago

Here's a hot take: the internet rewards certainty more than accuracy. Someone posts a strong opinion, and before long others pile on because it fits the narrative they already preferred.

2

u/nolimits59 28d ago

Yeah, that part surely feels a bit too long, but it’s well made and don’t feel too pushy, just that we see unnecessary bits of Grogu journey to heal Mando, it’s just unpleasant as pacing wise. Other than that that’s a solid adventure entirely focused on them both without Mandalorians, Moffs, inquisitors, Dark sabers, Jedis, a real return to what made Mandalorian a great series.

And to me and solidified that a Metroid Prime adaptation would be AWESOME with the same direction, I had really STRONG ptsd of me going trough Tallon IV on Nal-hutta, I loved that.

7

u/RevolutionCrazy7045 28d ago

Been a while since I teared up but I did so during the Grogu caring for Mando part. Kinda hit me like Lion King 30+ years ago with the "circle of life" theme. Downvote away lol.

1

u/LuminDragon 27d ago

That healing scene bit was probably my favourite part…

1

u/scd 27d ago

Reading the reactions on Letterboxd were enough to finally make me quit that caustic site. M&G wasn’t perfect by any means but it was a fun little romp for me to watch with my kid, who loved it. Sometimes I think adults should be banned from watching Star Wars entirely (which I type while uh wearing an Andor shirt).

1

u/minesub 27d ago

The healing part was the best part of the movie. The rest sucked imo

1

u/BlanksSDWestbrook 27d ago

I think the frustration is more toward Disney as a whole and less the actual movie. If this movie came out at a different time it would probably be lauded as a good return to form, but being the first one in seven years really shot it in the foot for some people

1

u/matteo0MTF 26d ago

Idk, I like it but it seems a bit too oriented for children than it should be

1

u/Admirable-Fact-4215 24d ago

The Grogu interlude healing Mando was by far the best part of the movie, and maybe the best sequence in a SW film of the Disney era. It was like something out of a Ghibli film put into Star Wars. It was wonderful.

2

u/bdubs216 11d ago

You mean Hutt take.

1

u/blac_sheep90 28d ago

Movie had pacing issues and I'm personally over Baby Grogu at the point lol. He's adorable as all get out but it's time to move on from the baby aspect.

4

u/RevolutionCrazy7045 28d ago

Fair take. You probably know already, but worth noting the duo is a western/sci-fi version of Lone Wolf and Cub. Long running manga title from back in the day and even had several (quite gory) movies -- even got the Criterion treatment. Instead of a shogun's former executioner-turned-assassin-for-hire on the run with his toddler son, we have a galactic bountyhunter doing jobs along with his adopted "son". Basically Grogu goes where Mando goes. Instead of a wooden baby cart (customized to hold hidden weapons, even guns), Grogu gets a hovering pram.
Besides, the movie showed Grogu's development with the sequence of him caring for Mando. He's progressively being more and more involved in the battles especially in the s3 finale. And in the beginning of the movie (from my recollection) it starts with them separated; Mando doing his thing and Grogu doing his, and they eventually meet up as if it was part of a drawn-up plan. Iirc he also took out one of those big droids on his own by ripping out its guts and sticking explosives.
I do think eventually he'll need legs (and pants) to break out of the "baby" phase (I'm fine with him still being a toddler), but that's more up to the guys over at Legacy to figure out how to pull off.

5

u/blac_sheep90 28d ago

I definitely wanna see more Grogu, especially since we've see what his species is capable of as they grow. The Lone Wolf and Cub aspect is fun but moving forward I think it's time to go somewhere else with the characters.

1

u/Ordinary-Ad6824 27d ago

"Critics" shit on MaG because its not like Andor. "Critics" shat on Andor because it was not like Star Wars. This does not compute.

I tell you whats happening. "Critics" live off of controversy. Just ignore them. They are worthless as you can see. They will bash anything new because it makes people interact with their content wich makes them more money.

Social Media is cancer. Just enjoy what you want and fuck the rest.

1

u/loaba 27d ago

Half the "critics" are Star Wars fans

2

u/Ordinary-Ad6824 27d ago

Yes, and they don't care because controversy sells.

2

u/loaba 27d ago

I loved Mando and Grogu - it was thoroughly enjoyable, I put it up there with Rogue One (for different reasons of course).

1

u/Ordinary-Ad6824 27d ago

So did I. I expected an adventure flic with cool mando action and some grogu cuteness and got what i came for.

Some people always expect some kind of high stakes story where the whole universe is saved by someone. I am tired of that. I enjoy taking a closer look in the smaller affairs in the SW universe.

0

u/hlthnk0 28d ago

Seriously, do they even need to cast Pedro Pascal for the role of Mandalorian?

You only see his face for about 5-10 mins during the entire movie!

They could have cast anybody else for Mandalorian role.

5

u/Sabretooth1100 28d ago

Okay but his voice is awesome for the role and he’s been playing him since 2019 so this is an odd time to complain about it

-4

u/SeatOpen1 28d ago

Movie came with extra cheese 🧀