'The Mandalorian and Grogu' offers light fun this summer

The first "Star Wars" movie released in seven years, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" seeks to capitalize on the success of the beloved television series. It's not the best movie in the franchise, and it's not the worst. What it is, is a fun time at the movies. The bounty hunter and his sidekick are available now only in theaters.&emsp;&emsp;The movie opens a few years after the events of "Return of the Jedi." The evil Galactic Empire has been defeated, and the fledgling New Republic is trying to find its footing and maintain order in the galaxy. Even though it was conquered, scattered supporters of the Empire are still alive and are working in secret to restore it. In steps our heroes.&emsp;&emsp;Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), also known as Mando, was formerly in the employ of criminal organizations. Now he and his foundling, Grogu, also known as Baby Yoda, work for the New Republic. Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) gives Mando assignments to capture or kill Empire loyalists.&emsp;&emsp;Mando is not happy with his newest assignment. Col. Ward wants him to locate and detain a mysterious warlord known as Commander Coin (Jonny Coyne). The problem is that no one knows what Coin looks like, much less where to find him. That is, no one but the criminals known as the Hutt Twins. They are the siblings of and successors to the deceased Jabba the Hutt. They agree to give the Republic the location of Coin, but they want something else first.&emsp;&emsp;Their nephew, Rotta (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), has been taken prisoner on the planet Shakari. Rotta is the son of Jabba. They need a professional warrior to rescue him. If Mando frees Rotta and brings him to the Hutts they will reveal Coin's whereabouts. Mando doesn't like it. He no longer works for criminals, he left that life behind and is not eager to return to it. But it's the only way to find Coin, so he accepts Col. Ward's assignment and he and Grogu begin a fun adventure. "Mando and Grogu" is chock full of Star Wars sci-fi action. Mando is one of the finest warriors in the galaxy; no one can best him in a one-on-one fight. His supremacy is on full display throughout the entire movie in one action scene after another. Most of the killing is done with a blaster with some well-choreographed fight scenes thrown in. He's like John Wick in a "Star Wars" movie.&emsp;&emsp;All that action means that the movie is far from boring, with one exception. There's a scene of 10 minutes or so where Grogu takes center stage. Usually Mando takes care of Grogu, but for 10 minutes that paradigm is flipped on its head. I love Grogu. Everyone does. He's funny and cute and fun to watch as he tries to learn how to use the force. But this series of scenes with him as the focal point is boring beyond words. Instead of 10 minutes it could have been two and the movie would have been better for it.&emsp;&emsp;The story of the film is, well, not much of a story at all. There's no Death Star to destroy to save the galaxy, no stakes so large that failure will be catastrophic. Instead, what you get is Mando and Grogu taking on a few missions that they hope to complete and make it back home in one piece. It feels more like three long episodes of the TV show than a movie. And there's nothing wrong with that.&emsp;&emsp;If you like the series, you will like this movie. It's just more of the same on a bigger screen. That being said, you don't have to watch the series first. In fact, you don't need to do any homework to enjoy the film. A basic understanding of the "Star Wars" universe is all that's required to have fun with this movie. This is neither the beginning nor the end of the story for Mando and Grogu. It's a low stakes film not meant to be profound, but more to provide some light entertainment for the whole family. Grade: B+Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action. ••• Bradley Griffith is a local attorney and longtime film buff.