FILM REVIEW: STAR WARS – THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (12A)ESP RATING: 3/5

ESP’s chief film critic, Gavin Miller, and his 12-year-old son, Joshua, went to the opening weekend launch of the latest Star Wars movie – with a glorious IMAX screening of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

After more than half a decade it’s great to see Star Wars back on the big-screen!

Even though it’s not a part of the Skywalker saga – or has closer ties like previous spin-offs Rogue One and Solo – this is still an enjoyable romp in a galaxy far, far away.

It’s left to bounty hunter Din ‘The Mandalorian’ Djarin and his adopted son, Yoda-alike ‘force sensitive’ apprentice Grogu, to reignite the franchise – and does the basics right to just about do that.

This big-screen adventure – based on the acclaimed Disney Plus TV series – may just seem like an expanded feature-length episode at time, but that would be doing it a disservice.

Continuing pretty much where series three left-off – it has actually been rumoured this movie replaced a potential season four – Djarin is now an independent contractor working for the New Republic after the demise of Emperor Palpatine and Galactic Empire after the events of The Return of the Jedi.

His immediate contact is Sigourney Weaver’s ex-Rebel Alliance pilot-turned-commander Ward, who tasks Djarin with hunting down Imperial Warlords, with Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum) – from animated series Rebels in his first live-action role – aiding them on missions.

But things get complicated when one mission leads to him tracking down the nephew – the infamously deceased Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta (Jeremy Allen White) – of two Hutt twins, who promise to give Djarin the whereabouts of his latest bounty – the mysteriously elusive Commander Coin – in return.

Unfortunately things don’t go as planned, and via several eclectic locales – from a menacing gladiator arena on Planet Shakari to a terrifying Dragonsnake pit on Nal Hutta – the story unfolds in a generally predicable fashion.

With some terrific action sequences – particularly the AT-AT inclusive opening salvo – and impressive creature battles (which add to Star Wars lore) this always remains engaging throughout to carve out a competently solid adventure. If arguably little more.

But with The Mandalorian as ‘cool’ and Grogu as ‘cute’ as ever, it’s hard to dislike anything they do. The Jedi Youngling in particular comes to the aid of his ‘father’ on more than one occasion as he continues to expand his incredible powers.

And impressively, director Jon Favreau (The Lion King) – who wrote and produced episodes of the series – refrains from shoe-horning unnecessary fan service into the movie (bar one or two ‘Easter Eggs’) which makes a refreshing change.

Ultimately, this Star Wars chapter doesn’t really add more to the wider universe – being a more-confined story – but my son, Joshua, absolutely loved it for the fun spectacle that it was, as this ticks a lot of the summer family blockbuster boxes.

It might not linger in the memory for too long, but this was a welcomed film debut for this infectious duo – as they usher Star Wars into the next generation.

ESP Rating: 3/5

Gavin Miller

Joshua’s (Gavin’s 12-year-old son) Rating: 4.5/5

Odeon Luxe Peterborough & Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough, Out Now

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, Steve Blum, Jonny Coyne, Shirley Henderson, Matthew Willig, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee & Martin Scorsese

Running Time: 2 Hrs 12 Mins

Director: Jon Favreau

Film Review Venue: Odeon Luxe Imax Peterborough

For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Odeon Luxe & Showcase Cinema De Lux Cinemas go to www.odeon.co.uk and www.showcasecinemas.co.uk