Editor vs Writer: The Mandalorian and The Grogu But the Heart Behind the Helmet Fades

The highly anticipated cinematic event Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu has officially landed on the biggest screens possible, marking a massive milestone for the franchise as the very first Star Wars film to be officially "Filmed For IMAX". Directed by long-time IMAX collaborator Jon Favreau, the movie successfully transitions the epic journey of Din Djarin and Grogu from the small screen into a grand, galaxy-spanning spectacle.

Editor

I had both a sense of curiosity and high hopes when it came to The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Being completely honest I did feel a bit underwhelmed, especially with their being quite an average story line, less complex or imaginative than you would expect from Lucas Films. While I did enjoy some of the humour that was thrown it, the plot as a whole seemed tedious at times.

Also to address the ‘wookie’ in the room, is anyone else wondering why we only see probably about 5-10 mins of Pedro Pascal without his helmet on throughout the whole 2 hour film, might as well been someone else under the helmet for majority of the time. Don’t get me wrong, I like Pedro Pascal as an actor, but think would have preferred to see the man under the helmet more. Grogu, yes he was cute and helped save the day so kudos on that front.

If I were to rate it out of ten, I would give this 4.5 out of 10 just for the reason that it was a spin off film which did not really fit (in my opinion) with the wider Star Wars franchise.

Writer:

From a technical and visual standpoint, this film is an absolute triumph. Because Favreau partnered closely with IMAX from early pre-production and camera tests all the way through post-production, the scale of the universe feels utterly massive. Watching the space battles and Grogu's standout, scene-stealing moments transition into the floor-to-ceiling provides a level of visual immersion that you simply cannot get anywhere else.

However, despite its technical brilliance, the movie stumbles in a few areas that might leave dedicated fans feeling a bit disconnected.

The most frustrating element of the film is the lack of face-to-face screen time with its central star. You only really see Pedro Pascal out of his helmet for a brief 5 to 10 minutes. For a character whose emotional core drives the entire narrative, spending so little time with the actual actor behind the mask feels like a missed opportunity to anchor the film's massive scale with genuine human emotion.

Furthermore, while the film boasts a custom audio mix optimized specifically for IMAX's powerful sound systems, the creative direction of the music itself falls flat. There simply wasn't enough connection between the soundtrack and the scenes. Instead of elevating the tension or mirroring the emotional beats on screen, the score often felt separate from the action rather than woven into it.

My rate is 5 out 10.

Words by Sal F. and Thushara C.