By Lucas Camacho and Judy Shields
On Thursday night at the historic El Capitan Theatre, Star Wars fans were treated to another amazing chapter in the saga of the Mandalorian. In their first feature length movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu delivered a roller-coaster ride of emotions with an amazing story and stunning characters. In the movie, the Mandalorian, Din Djarin, and his ward Grogu are now working for the New Republic to track down remaining Imperial Warlords who scheme to bring about the return of the Empire. The film stars Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian, alongside Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver.
The event itself was packed with Star Wars fans of all ages. They all came with their Star Wars hats, shirts, and outfits for the big event. We also got to witness a special recognition before the film started. A member from the LA City Council came with a commemorative declaration celebrating the El Capitan Theatre’s 100-year anniversary. The laser light show before the movie pumped the audience up before the film that they were eagerly expecting. As the movie went on, I heard the fans’ excitement, gasps, laughs, and cheers throughout the film. The audience reaction seems to differ from that of some other critics’ reviews.
I have made it no secret that I seriously question the opinions of so-called “experts” in many of my sports articles. However, now I must question the opinions of “experts” in the film critics’ circle as well. Some of the more critical reviews focused on the plot, visuals, and action sequences. I am not sure which movie these folks were watching, but it wasn’t this one.
The action was not just on-pace, it was on-brand for what Star Wars fans expect from the Mandalorian story. The visuals were not straight out of Avatar, but they were still great, especially the location of the New Republic base. As for the plot, it could be considered episodic like the 1970 movie M*A*S*H, and there were a lot of critics that loved that movie (it’s times like this that this type of hypocrisy is almost painful). But more importantly, and I cannot belabor the point anymore, it is EXACTLY what fans of the Mandalorian series have come to expect.
I personally loved every aspect of the film, especially the character arc for Grogu. Here we see the character that fans lovingly dubbed “Baby Yoda” really come into his own and defend himself and those he cares about. Remember, the critics are not always right, and admittedly audience scores are not entirely right either (the review bombing campaigns against some of Marvel’s recent projects like The Marvels and Ironheart are proof of that). However, if this audience’s reaction was any indication…this is a great movie.
Overall, this was another remarkable story to add to the Star Wars franchise’s impressive portfolio of stories. With another season of Ahsoka on the horizon and an untitled film meant to serve as a conclusion to these interconnected stories created by Dave Filoni, we can expect to see the Mandalorian and Grogu both sometime soon. I look forward to their return in eager anticipation. I am also glad to have gone with my cousin, Judy, who wrote her comments down below:
Well, although I have only seen one episode at the PaleyFest in 2024, as Lucas reminded me, I have to say after watching this amazing, heart pounding and entertaining film, I will be seeing the Mandalorian on Disney+. There is comedy, suspense, Martin Scorsese’s character, awesome fighting machines, and the scariest looking reptile I have seen on the big screen. Many easter eggs as Lucas pointed out, but most importantly, there is story of the love of a child and what’s it like to grow up without parents, either human or “worm” and be humble and kind. Judy Shields, The Hollywood Times.
Here are more photos from our night at the premiere:
