What was it that made you fall in love with Star Wars? Was it the creatures? Was it the space battles? Was it the awesome lightsabers? The toys? Of course. All of the above and more. But none of that would’ve mattered if you didn’t care or relate to the characters. If the story of heroism and triumph did grab you and never let go. And we think the marketing for The Mandalorian and Grogu is sorely lacking in that crucial area, which has us a little worried.
Next month (yes, next month), The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first Star Wars movie in seven years, will be hitting theaters. It’s written and directed by Jon Favreau, a man whose passion for Star Wars helped change the entire face of the franchise, thanks to the massively popular and successful Disney+ show on which the movie is based. He’s also made excellent films throughout his career (Iron Man, Zathura, Elf, etc.), so it seems like a super solid combination. (He also wrote and starred in, literally, my favorite movie of all time, Swingers, so I’m a fan.)
And yet do you hear that? Those are crickets in terms of excitement that a new Star Wars movie is coming out in a few weeks. Why? Well, we think it’s because everything we’ve seen from the movie has told almost nothing about that one, big, crucial thing that makes Star Wars so special: the story. So far, there’s no big hook to get audiences to see the movie outside of “It’s Star Wars.”
Case in point is this new clip released on Wednesday. It’s Favreau and his stars, Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, highlighting a bunch of the creatures that feature in the film. And, we have to admit, they look awesome. Star Wars absolutely needs to be filled with creatures and droids. But is that really a selling point? It’s like saying, “We made a Marvel movie, and there are superheroes in it.” Of course there are! It has to have that at the bare minimum. Here’s that clip.
Now, it’s great that Favreau and his team are using so many grounded techniques to bring creatures and droids to life in The Mandalorian and Grogu. But to what end? What is this movie even about? All we know is that it’s about the Mandalorian and Grogu helping the New Republic out with some bounties. Clearly, there’s more to that, and clearly, it’s very specifically being hidden. But I think that’s a huge mistake. We need a reason to go to the theater to see this, and the fact that there are creatures and droids in it is not enough.
What about where the final season of The Mandalorian left us? There’s a whole planet in need of a leader. Could Din Djarin be that leader? Wasn’t there a freaking real Mythosaur lurking beneath the planet? Wouldn’t revealing that to his fellow Mandalorians be the type of event that could unify them together in a time of confusion in the galaxy? And what about the fact Grogu is a creature whose mere existence is the type of thing that could shift the entire Star Wars galaxy? Will any of that play any role in this? So far, there’s no indication either way. It’s just creatures and action scenes, Hutts and Martin Scorsese. And don’t get us started on that Super Bowl commercial that was nothing but vibes.
Now, compare those trailers to the early teasers for Avengers: Doomsday. Those were short and sweet but focused on emotions. Steve Rogers has a family. Thor wants to protect his kid. The X-Men are failing. These are human feelings we can relate to that also happen to be characters we want to see back in theaters. What is the human, emotional hook to The Mandalorian and Grogu? We’ll have to go to the theater to find out.
In fact, going to the theater itself is another thing that much of the film’s marketing has focused on so far. The trailers have been very focused on the film being “Forged for IMAX.” Favreau has also spoken in interviews about the film using the practical sets to make sure it has that big-screen feel. We are positive the movie is going to look and feel massive, especially in large-screen formats. But, again, isn’t that expected? To what end are these things happening? Will it just be nice to look at? Or will we be on the edge of those seats with excitement and emotion? What was it about this story, at this time, that made it something we need to see in theaters?
We don’t know, but hopefully, we’ll find out soon. With the movie mere weeks away, the marketing for the film is about to ramp up, and we’d imagine that will include a little more about why we should care about this adventure. But, as things stand now, we are very, very worried audiences are going to head to the theater in May, see a 2-hour episode of The Mandalorian with bigger, better effects, and think, “I could’ve waited to see that on Disney+.” And. as a Star Wars fan, I really, truly hope I’m wrong.
Where’s your level of excitement for The Mandalorian and Grogu? Have the trailers and clips worked for you? Let us know below. And we’ll (hopefully) have more on the film leading up to its May 22 release.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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