“Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” is what the title says it is.

It’s a buddy film about two characters from the “Star Wars” franchise. It’s based on the Disney+ television series, “The Mandalorian” (2019–2023).

When your main character, The Mandalorian, wears a helmet for the majority of the movie and his sidekick, Grogu, who is The Mandalorian’s adopted son, doesn’t talk, you have a formidable challenge for the film-makers, and for the movie-goer.

The Force may be with them, but it’s forced.

Din Djarin, The Mandalorian, is played by Pedro Pascal. Not that you’d know it.

To emphasize that there could be anybody under the helmet and in the superhero suit, there actually is, or are. Two actors, Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, are listed in the credits as stunt performers for the Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian speaks from inside the helmet in a voice that recalls the clipped low growl of Clint Eastwood (think the movies, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” 1966, and “Dirty Harry,” 1971) or Michael Keaton (the movie, “Batman,” 1989). With Batman, at least his eyes and lips expressed emotion.

Not so with The Mandalorian. His shiny helmet, a work of steam punk sculptural art, stays firmly in place as does his caped gun-metal gray costume. Only in one scene is his helmet removed and we see his face. Pedro Pascal looks as bewildered as the rest of us.

Grogu, also known as Baby Yoda, is portrayed by a team of puppeteers and with Computer Generated Imagery. Grogu makes cute squeaky sounds like that of a dog’s plastic squeeze toy. Grogu resembles a green-skinned rubbery troll doll circa 1960s to 1990s.

When you have two main characters whose main means of communicate with each other are nods of affirmative or negative, you have to fill up the movie screen with other images, characters and action scenes.

The Mandalorian is a bounty hunter, hired by Ward (Sigourney Weaver) to apprehend a crime lord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne), and rescue Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White).

The voice talent includes for Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum), Hugo Durant (a very funny Martin Scorsese) and The Anzelians (Shirley Henderson).

The Mandalorian is thrown into several battles, not of X-wing fighters, although there are those toward the end of the film. The Mandalorian battles the most hideous monsters this side of an “Alien” movie. The fight scenes recall Godzilla and King Kong movies, sword fights, martial arts and the stop-motion films of Ray Harryhausen.

Battle scenes are expertly staged and crafted by director Jon Favreau (four-time Primetime Emmy Awards nominee: “The Mandalorian,” 2020, 2021; director: “The Lion King,” 2016; “Iron Man,” 2008, and 2010 sequel; “Elf,” 2003).

Favreau wrote the screenplay for “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” with Dave Filoni, a native of Mount Lebanon, Allegheny County (six-time Daytime Emmy Awards nominee and two-time winner, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021), and Noah Kloor (writer, “The Book of Boba Fett,” 2021, 2022) based on characters created by George Lucas.

Composer Ludwig Göransson (five-time Oscar nominee; three-time Oscar winner: original score, “Sinners,” 2025; “Oppenheimer,” 2024; “Black Panther,” 2019) combines orchestra, choral voices and synthesizers for the impressive soundtrack.

Cinematographer is David Klein (three Primetime Emmy Awards nominations: “Deadwood: The Movie,” 2019; “Homeland,” 2016, 2014).

Production Design is by Doug Chiang (Oscar, Visual Effects, “Death Becomes Her,” 1993) and Andrew L. Jones (Primetime Emmy Awards winner, “The Mandalorian,” 2020).

“Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” has the sense of a 1970s’ film, not unlike the original “Star Wars” (1977).

The “Star Wars” cinematic saga is far from over.

Upcoming: “Star Wars: Starfighter” (2027), starring Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams, Aaron Pierre and Mia Goth, and “Star Wars: New Jedi Order” (2027), starring Daisy Ridley.

Here’s hoping The Force is with them.

“Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” MPA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned: Content inappropriate for children under 13) for sci-fi violence and action; Genre: Science Fiction; Run Time: 2 hours, 12 minutes. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” was filmed in Los Angeles and MBS Media Campus, Manhattan Beach, Calif., and the on the Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada.

At The Movies: “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” was seen in the Dolby Theatre at AMC, AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, June 5-7: “Scary Movie,” sixth in the franchise that debuted 26 years ago, stars Regina Hall, Olivia Rose Keegan, Anna Faris, Marlon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. in the Horror Parody film, and opened at No. 1, with $55 million in 3,490 theaters. It’s the best-ever opening in the series.

“Masters of the Universe,” starring Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba and Jared Leto in the Science-Fiction Action film, opened at No. 2 with $29.3 million in 3,677 theaters.

3. “Backrooms” dropped two places from its one-week at No. 1 with $25,9 million in 3,565 theaters, $135 million, two weeks. 4. “Obsession” dropped two places, $25.6 million in 2,900 theaters, $152.1 million, four weeks. 5. “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act,” a feature-length version of the final two Netflix episodes, $11.5 million in 2,221 theaters, $19.4 million since June 4 opening. 6. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” dropped three places, $10 million in 3,355 theaters, $155.8 million, three weeks. 7. “Michael” dropped three places, $7.7 million in 2,636 theaters, $354.2 million, seven weeks. 8. “The Breadwinner” dropped three places, $3.4 million in 3,252 theaters, $13.8 million, two weeks. 9. “Pressure,” $3 million in 1,855 theaters, $11.1 million, two weeks. 10. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” dropped four places, $2.8 million in 1,800 theaters, $214.9 million, six weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of June 7 may be subject to change.

Unreel, June 12:

“Disclosure Day,” MPA rated PG-13; 2 hours, 25 mins. Steven Spielberg directs Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, in the Science-Fiction Thriller. It’s an aliens encounter of the real kind.

Movie opening information from Internet Movie Database as of June 7 may be subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes