After three seasons on Disney Plus, Pedro Pascal and Baby Yoda have made the jetpack

assisted leap to the big screen with Star Wars, the Mandalorian, and Grogu.

The laconic bounty hunter and his just enervatingly cute sidekick are hired by the good

guys to do a job for some bad guys. So Griny Weaver shows up briefly and Jeremy Allen White voices a super jacked hut. You know what you're going to get. Creatures, droids, Easter eggs, pew, pew, pew, pew, but will folks go out to the movies to watch something they've gotten to know on their couches? We'll talk about it. I'm Glenn Weldon. Joining me today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour is podcaster Jordan Morris. He's the co-host of Jordan Jesse Go and free with ads. Hey Jordan. Hi, Glenn. This is the way. I tell you I'm glad to be here. I was wondering if it was the way. Also with us is writer and host of the new film-spotting podcast

movie death match coming June 1st, Chris Klemick. Hey, Chris, congrats on the new gig. Thank you. Gentlemen, as Star Wars entered its hutsploitation phase, there are no two guys I'd rather chop it up with. Here we go. If you have been watching the Mandelarian on Disney Plus, you know the basics, but here they are if you have not.

It's a few years after you know the basics, but here they are if you

have not. It's a few years after Return to the Jedi, the evil Galactic Empire is no more, and the

New Republic is attempting to assert itself, but there are still imperial bad guys out there who need

to be brought to justice. Enter the Mandalorian, a bounty hunter and badass armor and a helmet.

He's played by Pedro Pascal, but also by Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder when he's got the helmet on and he's

walking around and doing stunts. Mando, as he's called, has taken a young alien named Grogu

under his wing. He's cute. He can use the force. He gurgles and coos and whatnot. The New

Republic Good Guys ask Mando and Grogu to rescue the son of Jabba the Hut, named Rata.

He's voiced by Jeremy Allen White.

That job proves more complicated than it seems, which leads to lots and lots and lots and lots of fights.

The Mandalorian and Grogu was directed by John Favro, who created the Disney Plus

series. It is in theaters now. Jordan, we return to that question. Is this the way?

Yeah. So I will say this is kind of the way, or at least it was kind of the way for me. I think

this movie's biggest pro is also its biggest con, in that it feels like a long episode of that TV show.

The way I like that is that, you know, I think modern Star Wars movies have all felt very burdened.

You know, it's like they can't just tell a fun space story.

They have to introduce classic characters and sometimes kill them and set up theme park rides and video games.

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