The Mandalorian & Grogu - Star Wars on Autopilot

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]The following is a clip from the World Class Bullshitters live show broadcasting live here on YouTube at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time every Thursday night. You're invited, but we don't accept Republic credits.

[00:00:12]Today is a redletter date in history.

[00:00:14]It's been almost 7 years since a new Star Wars film has been released in theaters, and the internet has not responded kindly. But critics have responded responded even less kindly to The Mandalorian and Grou. Now, you and I have sat through said film, and we are going to give you folks a worldclass review. Uh, we will avoid spoilers for a few minutes. We'll just talk about the basics, and then we'll give you a countdown. But let's be honest here.

[00:00:42]Most of you aren't going to rush out to see this.

[00:00:45]And so, we'll talk about So, Dion, what were your thoughts about this film going in? And did you leave satisfied?

[00:00:52]>> My going in, my thoughts were this needs to at least be pretty good. Obviously, Star Wars needs a dub. I was cautiously optimistic, mainly because, you know, Disney ain't got a lot of choices left with Luke or excuse me, Lucas ain't got a lot of choices left. That being said, go to the movie, see it. Uh, saw it with Wifey. Um, I will say that I did leave satisfied.

[00:01:19]See, I think everybody was expecting me to tear this movie a new [ __ ] I don't think it's a good movie. I don't think it's a bad movie. I think it is a an extended episode of The Mandalorian.

[00:01:33]And that's as nice of a compliment as I can give it. I wasn't angry. I didn't really roll my eyes like I thought I was going to. Like, it's very predictable. I told you guys at the beginning of the the show, folks, there's nothing in the movie that you don't know. Like, I don't think there were any secret characters.

[00:01:52]Every major scene was represented. I don't know if there's anything in the movie that you don't know about, so I couldn't spoil it for you. But I just my sense, Dion, was I didn't leave the theater disappointed. I went h and I just kind of like didn't really think about it until we had to get ready for the show. So, um I love the Mandalorian TV show. I think the the design is great. I don't hate Baby Yoda. Uh but this just it really is, folks. It's just it feels like a big It's like if you've binged The Mandalorian all of the three seasons and you need more, you would binge this movie and then it would just feel like you can either reloop the show or just stop. I I think this whole movie exists to just sell Disney Plus subscriptions, dude. Like I don't think it exists to be a movie.

[00:02:43]>> I mean, I I I I do not think that you're far off on that. That being said, I do think that that's a separate conversation. There are worse Star Wars movies than this by a lot.

[00:02:54]>> There are better Star Wars movie than this by a lot.

[00:02:56]>> It kind of lives in a weird window where if you go out of your way to watch it, you won't remember it. It's just like the Mandalorian fights creatures and it looks cool. He flies a ship and it looks cool. Baby Yoda does cute [ __ ] and they don't even overdo the cute [ __ ] Like I was surprised, you know? I thought this was going to be like the 1980s like an ET commercial just [ __ ] [ __ ] all over the screen. I thought it was going to be so sappy and garbage like the skeleton crew. It was It had the violence. It had the action. It looked fine. My only complaint is you can tell that they film this like they do the TV show. And so on the big screen I didn't get any like wide panoramic shots.

[00:03:40]Everything was oddly cropped in. And I know you're thinking, Jeff, you're being an artist. You're being particular.

[00:03:45]Yeah, but like I do know a lot about framing and there are shots where they frame the Mandalorian. He's like bouncing off the screen and I'm just like, "All right, you know, this could be done a little better, but other than that, like the framing is my biggest critique." Nick, you're a filmmaker. If you go in to watch a movie and the story's okay and your biggest complaint is the cinematography, how would you grade that experience?

[00:04:05]>> I mean, it depends on how bad the cinematography was in all honesty. Um, >> oddly cropped in, so [ __ ] was cut out of frame like tops of heads and [ __ ] that really they're that like Disney did that bad of a job that they just like couldn't like they they they they forgot to put people's heads in there and [ __ ] really that's that that kind of explains a lot.

[00:04:26]>> They film it on this this like one to one sound stage where you can see the CGI being rendered in real time but it's got like a certain aspect ratio and you could tell when they filmed on that because like they'd be running and they wouldn't be able to get everybody in frame like the tops of their heads were just off the frame and just I don't know it looked weird to me. wouldn't put this [ __ ] Scorsese wouldn't put it in one of his movies, but oddly enough, Scorsese is in this movie.

[00:04:50]>> So, that's funny.

[00:04:53]>> Is he Is he Is he Is he Grou? Is that who he is?

[00:04:56]>> He's a forearmmed monkey.

[00:04:58]>> That's funny as [ __ ] >> Who owns a dude from uh the restaurant show is Grou?

[00:05:03]>> Oh god.

[00:05:04]>> No, that's that's Road to the Hut.

[00:05:07]>> Oh, >> nobody's Grou. Grou is just Grou. That's why he's going eating lemons and cookies and [ __ ] Did you say Grou? Voice of Grou.

[00:05:15]>> You think I mistakenly mistook Grou?

[00:05:18]>> Yes.

[00:05:19]>> You a fool.

[00:05:22]>> This is getting serious here, folks.

[00:05:23]>> Um, I will I will say Jamie Jackson.

[00:05:25]Yes. Project Hail Mary was better. It is better by leaps and bounds. It is movie of the year as of right now. So, >> well, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mandalorian Grou is not in contention for film of the year at all. For sure.

[00:05:38]>> No, but it's but you know, it's definitely good enough. all all that artistic [ __ ] that they just said aside.

[00:05:45]Um, you know, you definitely can tell it's a sound stage. Other than that, it looks good.

[00:05:51]>> So, basically, >> I issue as a as a as a >> what?

[00:05:56]>> Yeah. So, so basically, they had them on a sound stage on a treadmill and with some some wind machine, some fans blowing at them, so it looked like they were running. So, that's uh that's interesting.

[00:06:04]>> Yeah. I mean, you you definitely can tell when when there's anything that there's there's movement from one side to the other, you can tell that they're definitely in uh in a in a box, you know, but you know, like the the rebel base that's essentially supposed to be, you know, a vacation planet, you know, it looked that looks good enough. I thought, you know, a lot of the set stuff looked great. You know, you definitely can tell, you know, Lucasfilm is still very much reliant on using CGI [ __ ] for for alien stuff. There are moments where it's very obvious, you know, the dude that's helping out Mando from, you know, you you know, his whole face is CGI. Obviously, all the hut stuff is um you know, that [ __ ] every once in a while pokes out, but overall, you know, it look I thought it looked pretty damn um pretty damn good. Yeah, you can definitely tell it's they still did it the same way as uh as the show for sure.

[00:07:01]>> Nicely though that the character of the Mandalorian, everybody always says, "Well, I hate when movies take their main characters and brush them aside."

[00:07:08]No, he really wasn't brushed aside. He's not made to look weak. Here's the thing that some of the diehard audience might care about. There's no oneupping chick.

[00:07:18]Like Sigourney Weaver is only in the beginning and the end. She doesn't talk to Mando. She doesn't talk down to Mando. Excuse me. There's no like this is clearly of the Kathleen Kennedy era and it's clearly a Dave Filona influenced picture, but you also know it's John Favro because he has all the dumb characters cut out. Like, yep, >> you're not This movie moves very fast.

[00:07:39]And there's a middle part where not a lot happens, like when they're in the woods and you're waiting for him to wake up. That kind of went a little long, but >> there's not any like bad characters.

[00:07:49]Like you might say >> you you might say like Ray's lame or Finn's lame or Po is lame or Holo is terrible. Like there's nobody like that.

[00:07:58]>> Like I guess the most offensive character to the audience would be Dave Fona who throws himself in two cameos.

[00:08:03]But you got to look for his came ass anyway. So >> Oh jeez.

[00:08:08]>> Well, yeah. And and and the other thing too is on that same point, you know, you can tell that it is from the era of Kathleen Kennedy and sequel fans. But no, the sequel fans always they're very sensitive about that.

[00:08:21]>> There's like six just talking directly.

[00:08:23]>> No, there there's there's uh you know, combine it with all the troll accounts.

[00:08:29]They're clearly troll accounts. There's dozens dozens of them. And you know, they're going to say, "Oh, well, you know, you just blaming." I understand that you guys don't watch a lot of other movies on your own. You guys kind of watch stuff that people tell you to watch. And that's there's nothing wrong with that. But there is a thing with you know people depending on their amount of influence whether it be the directors, executive producers, executives, you can tell in films when you a very specific style of storytelling the way the movie looks all the things you can see all that [ __ ] That's one reason why a name you guys know even though you don't watch a lot of movies on your own is Spielberg and a lot of his movies look and feel the same.

[00:09:10]>> You feel a lot of Kath Kennedy in this.

[00:09:13]You know, the star the thing that Lucas from cannot stop is all the Memberberry [ __ ] And like again and again sequel fans again memberberry doesn't just mean referencing the universe it's in again because you guys don't watch a lot of movies on your own. A memberberry thing when it's put in the film is very specifically hey that thing you like this is like that that is a very obvious thing. There's a lot of it in this. Not because of the time period and everything. You know, the other bounty hunter is very clearly supposed to be our boy from Clone Wars with the hat and you know, he even does the hat thing.

[00:09:50]You know, they make it different where his his helmet can deflect uh blaster bolts. But, you know, they reference our boy uh because was uh Ba Bane. They reference Bane from Clone Wars.

[00:10:01]Obviously, you know, they make a reference, a New Hope reference with the when >> the Return of the Jedi [ __ ] when they're like Kayana Wonga.

[00:10:10]>> Yeah.

[00:10:12]you know, during the battle where you have that he he's even dressed like the chess players in a new hope where he smashes the guy down and go like they they reference that, you know, there there's a lot there's a lot of references. uh which which it doesn't take away, but that's the thing where I'm like, "Yep, this is definitely, you know, Kathleen Kenny was still around and Felon is still trying to play enough of both sides to keep uh to keep the Disney part of Lucasfilm happy." So, it doesn't take away, but those of us who like watch movies with our own brains, not the sequel fans, you you can tell this is the we're we're leaving that era of Lucasfilm for sure.

[00:10:53]>> Yeah. If only if only we could also leave the Snider verse degenerates behind, too.

[00:10:59]>> Well, they they have a choice now.

[00:11:00]That's why they're so mad. They don't have a choice.

[00:11:02]>> Yeah. Yeah. They don't have a choice.

[00:11:04]>> That's why that's why they're all still talking mad [ __ ] that um the Snyder version's good. It's like, guys, he failed. And listen, James Gun is trying to decide who's going to still be in this [ __ ] after the buy. You know, the Snyder one, they're they're just they're dying throws. They're they're they're what's his name in T2.

[00:11:24]They just really want us to know a Dyson movie.

[00:11:28]>> You know, they're they're the Ty. Yes, the Snyder fans are are Miles Dyson.

[00:11:32]Y'all about to die, >> dude. I just watched Speed the other night and he was in that and I was like, why doesn't he die in this one? Oh, wait. Jeff Daniels dies in this one.

[00:11:40]>> Yeah, Jeff Daniels dies. Yeah. By the way, Speed, I want Dion to hear this.

[00:11:44]Speed is a movie that I used to think highly of and then I rewatched it like last week. I That movie is so cheesy.

[00:11:52]Like Oh, 100%. 100%. 100%.

[00:11:55]>> 1995, right?

[00:11:57]>> 95. No, it's like >> that 90s cheese is That's a time capsule, baby.

[00:12:03]>> Yeah. Like I I would I don't think this about the rest of her career, but if you were to show me one movie with Sandra Bulock and it was Only Speed, I'd call her a [ __ ] actress because that is a terrible movie. She like can't act. It randomly changes. It's just like >> Oh my god. No, you should.

[00:12:18]>> No, that movie makes any [ __ ] sense, >> dude. She's even worse in part two.

[00:12:23]Yeah, cruise control with Jason.

[00:12:26]>> The funny thing is Jesus, they're like the worst part of part two.

[00:12:31]>> Now, who will defose the best? That damn face he makes with the leeches.

[00:12:36]>> Oh my god. Yeah.

[00:12:38]>> Now, Dion, uh, was it just you and Hildar that went and go went to see this movie?

[00:12:43]>> No, it was a decent turnout. The, um, the >> No, I meant of the family.

[00:12:47]>> Oh, yeah. Yep. It was just us cuz to be fair to them, you know, D2 had a concert and [ __ ] and we we I I've actually been like, "Hey, we're going to go grab dinner and do blah blah blah blah." So, they've they've been staying up late.

[00:13:00]So, tonight I was like, "Your your your mom, your aunt, and I gonna go see it.

[00:13:03]We'll go see it this weekend." And they were cool because they've been they were both just like, "Yeah, we just going to go to bed, dog." So the only reason >> the only reason I asked is because Variety has put out an article that says Star Wars isn't resonating with younger movie goers like it did for older generations. That just dropped today. So I was curious to hear what the kids had thought, but they didn't even go to the movie. So it kind of proves this a little valid.

[00:13:26]>> Yeah. The fact they wanted to sleep instead of go to the movie, I think says all you kind of want to, you know, want to say there. Um, >> y >> uh let me actually actually I want to recommend something that I saw sun uh was it last Yeah, last Sunday. Um uh I went to go see Obsession. Go watch that movie. Go watch Obsession.

[00:13:45]>> Yeah, our boy uh Curry Steve Curry and his and his boy that do a bunch of comedy skits online directed. I didn't know that until >> this is not a comedy movie. Okay, Dion, remember how you you you you uh you know told me about Dog Soldiers and it was how good it was. Go see Obsession.

[00:14:05]>> It's got people like Michael Johnston and Oh, Andy was in this. I'll watch it.

[00:14:10]>> You had my curiosity, sir. Now you have my attention.

[00:14:13]>> Yeah. I've never I've never been in a theater full of people who have all cringed at the exact same time at the exact same [ __ ] that's been going on.

[00:14:20]Like, it was just a very It was a very fun group experience. So, like Yeah. Go watch this, dude.

[00:14:26]>> Okay, you're on. I'm gonna I'm gonna watch >> Yeah. Um I got I got messaged by like I think Yeah. last weekend by five people, you know, uh that weekend to go watch it. I'm just like, "All right, fine.

[00:14:38]I'll go [ __ ] watch it." So, I was very happy with it. Was very, very happy.

[00:14:41]>> Awesome, man. Hell yeah.

[00:14:42]>> Guaranteed to be better than Speed.

[00:14:44]>> Uh yes.

[00:14:45]>> Okay. I'll go watch it. I have the >> There's a There's a little bit of body horror in it, too, so you you'll enjoy it. Um, but it's it's a it's an interesting story.

[00:14:54]>> Okay.

[00:14:55]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:14:57]>> Yeah. It's it's it's one of those things like these these content creators who have like, you know, made made a good amount of money, you know, doing content and being on the internet, who have made these horror movies these last this last I want to say this this last year have been doing a really good job with stuff and um how >> let's [ __ ] it up for them. Let's go make one that's just absolute dog [ __ ] But let's get a video release on it, like a video tape. We'll make more money than them. We'll sell it at the cons. Hey, you remember videapes? Well, we're going to sell you a video tape and a [ __ ] leather vest for 200 bucks.

[00:15:25]>> Jesus Christ.

[00:15:27]>> We'll be so loaded.

[00:15:29]>> Those [ __ ] Gen Z kids in their video tapes.

[00:15:32]>> Every week, man. I just I Somebody hooked up a Nintendo Switch 2 to a [ __ ] TV inside of a boom box. And I just was like, how dumb.

[00:15:44]I saved this video to send you guys to yell at it later. I'm the old man.

[00:15:48]That's the cloud.

[00:15:52]I'm bad as hell AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE, >> DUDE. The the the the fact that like major like all these boutique companies are doing major like VHS releases is hilarious. It really is. And it's just like and like they they sell out they they're mind you they're like $40 and $50 VH like they're $450 tapes and they sell out as soon as they release like minutes. It's minutes. So like it's it's crazy. That's insane.

[00:16:18]>> [ __ ] They think they found their their way back into the zeitgeist, man. They gonna ride that horse until it dies.

[00:16:25]>> Oh, yeah. Definitely.

[00:16:27]>> So, speaking of dying, Dion, what do you think The Mandalorian's going to do to close this segment out? Is this going to be a hit of a movie or we going to be talking about it next week that it had like a 90% drop off or some dumb [ __ ] >> Listen, I don't think it's going to be a hit. I don't think we're going to see a crazy drop off. I think we're gonna see it like barely limp to break even because you know as much as I enjoyed it um you know is is is it enough to be the renaissance for Lucasfilm? No. Like it's not it's not of the level of you know the originals obviously or even the prequels where like it's doing something where you're like damn man that was crazy. You know it's just a good another Yeah. It's another good entry in The Mandalorian and I don't think it's enough to to cross let to cross that billion mark, let alone, you know, make a make a serious dent in in Lucasfilm's attempt to come back to the theater.

[00:17:24]>> No, dude. Yeah, it's going to it's it's going to I I I think there's going to be a significant drop off next weekend for sure. I mean, you know, over the over the next two weeks per, you know, and I don't think it's going to make its money back because what was the projection it it has to make in order to break even?

[00:17:38]Was it five 500 million or 400 million or something?

[00:17:40]>> Well, it was 160 160 was the budget, I think. So, we looked up the other day.

[00:17:47]160 was the budget. Yep.

[00:17:51]>> Um, >> with gas prices and everything through the roof, I doubt Mando and Yoda Jr. is going to be a hit. Probably won't even break even. Those things are real concerns. Believe me, those are definitely real concerns with Disney.

[00:18:02]And I think they just created a movie perfect for streaming. It's like, "Hey, you already got Disney Plus at home." I mean, the Mario Galaxy movie is on Amazon Prime and it's been what, a month and 20 days? It came out April 1st, right?

[00:18:15]>> Yeah.

[00:18:16]>> Like Mandalorian and Disney Grou should be on Disney Plus probably by the 4th of July at this point. So, >> just a very that's a reasonable take.

[00:18:27]>> Yeah, that I'm not trying to be hyperbolic. I'm just being world quest right now, dude. Like that movie is just so mid. Like I Now folks, I did say something too in an earlier video. My guess was that the Mandalorian toys will be to Ali's by Christmas time. I'm going to guess Halloween. By Halloween, before the Christmas window, you're going to see Mandalorian and Grou stuff at Ali's.

[00:18:49]Ross Dress for Less or any of the other discounted toy chains. That is my guess because >> Well, isn't Starfire supposed or are Starfire supposed to come out at the end of the year, too?

[00:18:59]>> No, it's next year. Yeah, thanks.

[00:19:01]>> Okay. Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. Actually, Dion is the next Star Wars theatrical release.

[00:19:06]>> H, >> the original Star Wars >> that comes out in February.