5 Things We Learned After Watching 25 Minutes Of The Mandalorian And Grogu

This is the way ... to spoilers for "The Mandalorian and Grogu"

It's been seven years since a new "Star Wars" movie dropped in theaters. "Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker" was a bit of a ... disappointment, to put things mildly. "Rise of Skywalker" had so many confusing moments (in addition to retconning a ton of previous plot points) that it felt like a rushed way to wrap up Rey's (Daisy Ridley) story. The franchise has lived on with various Disney+ series, and the first of those is getting the big screen treatment with "The Mandalorian and Grogu."

The film releases on May 22, but Looper had the chance to see about 25 minutes of footage early. The scenes presented seem to be from the beginning of the movie, but it's possible there were a few moments missing to keep some context hidden.

What we saw was Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu infiltrating a meeting on Hoth where an Imperial sympathizer is shaking down some people for more protection money, insisting all the while that the Empire will rise once more. Djarin kills him instead of bringing him back to the New Republic alive for information.

Ward (Sigourney Weaver) gives the team, which includes "Star Wars Rebels" member Zeb (Steve Blum), a new mission to speak with the Hutts for information on a mysterious Imperial officer, Commander Coin. But the Hutts will only give it to Djarin if he rescues their nephew, Rotta (Jeremy Allen White), who's a popular gladiator on Shakari. The footage ended there, but there were some notes of interest that hardcore "Star Wars" fans should find interesting.

One of the most iconic aspects of "Star Wars" is its opening crawl, which establishes exposition so that each film can get right into the action. While a fixture for decades, some films have chosen to dispatch of it, like "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." It still pops up occasionally. The opening crawl for the "Ahsoka" Disney+ series had a small grammatical error, but fans were probably delighted to see it all the same. 

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" doesn't have a crawl, exactly. Instead, we get some static text on screen to establish where the galaxy is at this point in time. It reads: 

"The evil GALACTIC EMPIRE has fallen. Ex-Imperial Warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy, plotting the Empire's return. The fledgling NEW REPUBLIC has begun to reunite the galaxy.

In the Lawless Outer Rim, THE MANDALORIAN and his young apprentice GROGU work to hunt down these Imperial fugitives..."

For anyone who hasn't seen "The Mandalorian," it sets up how Din Djarin is a bounty hunter and how Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, tags along on his missions. The text doesn't move, but considering the opening sequence has a lot going on, it's good to get all this information out of the way so that "Star Wars" newbies aren't confused going into this new adventure. 

The first season of "The Mandalorian" came out in 2019, and it felt like a breath of fresh air, especially after the lackluster "Rise of Skywalker." It was a standalone story about a bounty hunter and a child who looked like a young Yoda. It didn't get caught up in the machinations of the galaxy and was a great entry point for new "Star Wars" fans. But then we reach "The Mandalorian" Season 3, which many fans feel is a massive step down. Looper's review of the Season 3 finale mentions how it feels directionless, focusing more on fellow Mandalorian Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) than Din Djarin.

Fortunately, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" feels like a return to form. It recaptures some of the vibes where it was just Djarin and Grogu going on adventures. Djarin is back to his bounty hunter ways, and considering how he kills the main crime boss in the opening sequence, he still abides by his ethos of bringing in his bounties warm or cold. 

"The Mandalorian" Season 3 ends with Bo-Katan being the new leader of Mandalore, and no longer existing under Imperial rule. Djarin goes off to take up contract work with Grogu, so it's unlikely we'll get any convoluted Mandalorian history. Season 3 ends in a place where we can just have Bo-Katan doing her own thing on another side of the galaxy while Djarin is back to familiar beats. It's a far more simple plot for casual "Star Wars" fans to follow, and after the mixed reception of Season 3, it appears to be a solid return to form. 

"Star Wars" has always had a bit of comedy. These are movies designed for children after all, so there are cute critters and slapstick to keep the kids entertained. Rian Johnson, director of "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi," even spoke about how integral comedy is to the franchise. Well, Johnson doesn't need to worry bout "The Mandalorian and Grogu" because Grogu offers plenty of laughs. 

In the first 25 minutes, Grogu gets plenty of time to shine. Within the opening sequence, there's a moment where Din Djarin's trying to shoot down an escape pod in the same room as bombs are about to detonate. Grogu keeps looking back and forth from the bombs to Djarin and very quickly taps on his helmet to direct his attention toward the problem. Watching little Grogu's arms move with such speed is hilarious. 

Grogu also tries to steal some snacks from Ward, and even the way the little guy walks through doors with his teeny feet is simply delightful. Contrasted with Djarin's stoic demeanor, the two make a perfect duo. One thing's for sure: If anything bad happens to Grogu in this movie, we riot. 

We thought Jeremy Allen White, who's playing the buff Rotta the Hutt, getting second billing in the movie was the most surprising thing in the opening credits sequence. But then Martin Scorsese's name popped up, and we were flabbergasted.

Apparently, this was confirmed earlier, as director Jon Favreau told SFX Magazine (via Total Film) that Kathleen Kennedy called in a favor to get Scorsese in the "Star Wars"  movie. "She knows him well, she socializes with him, and she's like a gold-star producer, so this was an easy one for her," the filmmaker stated. "She called him up, he said yes and I got to direct him. He was improvising, and we recorded his whole performance, which we then gave to the CG animators."

Scorsese's probably a busy guy, so maybe it was expecting too much for more than a cameo. But then we see him playing a food truck proprietor. Djarin and Grogu land on Shakari, a crime-ridden world where Rotta is being held. Djarin offers the cook credits for information on the Hutt's whereabouts, who's more than happy to reveal it since Rotta's fights are a big deal. It's possible Scorsese's character could pop up again, but don't count on it. Shakari seems intended to invoke the grimy, gritty aesthetic of Scorsese's earlier films like "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver," so a cameo from the legendary filmmaker makes sense. 

The opening action sequence of "The Mandalorian and Grogu" is reminiscent of the opening of "Raiders of the Lost Ark. Din Djarin and Grogu are on a mission, and it gives us a fun set piece before diving into the real meat of the film. That's when Ward tells Djarin to track down Commander Coin despite the fact they don't even know what he looks like. The Hutt twins, who were previously seen on "The Book of Boba Fett," know something, but Djarin has to do a favor for them first. 

Given this set-up, it appears "The Mandalorian and Grogu" will follow the titular duo tracking down leads and doing favor for various folks until someone eventually tells him what he needs to know. But who is Commander Coin? Is it a codename for a pre-existing "Star Wars" villain set to make a big return? Or someone new that will factor into future stories?

Some props from "The Mandalorian and "Grogu" have been revealed, including a desk with rancors as legs belonging to Commander Coin. Coin also apparently owns the heads of some of the most terrifying creatures in the "Star Wars" universe, including a Reek and a Vexis. Coin being a collector of big game doesn't tell us much, but the fact that his identity's being kept secret suggests he could be a major player within the galaxy. Or maybe we're in for a surprise twist where someone working on behalf of the New Republic has taken an alias to support the Empire in hiding. We don't have much to go on now, but we'll learn all once "The Mandalorian and Grogu" comes out on May 22.