Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) Disney/Sci-Fi-Action-Adventure RT: 132 minutes Rated PG-13 (sci-fi violence and action) Director: Jon Favreau Screenplay: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor Music: Ludwig Goransson Cinematography: David Klein Release date: May 22, 2026 (US) Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Blum, Jonny Coyne, Martin Scorsese.
Rating: ** ½
I don’t know why Disney thought it was a good idea to release The Mandalorian and Grogu to theaters. It feels more like three episodes of the series strung together than an actual movie. It doesn’t have the epic feel of the Star Wars films. Aside from a few scenes, it doesn’t feel particularly cinematic. It could just as easily have served as the first few episodes of a fourth season (if there even is one) of the Disney+ show.
That being said, The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t too bad. It’s watchable, especially if you’re a fan of the show. Judging by the turnout, there is something of a fanbase which brings me to my next point. How can I say this? Generally speaking, the Star Wars movies are review-proof. It doesn’t matter what the critics say about them. They have a built-in audience who will show up regardless of what the reviewers say. Now whether or not this applies to The Mandalorian and Grogu remains to be seen. Fans seem to like the show, but are they willing to pay 15 bucks a pop to see it on the big screen? If its opening night gross of $12M (the lowest in the franchise’s history) is any indication, maybe not.
Directed by show creator Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu starts off fairly strong with the Mandalorian (Pascal, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) and his ward Grogu (still known by some as Baby Yoda even though he’s not) going after a wanted Imperial warlord who happens to have three AT-AT walkers at his disposal. It’s a genuinely thrilling sequence with Grogu successfully executing a mid-air barrel roll on top of one of the walkers. The climax featuring a fierce final battle between heroes and villains is also cool. What happens in between is a mixed bag. Some of it is fun; some of it is a drag. That’s not what you want to hear about a Star Wars movie.
The plot itself is no great shakes. Mando (real name Din Djarin), now working for the New Republic, receives his next assignment from Col. Ward (Weaver, the Avatar series). He’s to find and capture an elusive Imperial bad guy known only as Coin. The problem is nobody knows his real name or what he even looks like. In order to get a lead on the guy, he has to strike a deal with the Hutt Twins. They’ll provide him with information in exchange for rescuing their nephew Rotta (White, Deliver Me from Nowhere) from a criminal syndicate run by Lord Janu (Coyne, The Toxic Avenger).
In lieu of further plot description, I’m just going to leave it at this. NEVER trust a Hutt to honor a deal. You don’t have to be a Jedi master to know they’ll somehow screw over Mando. That’s all I will say about that.
To prep myself for The Mandalorian and Grogu, I binge-watched the entire series along with The Book of Boba Fett (the last three episodes serve as a bridge between seasons 2 and 3 of The Mandalorian). I enjoyed it very much. It was entertaining, exciting, funny and sometimes moving. I grew to like several of the recurring characters- e.g. mechanic Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), Mando warrior Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff, droid IG-11 (Taika Waititi) and mercenary Migs Mayfeld (Bill Burr). NONE of them show up in The Mandalorian and Grogu. It feels like a school reunion (almost) nobody bothered to attend. The only familiar face besides the titular duo is a brief appearance by X-wing Starfighter Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee). I was hoping to see the return of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). Hey, it could happen. Did we actually see him die in the Season 2 finale? No, we did NOT. Therefore…..
I was once asked by a Facebook friend to name an otherwise great movie stopped dead in its tracks by a single scene. I said They Live. The extended fight scene brings John Carpenter’s smart sci-fi horror to a screeching halt. I’m not saying The Mandalorian and Grogu is a great movie, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it lags in the middle section. There’s a too long sequence involving Grogu tending to Mando after an encounter with a venomous monster orchestrated by the Hutts. Favreau could have cut it down or better yet, shifted focus to the Anzellans rallying support for Mando and Grogu’s final battle. You have to keep things moving with these movies.
I know acting isn’t a major concern in the Star Wars universe. It’s fine as long as the actors can play heroes and villains convincingly enough. Pascal is fine as Mando. He carries most of the weight of the series, but he’s helped greatly by a solid supporting cast. He’s pretty much required to carry the whole of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Weaver isn’t much help. She has a few scenes and it sounds like she’s just reciting lines. Her heart isn’t in it, not really. I do think Pascal has great rapport with Grogu. I can also say the latter gives the best performance by a puppet I’ve seen in a long time. However, I don’t think the Academy will acknowledge him come Oscar time.
The effects in The Mandalorian and Grogu are pretty good, nothing special. Unfortunately, the visuals are too often murky. Sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on. Where is the top-notch work that redefined sci-fi movies? CGI just doesn’t have the same resonance.
On the upside, I’m pleased to see Star Wars back to being a summer movie. They’ve always been summer movies to me. I have so many great memories of watching the tales unfold in air-conditioned theaters. The Mandalorian and Grogu feels disappointingly hollow compared to the originals. It’s entertaining enough; it just doesn’t live up to the brand name. The disjointed narrative and general lack of interest on the part of most involved parties makes it feel more like product than art. To Disney, that’s exactly what Star Wars is, product. They’re the real villains here. Guys, DO BETTER!
