Film Review: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
Director: Jon Favreau
Lucasfilm
In Theaters: 05.22.2026

It was just 11 years ago that a new Star Wars movie arriving in theaters was a major event. But we’ve had five movies and seven streaming series (not counting animation) since, and it’s not exactly a novelty anymore. As The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives on the big screen, it arrives with less fanfare and more baggage. Is the Force still strong with this franchise?

After the collapse of the Galactic Empire, scattered warlords vie for control of the galaxy. In their attempt to restore order, the New Republic is hunting down war criminals, and a high-level officer named Ward (Sigourney Weaver, Alien, Ghostbusters) has a special mission for bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal, Gladiator II, Fantastic Four: First Steps) and his Force-sensitive little buddy, Grogu, that sends them to the planet of Nal Hutta. It seems that the twin cousins of the deceased crime lord Jabba the Hutt, who now run the syndicate, need someone to rescue Jabba’s heir, Rotta (Jeremy Allen White, The Bear, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere), who is being held captive on the Outer Rim of the galaxy. In exchange for bringing back Rotta, the Hutts are prepared to share the identity and whereabouts of a fugitive of the Republic. Can the Hutts be trusted? That’s for The Mandalorian and Grogu to find out. 

Director Jon Favreau (Elf, Iron Man) brings a lot of eye candy and thrilling action to IMAX screens, but the more significant name pulling the strings is Dave Filoni: the guiding force behind the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the new torchbearer at Lucasfilm. Filloni serves as co-writer and co-producer, and while still made under Kathleen Kennedy, this is the first live-action Star Wars film to be driven by Filloni’s influence and his particular vision on the franchise. This translates into not only being purely a glorified two-part episode of The Mandalorian playing in theaters, but also in many ways a soft sequel to the 2008 Clone Wars film, directed by Filoni and featuring two Jedis rescuing baby Rotta. The Mandalorian and Grogu is even more overtly cartoonish in terms of style and storytelling than George Lucas‘ prequel trilogy, though the effects are a mix of practical and CGI, which is most apparent in the mix of giant cartoon Hutts and tiny, plucky little muppet-like creatures, including Grogu. This entertaining adventure in no way moves either of its titular heroes forward in terms of their larger character arcs, which is bound to be disappointing to many, who expect surprises and new developments in a blockbuster sequel. It’s going to be a far more enjoyable experience for those who go in expecting a big screen, two-part episode of the series, with heavy doses of the animated spin-offs and even some spiritual kinship to old school Lucasfilm TV events like The Ewok Adventure or The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. 

Pascal and his helmeted doubles, Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, bring plenty of swagger, and Grogu brings plenty of cute factor. White is memorable as the driven and haunted Rotta, and Steve Blum is a major highlight as the Lasat pilot Zeb Orrelios, a character he originated on Star Wars Rebels. It’s nice to see Weaver in Star Wars, but she’s given a rather flimsy character, and while I was geeking out over the voice of Martin Scorsese as an Ardennian Fry Cook, it’s little more than an extended cameo. Still, his presence is appropriate, given that The Mandalorian and Grogu is basically an adventure-filled gangster movie.

I’ve gone on record before to declare myself a Star Wars fan who hates Star Wars fans who find reason to let the hate flow through them, regardless of what they get and then complain that the next movie should have been more like the one they just trashed. While I expect a lot of mixed to negative reaction on the internet, any chance at Star Wars going in a truly grown-up direction was lost when the toxic fanboys revolted against The Last Jedi, and if that same crowd derisively dismisses this as a kiddie movie, I have no response to them except perhaps “Han didn’t shoot first, you did.” For me, as much as this is a footnote entry in the saga, there’s more than enough to enjoy, and I plan to see it multiple times. Yes, it’s a basically dressed-up, semi-live action cartoon with jumpscares, but it nicely evokes the spirit of the Saturday afternoon serials that spawned Star Wars in the first place, as well as the Saturday morning cartoons that spawned from it. Whether you knew it or not, this is what you asked for with a Filloni regime, and at this point, you can either enjoy each new entry for what it is or wallow in frustration about what it’s not. While I have some sympathy for the latter, I’m choosing the former and making no apologies for it. —Patrick Gibbs

Read more film reviews by Patrick Gibbs:
Film Review: The Wizard of the Kremlin
Film Review: The Sheep Detectives