It’s been quite a while since we’ve gotten to see the adventures of a galaxy far, far away in theaters, but that’s about to change with The Mandalorian and Grogu set for release on the 2026 movie calendar on May 22. I’d think there’s no better pair to lead Star Wars back to the big screen than Pedro Pascal and “Baby Yoda,” and that’s why I was so shocked at the divided first reactions. Now the reviews are in, and while some critics had a blast, others are questioning if this even counts as a Star Wars movie.
The Mandalorian and Grogu movie comes after three seasons of The Mandalorian (streaming with a Disney+ subscription) and finds Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu on a mission to rescue Jeremy Allen White’s Rotta the Hutt. Our own Nick Venable rates the movie 4 out of 5 stars after a fun outing, writing.
The most Star Wars fun I've had in a theater since Rogue One. Action-packed and adorable in wavering doses. I cannot be the only person hoping for The Babu Frik Saga to happen, right? 4/5 stars, but the stars are made out of overlapping Grogu ears.
Linda Marric of Hey U Guys also gives it 4 out of 5 stars, saying the movie feels nostalgic without getting trapped in the past. It has some issues, she writes, but it’s too much fun to dwell on any of them for too long. In Marric’s words:
What ultimately makes The Mandalorian and Grogu work is its understanding that Star Wars doesn’t always need to be mythic to be entertaining. This isn’t a galaxy-shaking epic in the mould of the Skywalker saga. It’s a scrappy, creature-filled adventure movie about a weary warrior and his tiny adopted son stumbling into danger after danger. It may not reinvent the franchise, but it reminds you why you fell in love with that world in the first place.
Brian Truitt of USA TODAY rates the movie 3 out of 4 stars, saying that the upcoming Star Wars flick embraces both its bizarre and adorable elements for an adventure that harkens back to some of the franchise’s best efforts. The Mandalorian and Grogu offers a new hope to a brand that seems to be readjusting, Truitt says, writing:
The Mandalorian and Grogu does seem like a streamlined season of the Mando series but it also doesn’t try anything too complicated or overdeliver. It’s a straightforward pulp adventure with beasts right out of an old Ray Harryhausen flick and many Star Wars callbacks, while also maintaining the show’s neo-Western vibe.
Jake Kleinman of Polygon questions what defines a Star Wars movie — lightsabers? Skywalkers? The Force? Kleinman says impressive set pieces, high stakes and a good vs. evil conflict are non-negotiables. The Mandalorian and Grogu, however, has none of these things, but the critic says the movie is a “damn good time” anyway. His review reads:
The truth is, The Mandalorian and Grogu isn't a movie for long-time Star Wars fans; it's a desperate attempt to cultivate a new generation before it's too late. Baby Yoda was a once-in-a-generation character whose appeal has more to do with his visual design than the canon and lore that surrounds him (a tradition that dates back to the very beginning of Star Wars). Jon Favreau understands this better than anyone. He's made a movie seemingly built around cute cutaways to Grogu and occasional reference to something older Star Wars fans will recognize. The kids will go home happier than anyone still seething over the prequel trilogy.
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo borrows a phrase from Yoda to say that The Mandalorian and Grogu chooses “do not” instead of “do” — it doesn’t even try. In trying to make a Star Wars film accessible to even non-Star Wars fans, Lussier says that Jon Favreau has neglected to do justice to those who have followed the franchise for so long. The critic calls this movie nothing more than a side quest, writing:
It doesn’t add anything of true significance to Star Wars as a whole or, more importantly, to the lore of the Mandalorian and Grogu as characters. It’s just a mindless ride. A way to kill two hours and forget about the world. Which would have been acceptable if the film left you feeling anything beyond that. This is Star Wars, for crying out loud. A chance to be an entertaining, exciting spectacle, and also leave the audience in awe. ... The Mandalorian and Grogu is ultimately nothing more than a longer, better-looking, mid-tier episode of the show. Some will find it passable, but Star Wars deserves better. This is not the way.
Tom Jorgensen of IGN echoes that sentiment, as he rates the film a “Mediocre” 5 out of 10. The critic agrees that rather than catering to existing Star Wars fans, The Mandalorian and Grogu feels laser-focused on people who have only heard about the show.
The Mandalorian and Grogu dutifully offers another two hours and change of watching Din Djarin and his adorable green son fly to some planets and clear out rooms of monsters or gangsters every 20 minutes or so. But this is a Star Wars movie missing the thrills, the surprises, the challenges, the addition of really anything of note to the franchise, not to mention a vested interest in seeing its characters grow and change. This is not the way.
Critics seem to be divided over Jon Favreau’s latest contribution to the Star Wars universe with a 61% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, I think it’s safe to say that fans who have committed decades of their lives to the fandom will likely take a chance on the first big-screen project from the franchise in seven years.
How well it will do at the box office is a different question altogether. Catch The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters starting Friday, May 22.
