PLOT: Once a lone bounty hunter, Mandalorian Din Djarin and his apprentice Grogu embark on an exciting new Star Wars adventure.
REVIEW: I’ve been a fan of Star Wars for as long as I can remember. It’s genuinely one of my favorite Sci-Fi franchises. It’s a world that’s easy to get lost in and has provided us with some all-time cinematic moments over the years. Despite some of its missteps over the last decade, it’s hard not to get excited when a new Star Wars film releases in theaters. We haven’t had one since 2019’s Rise of Skywalker (and the less said of that, the better), but now we’re getting The Mandalorian and Grogu, a feature film based on the popular Disney+ series. And like that show, if you weren’t into that, then you’re probably not going to be into this.
The Mandalorian and Grogu follows our two titular leads as they’re sent on a rescue mission for someone quite unexpected. It’s a fun little adventure story, though it does hit many familiar beats. I know some people were worried this would simply feel like multiple episodes of the show stretched into film length, but it never does. Admittedly, it remains fairly surface-level and doesn’t really do anything new or daring.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some good action set pieces, with the opening sequence being a real standout. There’s a fun spectacle to it all, and I found the action engaging. There are some lulls in those moments in between, but I was never bored. There’s just something special about Mando’s hand-to-hand combat and how much he’s able to take on droves of enemies. It makes him look like the ultimate badass. I also appreciated how much they made Grogu more than just a weakness, and he pushes the story forward at many points.
It’s really nice to see the Hutts highlighted again, as they are always so intimidating in other forms of media. They’re usually just sedentary, but here we get them in a lot more action, which is fun to see. Ratta is interesting, though I’m confused about why they cast Jeremy Allen White when his voice is so modulated that you can’t even tell it’s him. Felt more like they were simply casting a big name when really any voice actor would have sufficed.
It’s just unfortunate that there isn’t any villain to really latch onto here. The ones we get feel pretty second-rate and never pose a serious threat. They’re more of a nuisance. Embo, who is actually from the Clone Wars TV Show, is probably the best of the bunch, but he’s more of a henchman than anything.
While I do think the film is still accessible to those who haven’t watched the TV show, you’ll obviously get a lot more out of it if you have. Though this does avoid the trappings of having random cameos from the Star Wars universe just for the sake of a cheap pop. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni keep things focused on Mando and Grogu. Sigourney Weaver’s role is pretty light, which is a tad disappointing given how much she’s been included in the marketing, but she has some fun interactions with Grogu. I just wish we got more new characters that actually left an impact.
I’ll always enjoy Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and feel he’s one of the best Star Wars characters from this newer batch of films/TV shows. The argument can always be made that the character is played by multiple people, and we don’t quite know how the work was split up for this feature, but for the purposes of this review, he’s getting the credit. Pascal is great and can do a lot with a little. It’s also amazing how much they’re able to do with Grogu, despite him not having any actual dialogue. I love the whole dynamic of Din trying to teach Grogu how to survive on his own, since he won’t always be around to protect him.
It’s at the point where anything that’s not top-tier Star Wars is absolutely taken apart by people online. While The Mandalorian and Grogu is far from a masterpiece, it’s still a fun Star Wars movie. The world feels fleshed out, and this is a classic adventure story. While I do wish some of the FX were better handled, I’ve always liked The Mandalorian and enjoyed seeing these characters in movie form. The action is thrilling, and it’s much more accessible than I expected. The Star Wars franchise would be better off if these non-galactic destroying stakes were used more often.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is playing in theaters on May 22nd, 2026.
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