For seven years, Star Wars has been dormant on the big screen. At the same time, the franchise has also seen growth and expansion in TV shows, such as The Mandalorian. As the first live action show made under the Disney era, The Mandalorian had a lot to live up to, and it’s safe to say that it has done so and then some, for its first two seasons at least.
So, it seems somewhat fitting that Star Wars’ return to the silver screen is ushered in by The Mandalorian and his green apprentice, Grogu. It’s a popular series that feels right for the big screen. But the result feels more like a round of muted applause over a rousing celebration. As anticipated as a new Star Wars movie is, The Mandalorian and Grogu make for a satisfactory, if typical, Star Wars adventure.
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The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Big Screen Adventure
Set after the events of The Mandalorian season 3, the movie follows famed bounty hunter Din Djarin and Grogu as they work with The New Republic in hunting down the remaining Imperial warlords scattered across the galaxy. One day, The Mandalorian is tasked by The New Republic with assisting the Hutts in tracking down Rotta the Hutt, Jabba the Hutt’s only son, and bringing him back to Nal Hutta in exchange for information on an elusive Imperial officer. This leads the duo on a quest across the galaxy as they face off against pirates, monsters, and the remnants of the Empire.
Right off the bat, The Mandalorian and Grogu operates like a standalone entry that is more focused on telling its own thing over tying the movie to Star Wars’ deep lore. It follows the timeline of the series, but does so in a way that even casual viewers can understand the movie’s general beats.
It’s a welcome move as the narrative isn’t bogged down by unnecessary fan service, and viewers aren’t hassled with having to watch three seasons of the show to fully get what’s going on. There are some references and callbacks from the show sprinkled throughout the film for fans to spot, though. The movie also moves at a relatively brisk pace with a cohesive and straightforward start, middle, and end. Once the movie begins, the action rarely slows down.
Speaking of action, it’s serviceable here as the movie brings things back to basics, which is reminiscent of The Mandalorian’s first season. From the gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and chase sequences, The Mandalorian and Grogu leans more into that Western influence found in the early episodes. The cool, confident aura of The Mandalorian isn’t lost in translation to the big screen, with Pedro Pascal delivering a solid performance while Grogu is as cute as ever.
It’s commendable how the movie meant it when they included “And Grogu” in its title. Both characters get ample screentime in the film, especially Grogu, who serves an integral purpose here beyond being a mascot to sell toys to children. A good portion of the second act is centered on Grogu. The movie does a good job of highlighting how The Mandalorian and Grogu’s relationship is a two-way street where they are there for each other, and both are on equal footing in their partnership. Their relationship makes for one of the film’s best parts.
As for Sigourney Weaver’s much-talked-about entry into Star Wars as Colonel Ward, it’s an okay performance, but it would have been better if she had more screen time because what we do see of her has potential. A new addition that does raise eyebrows, though, is Jeremy Allen White, who voices Rotta the Hutt. Having Rotta speak English most of the time is an interesting decision that doesn’t always pan out, given how awkward and uninspired the line delivery can get, especially when the other Hutts in the film do not speak English.
Is The Mandalorian and Grogu Worth Watching?
What The Mandalorian and Grogu does is ok, but the overarching problem the movie faces is that a lot of it feels quite middle-of-the-road. The movie plays it safe, too safe in fact, to the point where it stops itself from doing a lot more than what is expected of a Mandalorian adventure. At over two hours long, the film feels like a longer version of an episode of The Mandalorian with a plot that, while cohesive, doesn’t really take advantage of the fact that this is a movie.
As much as The Mandalorian and Grogu brings things back to basics, it loses a sense of identity and imagination by painting a by-the-numbers plot that goes from start to finish, but nothing more. Instead of going big and bold as a Star Wars movie, the film doesn’t really go as far as it could with its adventure. There’s a lot of potential here that could have been used more. It’s one thing not to burden audiences with having to know years’ worth of lore, but it’s another to be so on the rails that there’s little consequence in moving the overarching story forward, and it becomes another mission of the week.
All in all, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a decent effort. The action and relationship between Din Djarin and Grogu hit the mark. But it’s let down by a formulaic story that doesn’t really try to do anything of note. There’s a sense that the movie may have been too audience-tested because it loses an inventiveness typcially found in most Star Wars movie as it finds itself as just another typical The Mandalorian episode. If that was the goal director Jon Favreau was aiming for, he succeeded. But it makes one wonder whether a fourth season of The Mandalorian would have been the way to go.
The movie is by no means bad, but it skids by as somewhat inconsequential. Ultimately, Star Wars fans and casual viewers will have something to enjoy here on a weekend watch, but probably nothing more than that.
The Mandalorian and Grogu are showing in cinemas nationwide.
Featured Image and Photos: COURTESY OF DISNEY
Frequently Asked Questions
Set after the events of the show’s third season, the movie follows bounty hunter Din Djarin and his apprentice, Grogu, as they assist the New Republic in hunting down remaining Imperial warlords. The main plot kicks off when the New Republic tasks the Mandalorian with helping the Hutt clan rescue Rotta the Hutt—Jabba the Hutt’s only son—from captivity on the planet Shakari. In exchange, the Hutts promise vital information on an elusive Imperial officer.
The movie operates primarily as a standalone entry that prioritizes telling a self-contained story over getting bogged down in dense Star Wars lore. While it respects the timeline of the television series and sprinkles in minor callbacks for dedicated fans, it moves at a brisk, straightforward pace that requires zero prior viewing of the show’s three seasons to understand.
True to its title, the film treats their relationship as a balanced, two-way street where both characters are placed on equal footing. Grogu receives ample screen time—particularly during a heavily focused second act—and serves an integral narrative purpose beyond being a cute mascot. Their mutual support and evolving bond stand out as one of the strongest elements of the movie.
The movie introduces Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward, a New Republic handler whose brief performance shows immense potential but is ultimately limited by a lack of screen time. It also features Jeremy Allen White voicing the grown-up, physically formidable Rotta the Hutt. However, the creative choice to have Rotta speak English most of the time results in somewhat awkward and uninspired line delivery that doesn’t always land well.
The primary critique is that the film plays it far too safe, resulting in a formulaic and middle-of-the-road plot. Clocking in at over two hours, it lacks the cinematic scale, imagination, and permanent consequences expected of a major Star Wars theatrical release. Instead, it feels like an oversized, highly audience-tested “mission of the week” episode that leaves the overarching narrative largely unchanged.
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