{"id":2423293,"date":"2026-05-19T13:36:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2423293"},"modified":"2026-05-19T13:36:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:36:01","slug":"the-mandalorian-and-grogu-review-this-should-have-been-a-season-of-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-mandalorian-and-grogu-review-this-should-have-been-a-season-of-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mandalorian and Grogu review: this should have been a season of TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When The Mandalorian <\/em>first debuted on Disney Plus<\/a>, it was a refreshing reminder of how fascinating Star Wars <\/em>stories can be when they aren\u2019t focused on the same handful of well-established characters. Especially in its first season, the series felt like a sign that Disney was shifting gears after disappointing fans with its last trilogy of big budget features. But as The Mandalorian <\/em>went on<\/a>, it became overstuffed with supporting characters and haphazardly-introduced lore that did little to make the show feel like must-see TV.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The relative weakness of The Mandalorian<\/em>\u2019s most recent season is part of what made it so surprising when Lucasfilm announced<\/a> plans to bring the beskar-clad warrior and his infant ward<\/a> to the big screen. It wasn\u2019t clear whether The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>was meant to be a straightforward extension of the series or launchpad designed to elevate its titular characters to new levels of prominence within the franchise. And while there was little question about whether the film would make money at the box office, it seemed very possible that audiences might come away disappointed and unsure about Star Wars<\/em>\u2019 future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>is neither a knockout or a total disappointment. The movie is filled with excellent puppetry and it cleverly inverts the show\u2019s established Lone Wolf and Cub <\/em>character dynamics. But between its by-the-numbers story and lackluster action sequences, The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>feels like a phoned in film that would have been better off as a new season of The Mandalorian <\/em>instead of a standalone project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Set shortly after the events of The Mandalorian<\/em>\u2019s third season, The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>follows its titular duo as they settle into a new life of bounty hunting for the New Republic. Though the Galactic Empire has fallen, the galaxy is still crawling with Imperial outlaws who yearn for a return to power. They\u2019re a constant threat to the fragile peace that the New Republic\u2019s supporters have worked so hard to maintain. But as dangerous as these shadowy figures are, few of them are able to put up a fight whenever Din Djarin \/ The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu appear with their guns and training darts<\/a> at the ready.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Because Mando and Grogu are so effective at dealing with Imperial war criminals, neither is all that concerned about their safety when New Republic commander Ward (Sigourney Weaver) asks them to look into the disappearance of Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White). Ward is convinced that finding Rotta \u2014 Jabba the Hutt\u2019s son \u2014 will convince his crime lord cousins to give up information about one of the New Republic\u2019s most-wanted targets. And while the Mandalorian isn\u2019t exactly jazzed about having to deal with the Hutts, Ward\u2019s promise of a hefty bounty is more than enough to convince him to take the assignment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Though The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>references a handful of plot points from the Disney Plus series, it\u2019s clear that writer \/ director Jon Favreau and his co-writers Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor crafted the film to be a self-contained story that you can follow without having seen any of the show. It\u2019s a welcome change of pace for Star Wars <\/em>given how lore-dense most of the franchise\u2019s other recent films and streaming series have been. But The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>also leans into a kind of narrative simplicity that keeps it from really capturing one\u2019s imagination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The way that characters frequently reiterate key details of The Mandalorian and Grogu<\/em>\u2019s story, like the fact that Rotta is Jabba\u2019s son, makes it feel like Favreau and company don\u2019t fully trust the audience to keep up with everything that\u2019s happening on screen. Some of that can be attributed to the fact that this is a movie that\u2019s pointedly aimed at young theatergoers who just want to see the baby Yoda bopping around while his taciturn dad wrecks ne\u2019er-do-wells. But it also feels like a reflection of the way that streamers have seemingly become fixated<\/a> on putting out projects designed for people who are only half paying attention<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That aspect of the movie wouldn\u2019t be so annoying if things weren\u2019t so straightforward, or if the Mandalorian was thrust into a few more imaginative battles. But as the film progresses, its stakes and sense of urgency never really build in a way that keeps you fully invested. Especially in its first half, The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>plays like a serviceable, but uncompelling collection of The Mandalorian <\/em>episodes that would actually benefit from a little more action and punchy dialogue from returning faces like Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum) and Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee). And it isn\u2019t until Mando and his infant charge are split up around the halfway mark that the film locks in on a properly engaging dramatic energy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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While Mando\u2019s narrative arc here is nothing to write home about, the movie does a surprisingly good job of making Grogu feel like a tiny person with autonomy and complicated feelings. This movie is a testament to how delightful Star Wars<\/em>\u2019 animatronic \/ puppet characters can be when they\u2019re presented as the story\u2019s centerpiece. But as delightful as the baby is, its cuteness is nowhere near enough to keep The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>from feeling undercooked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With a little more depth and intrigue, The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>probably could have made for a solid season of television. But after years of struggling to get Star Wars<\/em> films in theaters, Disney seems to be using this as an experiment in figuring out what kinds of movies viewers actually want to see. Instead, The Mandalorian and Grogu<\/em> is a reminder of how much stronger these side stories can be when given a little more room to breathe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Mandalorian and Grogu <\/em>also stars Martin Scorsese and Matthew Willig. The movie hits theaters on May 22nd.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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