Movie Review: The Mandalorian and Grogu
Review: The Mandalorian & Grogu
5/22/2026 (Spoiler Free Review)
Without a doubt I’m a Star Wars fan boy and often look at Star Wars related projects with rose colored glasses. Like so many others, I grew up on it and it pretty much consumed my childhood in the late 70s and early 80s. And while nothing has quite matched those original films in my eyes, I’ve often given some leeway to the movies that have come out in the later Lucas years and then Disney releases. And don’t get me wrong, there have been some pretty darned good projects that have come out (I’m looking at you, ANDOR season one and especially two)!
2026 finds us years after a Star Wars movie on the silver screen and gives us ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, which of course stars the two breakout characters from late 2019’s Disney Plus streaming show ‘The Mandalorian’. Mando and “Baby Yoda”, as he was called for awhile, took over pop culture during the 2020 lockdown and for good reason – it was really good! On the big screen however… well, it felt like I was watching the small screen. Of course, you will find plenty of action, creatures, fight scenes, and plenty of Grogu cuteness in the film - but it unfortunately seemed to fall flat for me. It didn’t give me that little spark or tightness in my chest when I watched other Star Wars movies in the past.
A large portion of the opening scene we have seen for some time in trailers and early released footage – and that was a scene involving Imperial AT-AT walkers. That scene really delivers, and maybe I’m biased because it kind of has the planet Hoth vibes from The Empire Strikes Back. Those Snowtroopers and AT-AT pilots were some of my absolute favorite Stormtroopers and action figures back in the day, and AT-ATs are just cool! But I feel like the movie slowly went downhill from there, like they gave us the best scenes first. There is, however, an interesting act that really focuses on Grogu and his character development as he sloooooowly ages and his connection with his "dad".
The movie definitely got darker, and I don’t mean emotionally or the story line – it literally was dark through most of the movie. Almost every scene was in dark alleyways, dimly lit stadiums and palaces, or just flat out night. Night and Dark is often cheaper and easier to render special effects because you can leave out much more detail scene by scene, and I couldn’t help but think how tough this movie would be to see at night on a drive-in movie screen!
'The Mandalorian and Grogu' seemed like it was exactly the same formula as an “episode of the week” kind of thing, where Mando gets a bounty and off he goes to get his guy and adventure ensues – just like we would have seen on any other season of ‘The Mandalorian’. To me the film never really moves either character forward or backwards in any direction and other than a ‘little’ bit of maturing from Grogu. Nothing really happens in an overall development in these characters’s arc and where the overall story with these guys is even going. That being said – it is a fun watch! Kids will like it (12 and 8 year old nephews did). People that like seeing Mano fight and Grogu doing Grogu things will enjoy it. But, as far as overall story it’s just empty calories to me. Writing this review after watching it the night before, I’m left wondering what was gained in the Star Wars Universe from. Not much. Things are just about the same as they were for our friends Mando and Grogu… and they are ready to go for another formulaic episode on Disney Plus, I guess.
Three out of Five Stars. Fun, safe to take the kids, but leaves you wanting a lot more.
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