The Mandalorian and Grogu called “one of the weakest Star Wars movies” in mixed first reactions

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Early reviews are starting to come in for The Mandalorian and Grogu, the new Star Wars movie. Critics have given it a mixed response so far. This film is the first Star Wars movie released in theaters in seven years and continues the story from the The Mandalorian TV series.

Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin in this new movie, joined once again by his cute companion, Grogu. This time, the New Republic asks them to find and rescue Rotta, the son of the infamous Jabba the Hutt, played by Jeremy Allen White.

I’m really excited about this movie – it’s got Sigourney Weaver in it, which is awesome! And get this – Jon Favreau, the guy who created The Mandalorian, is directing! He wrote the script with Dave Filoni, who’s now in charge at Lucasfilm, and Noah Kloor. It’s a dream team!

However, was it worth the wait?

Social media is buzzing with reactions, and opinions are sharply divided. Writer Jonathan Sim, for example, described the film as “one of the weakest Star Wars movies.”

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He described the show as bland and predictable, failing to offer any real development for the main character, Din Djarin. He also criticized the action sequences as uninspired and called the overall experience a drawn-out and unremarkable television film.

Germain Lussier from Gizmodo described the experience as feeling like an extended episode of the show, with a couple of particularly memorable moments. However, he noted that the focus seemed to be more on expanding the world with new settings and creatures than on character development. While he found parts of it enjoyable, he ultimately felt frustrated with the rest.

In a review for FilmSpeak, Griffin Schiller described the movie as visually impressive but ultimately boring, calling it simply “fine.” He felt it resembled a shortened version of a TV series, and unfortunately felt more like watching cutscenes from a Star Wars video game than actually playing one.

Despite criticizing the writing and emotional impact, he acknowledged it was a welcome return to the show’s earlier, more straightforward style, and believed fans would still enjoy it.

Courtney Howard praised The Mandalorian and Grogu as a thoroughly enjoyable film, describing it as a perfect summer blockbuster. She highlighted its exciting action, humor, and emotional depth, noting that it felt like a complete movie experience rather than a collection of episodes. According to Howard, Grogu is a standout character, and the film is best viewed on the largest screen available.

Despite some initial marketing concerns, the movie is surprisingly enjoyable, according to SlashFilm’s Peter Sciretta. He notes it feels more like several extended episodes of the TV show than a large-scale cinematic event – a series of adventures rather than one grand story. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll likely love the movie, and vice versa. Sciretta particularly praised the Anzellans, saying they were the highlight of the film.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is released in cinemas on 22 May 2026.

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I’m so excited! The latest issue of Living Legends is out, and it’s a special collector’s edition all about the royal family. You can grab a copy of The Royals at any newsagent or order it online – I’m definitely getting one!

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2026-05-15 12:49