‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Sparks Divided Reactions, From Praise to “Weakest Star Wars Movie” Claims
The new Star Wars film The Mandalorian and Grogu has finally brought the franchise back to cinemas, and early reactions from critics and entertainment journalists are already very mixed.
The movie continues the story from the Disney+ series The Mandalorian and follows bounty hunter Din Djarin, played by Pedro Pascal, along with Grogu. The official story takes place after the fall of the Empire, where scattered Imperial warlords still create danger across the galaxy. The New Republic is trying to keep order and works with Din and Grogu to handle new threats.
The film is directed by Jon Favreau, who also created the series, and it is co-written with Noah Kloor and Dave Filoni. It also features Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White in key roles. This is the first Star Wars movie in years after a long break since 2019.
Early reactions show a wide split in opinion. Some critics say the film is fun and energetic, while others say it feels weak compared to past Star Wars movies. The mixed response is one of the biggest talking points around the release so far.
Erik Davis from Fandango shared a very positive reaction. He wrote: “It’s less about the lore and more a fun, freaky romp across the galaxy. I really dug that about it.” He also praised the music, adding that the score by Ludwig Göransson felt like a mix of modern Star Wars sound and 1980s-style action and horror tones.
Scott Mendelson from Puck News also reacted positively but in a more balanced way. He described the film as “a solid line drive past second base, with lots of ‘Neat… haven’t seen that in a STAR WARS before’ charm.” His reaction suggests the film has fresh ideas even if it is not groundbreaking.
Other critics were more mixed. Germain Lussier from io9 said the movie feels more like a long episode of the TV series than a full film. He explained that it spends more time moving between locations and creatures than focusing on character development, which left him partly satisfied but also frustrated.
There were also specific criticisms about certain characters. Peri Nemiroff from Collider commented on Rotta the Hutt, saying the character design and dialogue did not fully work. She noted that while the character improved over time, the execution felt uneven.
One of the most negative reactions came from reporter Jonathan Sim, who strongly criticized the film. He wrote: “One of the weakest ‘Star Wars’ movies. An emotionless, predictable experience that doesn’t push Din Djarin anywhere interesting.” He also called the action dull and compared parts of the film to “a made-for-TV movie.”
The film arrives at an important moment for the Star Wars franchise. After years focused on streaming series like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Andor, the franchise is now returning to theaters. It is also the first major Star Wars film released under new leadership changes at Lucasfilm, with Jon Favreau directing and Dave Filoni involved in the writing process.
While some viewers see The Mandalorian and Grogu as a fun return to theatrical Star Wars, others feel it does not fully capture the scale expected from a big-screen release. The divided reactions show that the film is likely to spark ongoing debate among fans and critics as it approaches its theatrical debut on May 22.
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