While we as fans got to experience anniversary re-releases and limited-time screenings of television episodes, Star Wars is officially back on the big screen after what feels like an eternity. What was initially intended to be a three-year hiatus turned into seven years of false starts, creative differences, two labor strikes, a global pandemic, and a Disney+ content mandate from the now disgraced Disney CEO Bob Chapek. Star Wars films by D.B. Weiss & David Benioff, Rian Johnson, Patty Jenkins, Taika Waititi, J.D. Dillard, Kevin Feige, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold (twice), Donald & Stephen Glover, Steven Soderbergh, David Fincher, Dave Filoni, and Simon Kinberg have all either stalled out, got shelved, were never announced at all, or are still moving insanely slowly. Even projects that started life as movies, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Acolyte, and Skeleton Crew, were eventually retooled into TV shows. Within the last few years, only two films have managed to get behind the camera: an original film titled Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and set for release next May, and the film we’re talking about today, The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Since 2019, The Mandalorian has remained a pop culture phenomenon. There was a time when it wasn’t a hot take to say that The Mandalorian was the most universally beloved Star Wars project since 1983, maybe even 1980. It became Disney+’s flagship series, was the subject of widespread critical acclaim, and received multiple Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series for its first two seasons. However, following the airing of its third season, fans, audiences, and critics seem to have collectively wiped their memories, with people on social media now pretending the series was never acclaimed, popular, or good. Quickly following the premiere of the series, creator Jon Favreau said it was possible to see Din Djarin and Grogu on the big screen. In 2024, The Mandalorian and Grogu was officially announced for a theatrical release in 2026, an announcement that received mixed reactions. On the one hand, some fans were just happy to have a movie actually move forward and not be put on hold by creative differences, scheduling conflicts, or world-changing events. On the other hand, some fans were disappointed, or even straight-up bitter, that The Mandalorian and Grogu was being made before projects they wanted most. And of course, you have the typical handwringing from Fandom Menace types who bemoaned it as “woke trash” due to their hatred of Pedro Pascal. At the same time, more fans of the series Andor became excited about the opportunity to once again claim that The Mandalorian killed the franchise after years of being seen as the project that saved it. Oh, the intergalactic irony.
To put it bluntly, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a straightforward action-adventure film that draws more from the original TV series and Solo than from the 9 Skywalker Saga films. It’s brisk, it’s action-packed, it’s simple, it’s Mando… The Mandalorian and Grogu reverts to the show’s “adventure-of-the-week” format of season 1, as opposed to the more plot-driven narratives of seasons 2 and 3. Your enjoyment of this format will heavily depend on what you value most about The Mandalorian. If you preferred the more standalone and breezy episodes of the first season, this movie is 100% for you. If you preferred the overarching narrative of season 2 or the more lore-heavy storytelling of season 3, you may find the film a bit disappointing.
The film’s main storyline is as follows. Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu are asked by the New Republic to retrieve information about a mysterious Imperial warlord. In turn, they find themselves at the doorstep of vile Hutt gangsters, who ask for their help to free Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White) from captivity in exchange for the warlord’s whereabouts. It’s not complicated, it’s not deep, it’s old-school Mando. A major positive of the film is how welcoming it is to casual moviegoers and newcomers. If you haven’t seen the original series in a while or haven’t seen it at all, you won’t be lost. Do you need to watch all 4 seasons of Rebels to get who Zeb Orellios (Steve Blum) is? Not at all, as the film treats Zeb more as Mando’s new friend than as a character with a lengthy history in an animated series that most casual moviegoers haven’t seen. Jon Favreau, alongside co-writers Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor, willingly combats frequent (and honestly, overblown) criticisms of “homework” and writes the film in a way that anyone can jump right in. On the other hand, the film being so welcoming to newcomers may disappoint more die-hard fans. Supporting characters from the show either have very little screen time and dialogue, or don’t appear at all. If you were hoping this movie would provide some setup for other projects in this era, you won’t find it here. Don’t expect any mentions of Ahsoka Tano, Jod Na Nawood, Boba Fett, Bo-Katan, or Grand Admiral Thrawn and what he’s up to. So if you see people on social media claim the movie is too inside baseball and filled with references and plot points that are confusing for audiences who haven’t seen any of the Disney+ shows, they’re not telling the truth and are actively trying to wield that narrative into existence.
The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t just the first Star Wars film since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker; it’s also Jon Favreau’s first directing effort on film since his remake of The Lion King, which was also released in 2019. Favreau’s filmography is filled with charming indies (Made, Chef) and some of the best blockbuster films in recent memory (Iron Man, The Jungle Book). While Favreau’s detractors label him a “studio yes-man” with no signature style and believe his worst films are representative of his entire filmography, Favreau has proven himself a reliable journeyman filmmaker who loves his craft. The Mandalorian and Grogu is proof he still has the drive and spark he’s had for years. Even with the show’s 24-episode run, Favreau only directed one; the season 2 premiere, Chapter 9: The Marshal, or what fans commonly refer to as “the Cobb Vanth episode.” Much like that episode, Favreau has an incredible eye for action and scale. The action sequences in The Mandalorian and Grogu never feel claustrophobic or choppy, but they always feel massive and incredibly coherent. The opening action sequence involving a oner of Mando taking out a group of snowtroopers is quite possibly the best action sequence of Favreau’s career. The use of monsters and creatures helps the film retain the “lived-in” aesthetic of the Original Trilogy without relying on constant callbacks to that trilogy. It’s often been an in-joke in the fandom that Favreau’s favorite Star Wars film is Return of the Jedi due to his affinity for creatures and monsters. The near-seamless blend of practical puppets and digital effects has been a major highlight of every Star Wars film since the Disney acquisition, and this one is no exception.
Favreau clearly wants to evoke the old-fashioned feelings of fun and adventure that A New Hope did in 1977, and he mostly succeeds. Some fans (primarily fans who think Andor is the only good Star Wars project made in the last 12 years) will be angered by the film’s perceived lack of substance. Yes, The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t the most thematically rich film of the franchise, but it’s not worthless. There is a thematic throughline involving the importance of self-reliance, determination, and fatherhood. These themes are best represented by the characters of Grogu and Rotta. Rotta repeatedly emphasizes that he wishes to move on from his father’s negative legacy and be his own man. Throughout the film, Rotta and other characters frequently tell Din to prepare for the possibility that Grogu may one day have to live without him. It may not be the coming-of-age tale of the Original Trilogy, the mediation of legacy and failure that The Last Jedi was, a commentary about the current political landscape like Andor, or a tale about the power of belief like Ahsoka. It’d be easy for Jon Favreau to make a shoot-em-up action movie with no themes whatsoever. But thankfully, Favreau remembers that the best projects, no matter how basic, require a theme, a message, and a point. The film primarily centers on action and spectacle at the expense of character development, but that’s not until an extended sequence involving Grogu on Nal Hutta. While at first it seemed like an overcorrection of the criticism that Grogu contributed next to nothing in season 3 of The Mandalorian, this sequence is undeniably heartfelt and sweet.
In addition to Favreau’s direction, the movie also looks marvelous. Cinematographer David Klein makes every scene feel like pure Mando. This is also helped by the production design, courtesy of Andrew L. Jones and Doug Chaing (who has a cameo in the film), particularly for sequences on Nal Hutta. Even with the film’s frequent use of the Volume, everything feels bigger and grander thanks to the increased budget and scale. There is a very obvious uptick in quality, which makes accusations that the film “looks like a TV movie” all the more confusing. We, of course, have to give a shout-out to composer Ludwig Göransson, who returns to the franchise in full for the first time since 2021. Due to commitments to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Oppenheimer, Göransson was unable to provide anything beyond a theme for The Book of Boba Fett and was not involved in The Mandalorian season 3 at all. Göransson’s score is very close to his work on the series, utilizing its now-iconic main theme in thrilling ways. The score is a first for the franchise, being the first Star Wars film not to feature any themes and leitmotifs by John Williams. Williams purists who already despise Görranson’s more atmospheric approach to film scoring will not be pleased. But considering the film features no characters, locations, or even concepts with Williams’s themes attached, it’s not surprising they’re not used here. New themes for the Twin Hutt gangsters, Rotta, and Embo are all welcome additions to Ludwig’s catalog of themes, but it’s the theme for the planet Shakari that stands out the most.
As far as acting goes, everyone plays their roles well. The film has a much smaller ensemble than the other films and even the TV series. Given that the film’s titular heroes are a masked warrior and a nonverbal puppet, you’d think it’d be hard to find them compelling or interesting. Thankfully, that’s avoided. Din Djarin is still a fun protagonist to follow, even if the screenplay doesn’t give him much substance. Pedro Pascal’s vocal performance is as great as ever, as is his performance in a standout sequence without his iconic helmet. Branden Wayne and Lateef Crowder’s physical performances as Mando are just as essential to the character as Pascal’s voice. Like David Prowse as Darth Vader and Ray Park as Darth Maul, Wayne and Crowder’s physical performances help Mando feel real. And yes, they look cool to boot.
Jeremy Allen White is the biggest surprise here as Rotta the Hutt. A character we haven’t seen since The Clone Wars, Rotta somehow becomes the film’s most compelling character. White has never done voice acting before, so it’s incredibly surprising that his performance is as good as it is. He gives Rotta a charm and heart I didn’t expect him to have. If you told me that the best part of The Mandalorian and Grogu would be Rotta the Hutt, I would’ve said you were insane. The scenes of him and Grogu are among the most heartfelt in the film. Also heartfelt is an extended sequence in which Grogu tries to protect Mando and encounters a helpful creature named Gatori, brilliantly voiced by Stephen McKinley Henderson. If Favreau heeded the criticisms of season 3 about how Grogu doesn’t do much, this film answered them in spades.
Major highlights in the cast are Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward and Steve Blum as Zeb Orrelios. Maintaining her crown as the Queen of Science Fiction, Weaver fits into Star Wars like a glove. Her role as a high-ranking leader in the New Republic’s military suggests she could play a major role in the future, which makes what amounts to a cameo a tad disappointing. Zeb is also frustratingly little, despite what the marketing and merchandise suggest. Blum voices him as if he never stopped, which makes his limited screentime a little easier to forgive. Surely Dave Filoni will give Zeb more screen time in Ahsoka season 2, so until then, we can be happy that Zeb will be introduced to a new generation of fans who may not have seen Rebels.
Some fans will take issue with the movie being described as fun, but isn’t that what Star Wars is? In the aftermath of Andor, some fans seem to make it their mission to condemn any piece of Star Wars media that aims to be fun. It’s almost ironic to see fans who defended Rian Johnson against toxic fandom and fake narratives 9 years ago now doing the same to Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, only with a faux-progressive coat of paint. If the idea of action sequences, joy, and aliens upsets you, it makes one wonder why you still engage with this franchise at all. Yes, this movie isn’t made for clout-obsessed Twitter users who rake up thousands of likes for joking about killing Favreau and Filoni in cold blood for the unforgivable sin of liking Star Wars. Because in some people’s warped views, liking Star Wars somehow means you’re not a good storyteller. You either have to say you didn’t care for it to be taken seriously, or risk your work being branded with the forever-braindead moniker “slop.”
The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t going to change your life. Still, Favreau’s energetic direction, Göransson’s pulse-pounding score, the dazzling visual effects, the thrilling action, and the performances of Pascal, White, Blum, and Weaver all help it be a worthy, albeit small-scale, return for Star Wars in theaters. Once you allow yourself to be taken by the sense of wonder only this franchise can provide, you too will be immensely grateful to be back in that galaxy far, far away.
