The newest addition to Star Wars, The Mandalorian and Grogu, was released May 22, 2026. It was made to top off the highly successful TV show, The Mandalorian. But does the movie match up to its show?
I’ll start my review with what I loved about the movie. First, like any Star Wars project, it had a fantastic score/music. The score added to so many of the scenes, adding tension, suspense, and emotion. Second, the movie looked really good; there weren't any parts where I wasn’t immersed in the setting. Third, the acting, both voice and physical, was very good. Lastly, the overarching plot felt thought out and planned, although some smaller parts didn’t feel as well planned.
Now, onto my issues with the movie. As mentioned above, some plot points didn’t feel well put together; for example, Grogu being ignored by a bounty hunter, Grogu knowing exactly where the Mandalorian was taken, and the Mandalorian surviving things he had no right to survive. Another issue I had was unnecessary cameos / ‘nostalgia’ bait. Something I don’t understand is why Zeb from Rebels is in the movie; I wouldn’t mind if he played an important role, but aside from being a getaway driver, He doesn’t do much. Another example would be Embo from The Clone Wars, who does play an important role as an antagonist bounty hunter, but he literally doesn’t say anything, and he doesn’t have anything related to his character. He could’ve easily been a nameless bounty hunter, and the story wouldn’t have changed at all. My final issue is how simple-minded the story is. The twists were incredibly obvious, and some themes were repeated multiple times to the audience. But overall, the rest is good.
However, despite its problems, I would definitely recommend this movie to others. The movie was definitely directed towards a younger audience, and I think that’s okay; It is fine for movies to be more basic and appeal to a younger audience. I think that The Mandalorian and Grogu serves as a perfect ‘gateway’ into Star Wars. If you like The Mandalorian and Grogu, you’ll probably like the other movies. Overall, I’d give this movie a solid 7 out of 10.
Image Source: https://letterboxd.com/film/the-mandalorian-and-grogu/