First Reactions For The Mandalorian And Grogu Leave Critics Divided

Finally, after almost seven years, a new "Star Wars" feature film is hitting theaters. "The Mandalorian and Grogu" is about to be unleashed on the big screen, with Lucasfilm banking on the movie ushering in a welcome new era for "Star Wars."

Mind you, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" isn't really "The Mandalorian" Season 4 repurposed as a film. Rather, it features a reworked story with a whole new villain and focus, as opposed to being a direct continuation of the overarching plot of "The Mandalorian" and its spin-off series. As such, the movie includes everything from gladiator-style fighting Hutts to small appearances by characters from other "Star Wars" projects, like Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios from the animated series "Star Wars Rebels" and the walking merchandise that are the Anzellans. Admittedly, it's a bit unclear what this film is actually about at this juncture, but it presumably has something to do with Pedro Pascal's bounty hunter Din Djarin and his adopted son Grogu (aka. Mando and Baby Yoda, respectively) battling a threat related to the remnants of the Galactic Empire.

Now that "The Mandalorian and Grogu" has started screening for critics, the first reactions to the movie are out, and, surprisingly enough, people are somewhat divided. Some are calling the film a "grin-inducing crowd-pleaser" and a fun summer blockbuster, as journalist Simon Thompson wrote on X (formerly Twitter), while others are referring to it one of the weakest movies in the entire "Star Wars" franchise. Most critics agree on one thing, of course, and it's that Grogu remains as adorable as ever. But above all else, it sounds like "The Mandalorian and Grogu" plays a lot like an extended episode of "The Mandalorian," for better or for worse.

Posting on X/Twitter, io9's Germain Lussier described "The Mandalorian and Grogu" as simply "a longer, bigger episode of ['The Mandalorian']," saying it left him "frustrated" in spite of some fun moments. Indeed, the harsher reactions to "The Mandalorian and Grogu" compare it to a made-for-TV movie, minus the best parts of the TV show it's based on. For example, journalist Jonathan Sim called the film "an emotionless, predictable experience that doesn't push Din Djarin anywhere interesting," dubbing it "one of the weakest 'Star Wars' movies."

Similarly, /Film's own Bill Bria described the movie as being "terminally dull & offensively inoffensive" in spite of some cute moments. Worse yet, he said it feels like marathoning the blandest episodes of "The Mandalorian" (as opposed to the series' finest hours), ultimately declaring it a "waste of time & potential."

Sadly, this was always the biggest concern about "The Mandalorian & Grogu," i.e. that it would have a hard time proving its value as a standalone movie. It doesn't help that the film succumbs to the worst shonen anime trend as well (namely, telling a side story that doesn't really affect the narrative of the show that inspired it).

Still, some folks have been charmed by the latest "Star Wars" film. Freelance journalist and critic Courtney Howard referred to it as the perfect summer movie, writing that it's "action-packed with a lot of humor & heart." Elsewhere, Collider's Perri Nemiroff was equally taken with the film, posting that it's "brimming with creativity."

For now, then, we'll just have to wait and see how the movie goes over with general audiences when "The Mandalorian and Grogu" opens in theaters on May 22, 2026.