The evil Empire has fallen but Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they enlist the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu.
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Blum, Martin Scorsese
Release Date: May 22, 2026
Genre: Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action.
Runtime: 2h 12m
Review:
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits the big screen with decidedly lower stakes than most Star War films but it still packs in a hefty amount of action in this standalone story that leans heavily on mindless fun as opposed to dramatic heft. The film is more of a series of smaller stories that almost makes the whole thing feel like an elevated binge of the show with more expansive visuals and action. Jon Favreau delivers an easily accessible film that doesn’t require the audience know much about the show before jumping right into the bounty hunting action. Favreau’s familiarity with the world and characters comes through as he easily sets up the series of planets and environments Mando and Grogu traverse from the snow covered opening to the Blade Runner inspired planet Shakari. The action set pieces come at a regular pace, rarely letting up with the dramatic storyline taking a backseat to the overall spectacle. The opening sequence has a fun Hoth sort of look and feels while the gladiator fight with a jacked Rotta Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White, answers the question how do worms fight. The twin Hutts compound on Nal Hutt has a swampy Yavin feel that will feel familiar to anyone who grew up with the original films. That setting does offer Grogu his best moments, first with the tiny mechanic Anzellans and then by him in a particularly inspired, nearly silent, segment that lets him take center stage. That segment is the most impressive and memorable of the bunch as it brings something original to the board which is refreshingly creative and noteworthy something the film could have used a tad bit more of. Those looking for some deeper expansion of Mando and Grogu’s story won’t find much here as the script offers little more than the reaffirmation of their surrogate father/son relationship. Rotta Hutt, Jabba’s son, is a solid but rather one note as someone trying to move out of his father’s notorious legacy and forge his own path. Jeremy Allen White delivers solid voice work as Rotta even though the quality of his character’s CGI strangely fluctuates from good to shoddy for some reason. Pedro Pascal also provides strong voicework, he doesn’t show his face well over an hour into the film, with him easing back into the character like an old pair of jeans. Sigourney Weaver has a supporting role as a Republic colonel but the film gives her pitifully little to work with as her character isn’t given much time to shine. There could be more dramatic beef to the The Mandalorian and Grogu that would have made it stand out a bit more but it’s fun enough to keep fans and causal movie goers entertained.
B-
