The Mandalorian and Grogu is out now! Was the wait it worth it? How impactful are the story and action? What new lore does it offer to build upon the legacy of The Mandalorian? Let’s answer those while respecting your excitement and not spoiling things for you.
Please note that while this review is spoiler-free, it contains a few images from the official trailers.
Our favorite duo is back
Din Djarin and Grogu have become one of my favorite duos in Star Wars. Their unique dynamic evokes something in me that very few things in the franchise do. The Mandalorian and Grogu take that and amplify it by having all types of moments between the pair.
The movie has tense scenes, intense action sequences, very funny character interactions, and even a few touching emotional moments. What I liked most about watching Din and Grogu again is that, this time, the story doesn’t depend entirely on The Mandalorian.
No, this time they are an actual team. Sure, the Mandalorian dude that is armed to the teeth excels at taking out the bad guys, but Grogu does more than enough to compensate for his lack of firepower in this movie.
I enjoyed a lot seeing how much he has grown and learned since the first season. From a defenseless little creature to someone who puts into practice everything he’d learned in his training sessions with both Din Djarin and Luke Skywalker.
While Din Djarin and Grogu are the stars of the movie, there’s a third character that I didn’t expect to have that much screen time. Don’t get me wrong, this was a pleasant surprise.
Especially because this character breaks a stereotype that “its type” has established since the original trilogy. I’m not very interested in what the future holds for this character and its legacy.
Creature’s Galore
I absolutely love it when there’s a huge variety of animals, creatures, and alien species in Star Wars. There’s something so cool about seeing many different beings interacting with each other in either social environments or group battles.
If you’re like me, then you’ll be pleased to know that there are tons of different species in the movie. These creatures are made with different techniques. Some are CGI, others incorporate practical effects, and a few more are puppets.
While I appreciate that they use different methods like George Lucas did back in the day, I still have to criticize how inconsistent some of these creatures look. Some are amazing, while others look quite bad.
This is more evident when a small number of them are in a scene with little to no movement. Despite this, I still celebrate that they included so many species.
Lots of action
The movie is packed with action that is very entertaining. Even if there’s a lot (and I mean a lot) of fighting, it doesn’t get boring because of how different the enemies are. Droids, reptilian humanoids, weird creatures, starfighters, Imperial troops, other bounty hunters, you name it.
Combat, shooting, and explosions aren’t what make Star Wars so iconic, but it’s definitely an element that makes this movie super entertaining.
Ok environments
The environments of the whole movie are ok. There aren’t a lot of them compared to other movies, and you can tell the space limitations, but that’s a common theme with The Mandalorian. Even places that are supposed to be full of life feel a bit sterile. As a fan of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t show more of Nal Hutta.
Plot
The plot is very aligned with what we saw in the first season of The Mandalorian. Din Djarin and Grogu are going to different places to complete a job that many would deem suicidal. However, that’s not what I expected to see.
Every other Star Wars movie feels consequential to the bigger picture, regardless of how good or bad they are. Let’s take the Solo movie as an example. Even if at that time we didn’t know much about Crimson Dawn, you could tell that their presence in the galaxy would have an impact at some point in the future. And it did.
But I’m not sure I say the same with The Mandalorian and Grogu. You could tell me that they put together half a season of The Mandalorian and decided to release it as a movie, and I’ll believe it.
What bothers me is that the antagonists of the movie are quite important, at least according to Season 3 of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. However, they are portrayed as low-level criminals who have no influence or power, when it’s the exact opposite.
I’m sure this will be relevant when Grand Admiral Thrawn returns, but I have the feeling that the way they’ll address it is with a brief and vague comment. On the bright side, it won’t be as infamous as “Somehow Palpatine returned”.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the story. My issue is that it feels too isolated and on a much smaller scale when that role is often for series and/or games.
Ludwig Göransson does it again
The best moments of the movie are enhanced by Göransson’s score. He always writes great music, but what he’s done for Star Wars in recent years is truly special.
Some of the music you’ll hear in the movie is different arrangements of the iconic theme he wrote for the first season, but fear not, there are also many new themes that sound different and unique while still maintaining the essence of The Mandalorian.
I specifically enjoyed the influence of 80s music in many of these themes.
Final Thoughts
I have to recognize that they managed to make The Mandalorian and Grogu a movie for everyone. The plot is simple, which makes it easy to follow, and the characters do all the heavy lifting.
You can watch it with your family, significant other, or anyone who knows very little about Star Wars, and they’ll still be able to enjoy it. At the same time, it rewards those of us who have spent decades learning all about this universe.
There are so many easter eggs and references spread throughout the whole movie. I was having so much fun trying to point them all out, and while I did manage to find a few, there’s probably a hundred more that I missed.
While some are better executed than others, I do think that The Mandalorian and Grogu has the elements that make a Star Wars movie feel like a Star Wars movie.
I had a great time watching this movie. It was fun, entertaining, and had a good mix of almost everything while also adding some unexpected but welcome surprises.
Is this a groundbreaking movie that will change how everyone perceives Star Wars? Definitely not. To me, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a fun, pleasant, and light-hearted movie that reminds us that Star Wars can occasionally be just a fun adventure.
If you have not yet seen the movie and used this review as a measuring tool to build or release your internal hype, I’d appreciate if you share your thoughts. Leave your comments below, but keep it as spoiler-free as possible.
And if you are hyped up to watch it yourself, make sure you go through our prep guide for The Mandalorian and Grogu so you know what’s going on.
This entire review as well as the summary in the review card below are all based on our own opinions as fans of the franchise. We would love it if you shared your thoughts.
Full Title:
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Era
The New Republic
Release
May 22, 2026
Length
2 hrs, 12 min
Similar
The Mandalorian S1
For
Fans of Din Djarin/Grogu
Anyone who enjoys Star Wars
The Good
Anyone can watch/understand it
A healthy mix of everything
Action packed
Incredible music
The Bad
Doesn’t necessarily feel like a movie, more like Mandalorian Season 3.5
The story is isolated
Ratings
Story
Character Depth
Surprise factor
Visuals and music
Pace
Final Verdict
4.0
Average of the 5 categories
