The Mandalorian and Grogu
★ ★ ★
The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first Star Wars film to hit theaters since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, which doesn’t quite bode well for the franchise since there were several projects in development set to release from 2022 and well beyond. Many of these projects stalled after the release of the sequel trilogy. If you follow certain YouTube channels, you’ll get the impression that you’re supposed to hate this movie and that Star Wars is a dying franchise that’ll never recover their fan base.
That very well may be. There are even fringe rumors in Star Wars fandom that Lucasfilm could find a way to erase the sequel trilogy from official canon, perhaps by using the Star Wars Rebels episode “A World Between Worlds,” where time and space bend to create alternate realities.
Grogu with Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian
© 2026 Walt Disney Pictures & Lucasfilm Ltd.
While I doubt they’ll do anything nearly that drastic, the franchise really needs a win—and soon. The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn’t exactly knock it out of the park, but it’s at least a half step in the right direction, and I liked it a heckuva lot more than I thought I would.
The story picks up not long after the last episode of The Mandalorian’s third season, with Din Djarin, also known as the Mandalorian and Mando for short (Pedro Pascal), working as a paid mercenary for the New Republic. The New Republic is the government taking over the galaxy after the fall of the evil Galactic Empire, whose incomplete, yet “fully-armed-and-operational,” second Death Star was destroyed.
The Mandalorian and Grogu Make Their Escape
© 2026 Walt Disney Pictures & Lucasfilm Ltd.
Djarin is Grogu’s caretaker. Grogu is a toddler-sized member of the same mysterious species as Jedi Master Yoda, dubbed “Baby Yoda” before the character was given a name in The Mandalorian series. Even non-Star Wars fans became Star Wars fans because of Baby Yoda. It might seem like child endangerment to bring Grogu on missions, but this little guy has a powerful connection to the Force, lifting heavy rocks and big objects better than Luke (Mark Hamill) did in The Empire Strikes Back.
The opening feels very much like a Star Wars film should, with an exciting action sequence designed to thrust us right into the story. Djarin and Grogu attempt to capture Commander Barro (Hemky Madera) of the former Empire. The New Republic, specifically Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), wants Barro alive. To Djarin’s credit, he keeps Barro from escaping the planet, but has to kill him to stop his escape.
The Hutts: Criminal Underworld Bosses
© 2026 Walt Disney Pictures & Lucasfilm Ltd.
Colonel Ward needs the information Barro had and sends Djarin and Grogu on an adventure to meet with crime syndicate bosses, the Hutt twins, cousins of Return of the Jedi’s Jabba the Hutt. They will only give Djarin information if he finds their nephew, Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White). This mission leads to another mission, which leads to yet another one, then eventual capture, escape and so on.
Where the film stalls is in the story department. There isn’t really a compelling plot to hook us. We’re mostly watching Djarin and Grogu hop from one adventure to the next, which led me to ask myself several times, “What’s he supposed to do again?”
Grogu arrives to help Mando
© 2026 Walt Disney Pictures & Lucasfilm Ltd.
The dramatic stakes are also underwhelming. In a theatrical outing, Djarin should have something more compelling to do than just gather intel. Sure, the story can start there, but it never really uncovers a bigger plot.
That being said, the action is fantastic and well worth the price of admission. It’s hard to describe, but the laser battles, both on land and in space, just feel like Star Wars, something I was glad to see after the franchise’s recent missteps.
While The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn’t make a totally compelling case for more Star Wars on the big screen, it does suggest there might be some life left in this galaxy far, far away after all. That being said, they can call the half-pint version of Yoda whatever they want. He’ll always be Baby Yoda to me.
Rated: PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action.
Running Time: 2h 12m
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Produced by: Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, Ian Bryce
Written by: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney WEaver, Jeremy Allen White, Jonathan Coyne, Hemky Madera
Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy
