The Mandalorian and Grogu Reviews Are In: Star Wars Returns to Theaters After 7 Years — But Is It Any Good?

The Mandalorian and Grogu: Star Wars Is Finally Back in Theaters

It's been seven long years since a Star Wars movie hit the big screen. The last theatrical outing was 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, which... let's just say it left fans divided. Now, on May 22, 2026, Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian and Grogu is finally bringing the galaxy far, far away back to cinemas — and the first reviews just dropped today. The verdict? It's complicated.

Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin, the helmeted bounty hunter, alongside the universe's most adorable green asset, Grogu (aka Baby Yoda). With Sigourney Weaver joining as Colonel Ward and Jeremy Allen White voicing Rotta the Hutt, this 132-minute PG-13 adventure is trying something the franchise hasn't done before: taking a Disney+ TV series and scaling it up for IMAX.

What the Critics Are Saying

The early reviews paint a mixed but generally curious picture. USA Today awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars, calling it "an enjoyable throwback romp with plenty of action and weird creatures." They praised the James Bond-esque cold open featuring AT-AT takedowns and noted that Favreau doesn't embarrass fans — or himself — in bringing Pascal and Grogu to the big screen.

The Associated Press wasn't as generous, calling the film a "disjointed off-ramp" that "lacks the scale and ambition of its sisters." AP critic Mark Kennedy argued the movie "buckles under the pressure, turning the Mandalorian into a trigger-happy John Wick." Meanwhile, the New York Post took a middle-ground stance, describing it as a "decent one-off" that "boldly goes where no Star Wars movie has gone before" — spinning off from TV rather than a theatrical saga.

The Story, the Stars, and What's Actually New

Set after the fall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi, the film follows Din Djarin and Grogu working for the New Republic. After a messy mission that doesn't sit well with Colonel Ward (Weaver), Mando earns a repaired Razor Crest and a new assignment: meet up with the Hutts to rescue Rotta the Hutt — Jabba's son, voiced by The Bear's Jeremy Allen White — and gather intel on a mysterious Imperial figure.

What fans can expect:

• AT-AT Walker action sequences right from the opening scene
• Rotta the Hutt — described as a "buff gladiator slug" who's nothing like his notorious dad
• The Anzellans — tiny, mechanically inclined (and equally cute) creatures who team up with Grogu
• Classic Star Wars nostalgia: X-wings, Stormtroopers, Death Star trash compactor callbacks
• Sigourney Weaver as a New Republic colonel who calls Mando out: "Messy. Very messy." (The NY Post called her a "science-fiction Rent-A-Star" who "cashes a check for a couple minutes")

The New York Post made an interesting point: this movie has no arduous homework. Unlike Marvel, where you need to watch five years of TV plots to understand what's happening, The Mandalorian and Grogu is "pretty much all shootouts, fights, chases, and adorable Baby Yoda antics." For casual fans, that's actually a selling point.

Bottom Line: Should You See It?

Here's the deal — this isn't going to be the next Avengers: Doomsday in terms of scale. It's not trying to be. It's a self-contained, relatively modest adventure that doesn't try to widen the Star Wars universe or pile onto Mandalorian mythology. And honestly, after the franchise's swing-and-miss streak, that modesty feels like a relief.

If you grew up on Disney+ watching The Mandalorian and have a soft spot for Grogu, you'll probably have a great time. If you're expecting an earth-shattering cinematic event on the level of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's billion-dollar run — manage your expectations. But for a Friday night at the movies? This could be exactly the popcorn entertainment Star Wars needed to remind everyone why we fell in love with this universe in the first place.

The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026. Rated PG-13. Runtime: 132 minutes. Directed by Jon Favreau.