The Mandalorian and Grogu: four episodes of a great series disguised as a movie

The Mandalorian and Grogu was a movie I was looking forward to.

After all, the original series is one of the best Star Wars stories—recent or otherwise—and it appeals even to people who are not especially fond of the Skywalker universe.

And the movie gives us more of the same.

Do you like tea? Then have two cups.

The thing is, this is a light, entertaining movie that is very easy to watch.

A pleasant adventure aimed mainly at children and families that does the job as entertainment for a summer afternoon. But nothing more, which feels underwhelming considering where it comes from.

Plot

After the fall of the Empire, the New Republic is still trying to bring some order to a galaxy where far too many problems remain unresolved.

Din Djarin accepts another mission accompanied by Grogu, who keeps learning at his side and getting into trouble with admirable ease.

From there, the movie strings together locations, encounters, creatures and action scenes in a structure very similar to the series.

To its credit, the story is perfectly understandable even if you have not seen every season of The Mandalorian, because the plot is simple and the relationship between the two protagonists becomes clear straight away.

Also, despite running a little longer than it deserves, the pace stays more or less steady, although interest rises and falls until Grogu appears on screen again.

The best of The Mandalorian and Grogu

As with any work in the saga, there are some very interesting things here.

The Mando-Grogu relationship

As could hardly be otherwise, the best part is still the relationship between Mando and Grogu.

The two have chemistry and it is nice to see them together again. Grogu also has so much charisma that he can make you smile even when the humor is fairly simple. In fact, many scenes work solely because he is on screen doing one of his “things.”

The movie tries to explore their relationship a little further, although, honestly, it does not land the emotional punch it aims for at a key moment in the story.

Here Jon Favreau does not achieve what Dave Filoni often manages in his entries in the saga: genuine emotion. The intention is there, but the scene lacks the force needed for those moments to leave a lasting impression.

And that is despite the scene having some tension and, if you have neither watched nor read anything about the movie before going to the cinema, you may not be sure how it will end.

The antagonist

Another standout point is the appearance of Embo, the enemy bounty hunter with a samurai aesthetic.. 

The saga has, after all, been heavily influenced by manga from the very beginning (it “draws inspiration” from the story of Lone Wolf and Cub)).

He neither speaks nor appears enough for us to truly understand the character, but his design and presence are far above those of every supporting character. Even above the movie itself.

Every time he enters a scene, all eyes turn to him.

It is a shame he is not given more screen time here, but I am sure he will have plenty to do in another movie or a future season of the series.

The animatronics

Another strong point.

Here Favreau continues the series’ good work, and the physical creatures fit perfectly into this universe and provide a texture I always appreciate compared with the usual overuse of digital sets and characters in other productions in the saga.

It has personality and stands apart, yet you are always aware that you are watching Star Wars. That is an achievement.

The artistic side

And beyond the animatronics, in general, both the visuals and the music are very good and sit a step above the series. 

That said, the leap is there, but it is small.

The action scenes are not bad either—in The Mandalorian they never have been—although personally I expected much more from a production made for theatrical release.

The worst of The Mandalorian and Grogu

The main problem is that the movie has very little ambition.

Its script could have become a four- or five-episode arc in the next season with very few changes.

The structure is episodic, the different parts are clearly separated, and you never get the feeling that you are watching a story that truly needed to reach the big screen.

What is more, the plot feels less inspired than the best arcs of the series itself. And that is quite an offense, because The Mandalorian is a great series that had already proved it could tell stories with tension, emotion and depth.

The overly childish approach limits its possibilities even further. A movie aimed at children does not have to be simple, flat or predictable—just ask Pixar and its movies with more layers than an onion—but here anything that might make things too complicated is avoided.

And the worst part, as I said, is that there was enough material for a much greater challenge for the protagonists. Something that truly affected their relationship or forced them to evolve. Instead, everything follows a path that is far too safe. Or simple, if you prefer.

There is barely any character development. Mando and Grogu still have chemistry, but their relationship does not change enough, reinforcing the movie’s “series arc” feeling.

The supporting characters, meanwhile, serve their purpose and disappear.

Rotta, Jabba the Hutt’s son, is probably the least flat of them all and therefore ends up standing out, although you should not expect anything complex either. Still, he feels like he could take on a more important role in future stories.

Sigourney Weaver commands the screen whenever she appears, although her participation is little more than a cameo. Given the subject matter, it is also hard not to think constantly of her role in Avatar.

On the other hand, the especially difficult moment for Mando that I mentioned earlier, which does manage to generate tension, is resolved with a rather contrived solution. That weakens the scene and once again shows that the movie is unwilling to take many risks.

And finally, the ending follows the same line: it is functional and predictable. It closes what it has to close, in the way it has to do it, but without surprises, lest we break something…

Verdict

The Mandalorian and Grogu is not a bad movie. It is entertaining, maintains a good pace for much of its runtime, and Grogu still steals every scene he appears in.

As a family outing, especially with children, it works perfectly. Anyone who has not seen the series can also enjoy it because it requires very little prior knowledge.

But if you are selective about which new releases you watch in cinemas, this should not be near the top of your list.

The movie offers almost the same as the series, only a little bigger, slightly prettier and less inspired than its best story arcs.

A great series deserved a more ambitious movie. This one settles for dressing up four or five episodes and releasing them in cinemas.

So much potential for so little payoff.

Technical details

Field	Data
Title	Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
Year	2026
Runtime	2 hours and 12 minutes
Director	Jon Favreau
Main cast	Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White
Genre	Action and adventure
Country	United States
Available in	Cinemas
Spoilers in this review	No
Rating	3 out of 5