After not being too thrilled with the third season of The Mandalorian, I finally decided to check out the franchise's newest movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu. I was pretty curious why they didn't just do a fourth season instead, but I was even more surprised that it got a theatrical release, seeing as we haven't had anything from the Star Wars universe on the big screen since 2019.
Ever since Lucasfilm was bought by Disney, pretty much everything Star Wars-related has been garbage—and I say that as a die-hard fan of the original trilogy. The only things I've genuinely enjoyed and would recommend without hesitation are Andor and The Mandalorian. The latter blew up because it dropped right during the pandemic, leaning into that winning mix of cuteness, sci-fi, and action that really clicked with younger generations.
Personally, I loved the first two seasons, wasn't a huge fan of the third, and figured a fourth season would finally give the story a definitive conclusion. Instead, we get this movie, and it doesn't really wrap up the plot either. Once again, we find Mando and Grogu cruising through space, hunting down the leaders of the Imperial remnant with bounties on their heads issued by the New Republic, which is now running the show and trying to bring order to the galaxy.
As you might remember, Mando is a bounty hunter, so he takes these New Republic contracts. That leads straight into the opening action sequence on an ice planet, with Mando tearing through Stormtroopers and ultimately taking out another target. It’s a sequence worthy of the Star Wars universe, though definitely nothing we haven't seen before. He takes on another gig, but this time it involves the Hutts, tracking down Jabba’s lost son.
And that’s pretty much how the whole movie goes: chasing down characters and bagging bad guys. I won't say too much to avoid spoilers, but the plot doesn't really bring anything new to the table, neither in story nor in character development. I feel like it missed a massive opportunity to let Grogu evolve—without sacrificing the cuteness people love—by exploring his skills and showing him using the Force more effectively so he could become more independent. After all, his species lives a really long time, and he won't be able to stay with Mando forever.
At its core, the movie feels like an extended episode of the series. I think Disney ran out of ideas a long time ago; aside from Andor, there's nothing truly new and exciting to watch. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the movie—it was fun in its own way—but it’s packed with the exact kind of Star Wars clichés that have exhausted fans and turned so many people off the franchise. Frankly, I wouldn't waste money on a movie ticket for this; it's definitely worth waiting for it to hit streaming. It’s a solid flick for a family movie night, though.
Rating: 75/100
