'Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu' review: This is (sort of) the way

Courtesy of Disney

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2019 feels like a lifetime ago. It is also the last time a “Star Wars” film arrived in theaters, a run that ended with “The Rise of Skywalker.” In the years since, the franchise has largely migrated to streaming, with more than 80 episodes of television expanding the galaxy in smaller, more contained ways. At the center of it all has been “The Mandalorian,” a lean, western-inspired series that found its cultural footprint not through sprawling mythology, but through something far simpler. Grogu, the instantly beloved “Baby Yoda,” became the face of modern “Star Wars,” and Disney has not hesitated to build around that appeal. A feature film was the inevitable next step. Whether this particular story merits that jump is where things become less certain.

There is nothing inherently wrong with keeping a “Star Wars” story modest in scale, but theatrical releases carry an expectation of weight, of narrative purpose that extends beyond what the weekly format provides. “The Mandalorian & Grogu” never quite makes that leap. Instead, it settles into a rhythm that feels distinctly episodic, unfolding like an extended stretch of television rather than something designed for the big screen. The film moves from one contained objective to the next, delivering moments of charm and action without ever fully building toward something larger.

To its credit, the film remains invitingly accessible. You do not need to have followed every chapter of “The Mandalorian” to understand the framework. Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin, the helmeted bounty hunter navigating the outer edges of the galaxy with Grogu in tow, a small but powerful companion whose abilities continue to draw attention from dangerous corners of the universe. Their dynamic remains the emotional center, and it still works largely because the film does not overcomplicate it.

The western influence is, as always, front and center. Mando operates like a lone gunslinger, guided by a strict code that defines both his identity and his isolation. That element still carries a certain intrigue, though the film does little to evolve it. There is also a faint sense of remove in the performance itself, with Pascal’s physical presence occasionally feeling secondary to the armor and silhouette, a small detail that reinforces how much of this character is defined by iconography rather than development.

The story places Mando and Grogu in the familiar position of reluctant operatives, pulled into a larger conflict just after the events of “Return of the Jedi.” A New Republic representative, played by Sigourney Weaver in a role that feels surprisingly perfunctory, hires them to locate and extract Rotta the Hutt, here voiced by Jeremy Allen White. As the last heir to Jabba’s lineage, Rotta’s return carries potential political value, with the promise of intelligence on an emerging Imperial threat dangling as the film’s central motivation.

It is a sturdy premise, but one that the film treats with a curious lightness. The narrative drifts instead of tightens, favoring digressions over escalation. Mando and Grogu encounter a rotating lineup of creatures and characters along the way, each sequence entertaining on its own terms, yet rarely contributing to a cumulative sense of direction. A four-armed food vendor, voiced by Martin Scorsese, provides an amusing detour. A massive, swamp-dwelling creature offers a brief jolt of spectacle. A mid-film skirmish pairs Mando and Rotta against a swarm of alien adversaries. Individually, these moments are well-crafted. Collectively, they feel like stops along a path that never quite leads anywhere.

Jon Favreau’s strengths remain evident. He understands the tactile charm of this world, the value of practical textures, odd creatures, and smaller, character-driven beats. On television, that approach gives the series its identity. Here, it exposes its limitations. Without a central threat that commands attention or a storyline that meaningfully expands, the film feels content to exist rather than assert itself.

That lack of urgency ultimately defines the experience. The stakes never fully crystallize, and the film resists pushing its characters into territory that might challenge or reshape them. What remains is something consistently watchable, occasionally delightful, but rarely essential. It is not weighed down by excess, but it is also not elevated by ambition.

There is a version of this film that leans into its simplicity while still embracing the scale of the format. This is not quite that version. Instead, “The Mandalorian & Grogu” exists in a middle space, too slight to feel cinematic, too stretched to feel tightly constructed. It satisfies in the moment but leaves little behind.

Grade: B-

STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU is now playing in theaters.