Image via Lucasfilm
Published May 19, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT
In addition to being a die-hard fan of filmmaking, television, video gaming, and anything else with a gripping narrative, Aidan Kelley is also a passionate and detail-oriented writer and journalist at Collider.com. In addition to his work as a Senior Resource Writer, Aidan has also contributed to Collider's features and news reporting sections. He has covered major industry events, such as San Diego Comic-Con and the D23 Expo, and has had the privelege of interviewing industry stars like Bruce Campbell, Maggie Q, Chad Stahelski, and more. This sincere love for the art of storytelling began at a young age, with Aidan making video movie reviews for the news program at his local high school. That love only increased over the years, with an ongoing career in independent filmmaking and screenwriting after graduating with a degree in Film and television from DePaul University.
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It has been 7 years since Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker released in theaters, beloved by all and universally regarded as a perfect conclusion to the sequel trilogy in every way... Fine, a more accurate description is likely that The Rise of Skywalker is widely regarded as the weakest entry in the sci-fi franchise since the prequel trilogy, which, contrary to what history revisionists will tell you, were very much disliked when they were released despite box office success.
Star Wars' current cinematic history has been something of a mixed bag to say the least. Following Disney's purchase of the IP, things got off to a strong start with The Force Awakens and Rogue One, then entered more divisive territory with The Last Jedi and Solo, before landing in firmly disliked waters with The Rise of Skywalker. It also doesn't help that Lucasfilm has developed a nasty habit of announcing too many projects and then letting them rot in development hell for eons, as with Rian Johnson's trilogy, Simon Kinberg's trilogy, Taika Waititi, and Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron film.
Still, that hasn't stopped Lucasfilm from exploring further potential for Star Wars movies, and it found a contender in Pedro Pascal's fan-favorite character, Dinn Djarin AKA The Mandalorian. After leading three seasons of his own titular series, Disney, Dave Filoni, and Jon Favreau decided Mando and his little green friend Grogu should get the big screen treatment, and considering how popular both characters are, it's not a hair-brained endeavor. Sadly and frustratingly, though, The Mandalorian and Grogu's fun action and cute moments can't save one of the most empty and hollow theatrical feature films ever to grace the Star Wars galaxy.
What Is 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' About?
The Mandalorian and Grogu picks up after Season 3 of the Disney+ series, which, in the timeline of the movies, places it after the fall of the Empire and between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Following his long rivalry with Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), Mando is now hunting down Imperial war criminals for the New Republic with his adopted son Grogu at his side. Soon, a mission from New Republic Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) has Mando and Grogu forming an uneasy partnership with the Hutt Cartel, who enlist the famed bounty hunter to find the long-lost heir of Jabba the Hutt, Rotta (Jeremy Allen White).
Before getting too much in the weeds, The Mandalorian and Grogu manages to get off to a legitimately great start with some really inventive action sequences. From a hallway fight from the perspective of a Mouse Droid to an impressive oner that has Mando tearing through Snowtroopers, this opening is the closest Star Wars has ever gotten to a John Wick film. Ludwig Göransson's immaculate score is also given prominence here. But all that being said, the cold open doesn't have much in the way of meaningful plot or gripping dialogue, and that's an issue that only progresses as the movie continues.
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The Mandalorian and Grogu has one of the most bare-bones screenplays of any Star Wars film in history. No subtext, no themes, no character arcs, everything from start to finish is just one character telling Mando and Grogu to go to X location to pick up Y MacGuffin, and then rinse and repeat. There's little to nothing that ties back to the original Disney+ series, bar a few visual references.
Much of the dialogue also raises red flags — not in the same way that "I don't like sand" or "Somehow Palpatine returned," because all the dialogue here is serviceable but not believable. It's just expository, with every single character explaining every minute detail to the audience. There are few moments where the characters just take a moment to learn about each other as individuals, making it so Djarin doesn't have any chemistry with anyone else on screen, even his little green son.
Grogu and Embo are the Scene Stealers of 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'
Mando feels more one-dimensional than he ever has in the newest Star Wars movie, but Grogu thankfully fares a little bit better. Many of the film's greatest moments consist of Grogu being so flipping adorable, and it'll be a challenge not to smile whenever he's interacting with the Anzellans. But even he's not immune to some of the film's flaws. It'sunengaging story and bland dialogue make the 2-hour and 12-minute runtime creep at a snail's pace, and one sequence involving Grogu goes on for a longer portion than it should.
The side characters are also a mixed bag. Jeremy Allen White's Rotta has a surprisingly beefy amount of screentime in the film, and it's nice to see a different side of the Hutts. Rotta has even more screentime than Colonel Ward or Star Wars Rebels fan-favorite Zeb (Steve Blum) both of whom are not given nearly enough to do. Sigourney Weaver not having much to do in her Star Wars debut feels downright criminal for the sci-fi icon. The one character who does get a bit more time to shine is Star Wars: The Clone Wars icon Embo, who thankfully brings forth a much-needed physical challenge for Mando.
Apart from Embo, one of the biggest flaws with Mandalorian and Grogu's characters are its villains. The Hutt Twins and the Imperial Officers whom Djarin is hunting are, without a doubt, the most forgettable and uninteresting antagonists in a franchise that is legendary for some of the greatest villains in film history.
Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz
Which Force User
Are You?
Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between
The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.
🔵Jedi Master
🟡Padawan
🔴Sith Lord
⚫Inquisitor
⚪Grey Jedi
IGNITE YOUR SABER →
01
What is the Force to you? Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.
AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control. BSomething vast and mysterious I'm only beginning to understand. CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride. DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don't.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do? The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.
AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering. BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they're not the enemy. CBury them. Emotion is a liability I can't afford to indulge. DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You: How you handle authority reveals your alignment.
AFollow it. The Council's wisdom surpasses my own perspective. BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision. CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right. DIgnore it. The strong don't answer to committees.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You: The dark side's pull is never more than a choice away.
ARefuse without hesitation. There is no cost worth that price. BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers. CFeel the pull but walk away — for now. DAccept it. Power justifies the method used to obtain it.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
Your approach to training and learning is: A student's habits become a master's character.
ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters. BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline. CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one. DRelentless and brutal. Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects: Combat is the purest expression of a Force user's philosophy.
ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit. BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements. CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance. DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You: Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.
AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly. BNeutralize them permanently. I can't afford loose ends. CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks. DOffer them a chance to surrender. Every being deserves that.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds: The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.
AThe Code is right. Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering. BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong. CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master's mission. DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
Why do you use the Force at all? What's the point? Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.
ATo learn. I'm still figuring out what I'm capable of. BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift. CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having. DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins? In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?
AThe light. I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier. BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle. CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality. DThe dark. Power is the only thing that's ever actually been real.
REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT →
Your Alignment Has Been Determined Your Place in the Force
The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.
🔵 Jedi Master
🟡 Padawan
🔴 Sith Lord
⚫ Inquisitor
⚪ Grey Jedi
Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.
You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn't whether you have what it takes — it's whether you'll be patient enough to find out.
You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side's cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.
You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.
You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don't fully trust you. The Sith think you're wasting your potential. They're both partially right. But so are you.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
'The Mandalorian and Grogu' Feels Like a Step Backwards for the Star Wars Franchise
The Mandalorian and Grogu feels like a return to form for the Star Wars IP, but only in terms of 2008's Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie. That movie felt like a tightly condensed series of episodes instead of a proper feature film, and this is no different. The pacing, structure, and dialogue are aggressively by the book, so it lacks the charm and magic that make this franchise so special.
A forgettable Star Wars movie is one thing, but a project that damages a once-great character is another. Ever since Book of Boba Fett, the forward momentum and progression that made Din Djarin so interesting has been repeatedly walked back. Being separated from Grogu so he can train with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)? That lasted a few months. Losing the Razor Crest ship? He gets the same ship in this movie. Wielding the Dark Saber? He hands it over to Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) almost instantly. The Mandalorian and Grogu is just another case of Disney and Lucasfilm feeling like they don't really know what to do with the character.
Is The Mandalorian and Grogu the worst Star Wars film ever made? Far from it, as there is much fun to be had here. Is it the best in the franchise? Also not the case, as it could very well be the most forgettable and inconsequential entry the franchise has produced yet. Andor, Maul - Shadow Lord, The Acolyte, Visions, and especially the earliest seasons of The Mandalorian proved that Star Wars can be so much more than a few gunfights and starship battles. In the right conditions, it can be a truly unforgettable cinematic experience, even when the movie isn't that good. The Mandalorian and Grogu are neither great nor awful, and that's what makes it one of the galaxy far, far away's most frustrating.The Mandalorian and Grogu debuts in theaters on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Release Date May 22, 2026
Runtime 132 Minutes
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Din Djarin / The Mandalorian
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Pros & Cons
- The opening sequence is a blast.
- Grogu is as adorable as ever.
- Rotta and Embo have some good scene steals.
- Ludwig Göransson's score is fantastic.
- The plot and dialogue are as bare bones as it gets.
- The structure feels like a compressed collection of scrapped episodes instead of a movie.
- Mando as a character has no growth or chemistry with his co-stars.
- The villains are easily Star Wars' weakest.
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