One Movie Later: The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Big Screen Debut is Not So Big
by James Coulter
Seven years have passed since Star Wars last lit up movie screens. Disney once planned a full-blown cinematic universe, but after Solo crashed in 2018, the company retreated to its new streaming service. The shows that followed were hit or miss, but one clear standout emerged: The Mandalorian.
Spanning 24 episodes across three seasons, the story of a lone bounty hunter and his small green ward became the crown jewel of Disney’s Star Wars era. Now the studio hopes to bring that success back to theaters. But will Mando and Grogu make the hyperspace jump to the big screen? Or will their attempt fall short of “the way”?
Mando and his pint‑sized partner are back on the hunt, this time chasing an Imperial warlord who’s still tightening his grip long after the Empire’s fall. To reach him, Mando and Grogu must first track down Rotta, son of Jabba the Hutt and heir to the Hutt Clan. But when they find him, Rotta refuses to return home, determined to carve out a life beyond his family’s criminal legacy. Will Mando claim his bounty? Or will the galaxy’s many hazards claim it first?
Let’s cut to the chase: The Mandalorian and Grogu is a good…two to three episodes of a Disney+ streaming show packaged into a full-length movie.
Does that make the film good or bad?
Well, let’s discuss some of the good things about the movie first:
1. It’s a self-contained story. If you’re wondering whether you need to binge-watch the Disney+ show before watching this movie, the good news is that you don’t. No major plot points or narrative threads from the streaming series carry over into this film.
In fact, you don’t even need to have seen the show to follow the movie. All you need to know is that the movie stars a bounty hunter who’s essentially Boba Fett (without being Boba Fett) and his cute little Yoda look-alike. That’s it! No prior episode watching or re-watching required.
2. Nice use of practical effects. As with The Mandalorian and Disney’s other recent Star Wars projects, this film strikes an impressive balance between CGI and practical effects. Unlike the prequels’ overreliance on digital imagery, this movie uses practical work whenever it best serves the moment. Grogu remains a puppet—and remains charming because of it!—and the same is true for Babu Frik and his fellow pint‑sized Anzellan droidsmiths.
One standout action sequence even features giant robot droids animated through stop‑motion, blending tactile, old‑school models with modern live‑action filmmaking. Even better, the scene was crafted with help from Phil Tippett, the legendary VFX artist who pioneered the original trilogy’s stop‑motion work. That’s real dedication to the craft, right there!
3. Same great Star Wars action and adventure. What do you love about Star Wars? The high‑speed dogfights in space? The wild sci‑fi worlds? The imaginative aliens and creatures? The pew‑pew space lasers? The Mandalorian being a total boss? Grogu being an adorable little gremlin? Whatever your answer, this movie has it. It delivers everything Star Wars fans come for and then some. Even if the story and characters aren’t the strongest, it’s still as entertaining as any other Star Wars flick.
4. It’s better than The Rise of Skywalker. This Star Wars movie is better than the one written by the screenwriter behind Batman v. Superman. Then again, clearing the bar set by The Rise of Skywalker isn’t that great a feat. It’s not even a bar at this point: it’s the floor. Even Solo—the movie that flopped so badly Disney stopped making Star Wars films for years—looks better by comparison. The rabid fans who hate the Prequels hate those movies less than Rise of Skywalker. So yes, this movie is better in comparison. Congratulations, I guess!
If I sound flippant, it’s because this movie doesn’t really have much of anything else to offer. Like I said: it’s essentially two to three episodes of The Mandalorian packaged together as a single full-length film. The movie even has the same cinematic quality as the show—which either speaks volumes of that show’s production value or serves as a mark against this movie.
Are you a fan of The Mandalorian? Have you ever wanted to see him and Baby Yoda on the big screen? If so, you’ll probably enjoy this movie. Otherwise, if you’re not that big a fan, or you’ve never watched the show before, I’d recommend either waiting until this movie comes out on streaming or home media—or just skipping it altogether! At best, it’s a good matinee ticket, but not worth the full price of admission.
This is not the Star Wars cinematic comeback you’re looking for.
