Once a lone bounty hunter, Mandalorian Din Djarin and his apprentice Grogu embark on an exciting new Star Wars adventure.
When Disney bought Lucasfilm from George Lucas back in 2012 for a staggering $4.05 billion, fans didn’t really know what to think. Some were excited, others were wary, and plenty were just plain skeptical. But then “The Force Awakens” hit theaters in 2015, racking up over $2 billion at the box office. Suddenly, any doubts about whether STAR WARS could still draw a crowd seemed pretty silly. Of course, the movie itself was divisive. Critics and fans alike couldn’t help but notice just how much it borrowed from “A New Hope,” and the arguments about whether that was homage or laziness went on for months.
Then came “The Last Jedi” in 2017, which didn’t just split the fanbase—it practically tore it in half. Personally, I’d call it the weakest of the Skywalker saga. And the follow-up, “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019, somehow stumbled even further, with messy plot choices and dialogue that quickly became meme material. (“Somehow, Palpatine returned” still gets a laugh—and not the good kind.)
After that, STAR WARS took a break from the big screen, with Disney shifting its energy to TV. Some of those shows—“The Mandalorian,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Ahsoka,” “Andor”—found real traction. Others, not so much. So when Disney abruptly canceled “The Mandalorian” after three seasons, despite having scripts ready for a fourth, the plan shifted: the next chapter would be a feature film instead. Early buzz wasn’t exactly glowing, so I walked into the press screening with low expectations. I walked out grinning. It turns out, STAR WARS still feels like magic at the movies, and this one is genuinely entertaining from start to finish.
Set after the fall of the Empire, the story finds the galaxy in its usual state of chaos—Imperial warlords stirring up trouble, the New Republic scrambling to keep things together. The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his pint-sized apprentice, Grogu, are tapped for a rescue mission: Rotta the Hutt has been kidnapped, and the Hutts are willing to trade critical intel if Mando can bring him back.
Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward sends them to Nal Hutta—a swampy, heavily industrialized planet in the galaxy’s Outer Rim. Here, Mando meets the Hutt twins (Jabba’s siblings) and learns Rotta’s being held on Shakari, a planet reminiscent of Coruscant’s seedier districts. The catch? Rotta’s been thrown into gladiator fights, and he’s not exactly eager to be rescued. In fact, he warns Mando that his own family wants him dead so they can take over the Hutt Empire. Mando doesn’t buy it—until he’s thrown into the arena himself. What follows is a breathless escape, a tense standoff aboard Mando’s ship, and a showdown with the mysterious Imperial warlord pulling the strings. Just when you think the dust has settled, a shadowy stranger shows up, knocks out Mando, and leaves Grogu to save the day.
What makes “The Mandalorian and Grogu” work is its willingness to be its own thing. It’s set between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens,” but it doesn’t feel the need to shoehorn in every iconic character—no surprise cameos from Luke, Leia, Han, or even Chewbacca. Instead, you get just enough familiar STAR WARS flavor—AT-ATs, the Hutts, neon cityscapes—to ground you in the universe, while letting the new story breathe.
Visually, Shakari is a standout. The city feels alive, pulsing with color and danger, proudly wearing its “Blade Runner” influence. Ludwig Göransson’s score ditches John Williams’ legendary themes, but it works: a mix of acoustic Mandalorian motifs and throbbing synths that feel right at home in this grittier corner of the galaxy. He also introduces dizzyingly eclectic new tones and variations, including new motifs for characters like the Hutts.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” proves there’s still plenty of life—and originality—left in STAR WARS. It’s bold, fast-paced, and a real spectacle, the kind of movie that deserves to be seen (and heard) in IMAX. By forging its own path, it makes a strong case that the best STAR WARS stories might be the ones we haven’t heard yet.
In Theaters Friday, May 22nd
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