Critic Reviews

A definite crowd-pleaser for Star Wars fans and fans of the Mandalorian TV series. The Mandalorian and Grogu delivers exactly what it promises ... with some well-pulled heartstrings in all the right places.

It’s a deft and enjoyable blockbuster, easily the most purely entertaining Star Wars movie since the 1980s, even though it’s hardly the most meaningful or ambitious.

A swashbuckling space Western that deftly marries combative spectacle and kid-friendly cuteness.

It’s an entertaining trip to a galaxy far, far away that proves there’s still cinematic life in this universe.

For Favreau, philosophy and world-building is obviously the stuff of the TV show; now that it’s a movie, it’s time for fun and thrills.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is a self-contained story that more than rises to the challenge of feeling like a capital M Movie (a commendable achievement for what could have just been a streaming special in another timeline) but fails to feel like a Star Wars Movie in anything but branding.

There have been some exciting new stories told in this universe since the premiere of The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, but watching this latest installment of Lone Wolf and Cub in space just confirms the degree to which Star Wars feels like it’s spinning its wheels.

It’s an enjoyable throwback romp with plenty of action and weird creatures to overcome its weaknesses.

When Favreau banishes traditional actors in order to send little puppet creatures scuttling through the verdant landscape, suddenly his human-light blockbuster looks, if not quite visionary, at least novel. It also looks much closer to handmade, and deeply charming.

The film’s relative modesty comes as something of a relief. Freed from the burden of canonical responsibility, it’s flighty fun; a Western-y space mission that’s commenced and neatly wrapped up inside of two hours.