‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ First Reactions Are In and They’re Mixed at Best
The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t just another Star Wars movie. This is the first multiplex outing in seven years, and its success or failure at the box office will determine the fate of the galaxy far, far away for years to come.
Seven years is a long time for any franchise to marinate in its own shortcomings, let alone Star Wars. Jon Favreau has been tasked with breaking the spell through the magic of Din Djarin and his impossibly charming green ward, but will they manage to survive the leap from Disney Plus to the silver screen?
Well, the first reactions to the movie dropped this week, and if there’s one thing critics seem to agree on, it’s that… well, they can’t agree on much.
Our own Rachel Leishman praised the movie for expanding on what the show set up, calling it “the best outing yet for Baby Yoda and his dad.”
Jack Kennedy, aka Kenjac, wrote that the movie was “fine,” and fans can expect “really good action in the third act.” Apparently, it also does a great job of justifying why this, and not a fourth season, was the right call.
Movie critic and podcast host Griffin Schiller writes that The Mandalorian and Grogu is “an inoffensive, technically impressive spectacle that’s kinda a snooze fest.” He says that parts of the writing was lacking in depth, but then, he didn’t experience that connection with the series either. “If you love the show,” he added. “I’m sure you’ll have fun.”
So far, so good, eh? Well, another critic, called the Pedro Pascal-led spectacle “one of the weakest Star Wars movies.” And mind you, this guy has, like the rest of us, watched The Rise of Skywalker.
“An emotionless, predictable experience that doesn’t push Din Djarin anywhere interesting. Dull, unexciting fight scenes; just CGI monsters. Action figures mashed together,” he wrote.
Other reactions are of the same tenor. The movie is broadly fine, occasionally thrilling, and sometimes very disappointing. You know, sort of like the entire Disney run since 2012.
What many critics are agreeing on is that the composer, Ludwig Göransson, is earning his paycheck.
The honest read on these first reactions is that The Mandalorian & Grogu is probably exactly what it looks like — a well-crafted, visually ambitious expansion of a beloved television show that has not yet figured out what movies are uniquely capable of.
If you go in with low expectations, you might be pleasantly surprised. If you want the movie to justify Star Wars’ long-awaited return to theaters, you might leave frustrated. This is not the next big installment in the saga. This is just a bridging act connecting the MandoVerse and paving the way for the next big story.
I reckon the real question is whether the galaxy far, far away has anything left to say on the big screen, or whether it should just colonize the comfort of the couch and play to its recent strengths, examples of which are The Mandalorian itself, and perhaps other hits like Andor and Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord.
For my two cents, I’m just glad Star Wars has made a proper return with all these new projects. The last decent thing worth getting excited about was Andor season 2, and that already feels like a long time ago despite premiering last spring.
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters next week on May 22.
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
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