The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

The first Star Wars film in nearly a decade doesn’t shake up the formula: instead, it’s a lively if inessential extended episode of the series. But Mando remains cool, and Grogu remains cute.

The critic finds the film a sturdy, affable Star Wars offshoot and throwback with simple pleasures and strong creature-feature elements that deepen the parenting theme between Mando and Grogu. It falls short of being riveting enough to supplant classic franchise memories and has story deficiencies despite serviceable action.

The movie is drab and lifeless with pro forma action and monotone performances that fail to engage. It works best in a slowed-down interlude highlighting Grogu's puppetry and emotional care for the Mandalorian.

The critic finds the film a pleasant but eminently forgettable family-friendly Star Wars adventure that struggles to escape its television origins, with a repetitive hunt-battle structure feeling like stitched-together episodes. Grogu’s puppetry and Martin Scorsese’s voice performance as a street vendor are singled out for praise, while the flat CGI is noted as a weakness.

The film is a solid enough addition to the Star Wars universe, serving up familiar narrative tropes on an Imax scale with entertaining set pieces. It barrels along capably but lacks sufficient humanity, humour and extravagant space melodrama.

The film is an entertaining Star Wars adventure that stands alone but feels like a condensed TV season with an inconsequential storyline. It benefits from Pedro Pascal's charisma and Grogu's cuteness amid spectacular action sequences.

Even Baby Yoda cannot save this spin-off, whose absurd plot flops from one clumsily staged brawl to another. The puppetry and stop-motion are strong points amid the otherwise hopeless execution.

This latest Star Wars effort demonstrates that the franchise has become the dying dog of Hollywood. The plot is unashamedly stolen and skewed toward a preschool market, with Mando fighting like an amateur.

It is a strong, entertaining Star Wars spin-off with non-stop action and heart that proves the franchise still has cinematic life. The critic singles out the constant thrills from set pieces like sea snake attacks and AT-AT battles, plus Favreau’s confident direction blending TV tone with blockbuster energy.

Jon Favreau’s film lacks ambition but compensates with heartwarming heroes and breezy blockbuster adventure, making it the most purely entertaining Star Wars movie since the 1980s. It is straightforward and absorbing with plenty of heart that keeps it from feeling shallow.

The film is a disappointingly average Star Wars entry that feels like an expensive TV rerun rather than a true big-screen adventure. It singles out a few graceful Grogu-focused sequences and the hypnotic score for faint praise amid mostly dull, boardroom-approved beats.

The film is pretty entertaining in its simplest moments but feels like the Star Wars franchise has lost its way and is showing its age. It rehashes familiar elements without recapturing the original magic.