Mandalorian and Grogu review!

by James Herrera

​I'll get straight to the point: I loved this movie.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is directed by Jon Favreau — the creator of these characters --
and it stands among the best work he's ever done. That's saying something for a filmmaker
whose credits include Iron Man, Elf, and Chef. What Favreau has built here is a Star Wars
adventure for everyone, one that feels genuinely expansive and inviting.
Before the film's release, Favreau talked in interviews about wanting to recapture the feeling
audiences had in 1977 when the original Star Wars hit theaters — that sense of thrill, of being
swept up in a story and launched into a galaxy far, far away. This movie delivers that. But it
also carves out its own identity, which is no small feat for a franchise that now includes nine
episodic films, two previous standalone features, and a growing catalog of television series.

Starting with the feel of it — this one is different right from the jump. There's no "A long time
ago in a galaxy far, far away..." That text crawl appeared in front of both Rogue One and Solo,
anchoring them to the broader saga. This film skips it entirely, cutting straight to action after
the Lucasfilm logo. It was a genuine surprise, but it works.
We also get a title sequence — something that has never happened in a Star Wars film
before. Pedro Pascal's name appears on screen, followed by the rest of the cast, and I'll admit
I laughed a little. What was especially meaningful was seeing Brendan Wayne and Lateef
Crowder get their own title cards. These two have been essential from the very beginning in
bringing the Mandalorian to life physically, and that recognition is long overdue. And both
times I watched the movie, Martin Scorsese's name appearing on screen got an audible
"What?!" from the audience. Both times. I found that genuinely funny.
The title sequence does something important narratively: it tells the audience right away that
this is Star Wars, but it's its own Star Wars movie. The franchise has faced criticism fromdifferent directions — projects that feel too similar, or others that feel too disconnected. The
Mandalorian & Grogu threads that needle well. It's familiar and new at the same time.

​Watching it, I kept thinking: this is how George Lucas saw Star Wars. An adventure built on
momentum, where every sequence ends with you leaning forward wanting to see what comes
next. The pacing is one of the film's real strengths. There are no subplots pulling focus. No
cutting away to another corner of the galaxy to check in on a different story. When another
character does briefly enter the frame, Mando is right there, making clear whose story this is.
One of the film's best sequences belongs entirely to Grogu. Left on his own while Mando is
down, he does everything in his power to protect and care for him. It's one of the most
genuinely heartwarming things Star Wars has ever done. The scene could have easily played
for laughs — and it does have humor — but there's enough real stakes and tenderness woven
into it that it earns its emotion. I was almost tearing up, and I don't think I was alone.

Rotta the Hutt is a standout. The marketing kept him largely under wraps, so walking into the
film without knowing what to expect from this character made the reveal work even better.
Since Return of the Jedi, Hutts have been framed almost exclusively as crime bosses and
villains. Ratta flips that entirely. He's warm, funny, and genuinely cares about the people
around him — Grogu especially. It's a welcome and long-overdue expansion of what a Hutt
can be in this universe.
Ludwig Göransson's score is, as expected, excellent. The main themes from the series are all
present, but the new additions written for the film hold their own. Keep an ear out for "Shakari"
— I have a feeling that one is going to travel well beyond the theater.

​It's easy to forget there was a time when neither the Mandalorian nor Grogu existed. Star
Wars carried on before them, and it will continue after, but these two characters have added
something to this universe that feels genuinely irreplaceable. This movie is a reminder that
Star Wars can still be fun — the way it was always meant to be.
Overall, I loved it. Seeing Star Wars on the big screen again felt good. Really good.
9.2/10