The last time there was a Star Wars movie in cinemas was in 2019, with The Rise of Skywalker. Since then, the franchise has taken over Disney+ with countless series, to the point of almost saturation. Now, one of the first series to appear on the channel has made it to the big screen. The Mandalorian and Grogu are on their first big-screen adventure as the bounty hunter and his young apprentice, who most see as Baby Yoda. Has the transition from small to big screen been a success? Well, in parts, but what were once the wonders of cinemas since the 70s have somewhat been dampened slightly by overkill and a movie that suffers from being too long with a wafer-thin plot.

Bounty hunter The Mandalorian is hired by the New Republic to track down Rotta the Hutt, the son of Jabba the Hutt, so they can obtain information on the plans for a new Empire. Still, the Mandalorian is drawn into a world of double-crossing and, along with Grogu, must escape the clutches of Rotta’s twin family members.

Brought to the screen by the creator of the TV series, Jon Favreau, this has everything that the show gave, from that air of part sci-fi, part western, and the main character, this mysterious helmeted loner who, along with his young friend, finds himself getting in and out of trouble. Having only seen the odd episode of the show, I went in with a mild idea of what to expect. I’m guessing the bulk of the audience for the film will be fans of the series or those who have seen it in its entirety.

As a feature, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a Star Wars film: big on scale, with amazing world creations and characters that are both fascinating and strangely weird. It is also brimming with large, often loud set pieces where there are fights and laser beams flying around, and even an X-wing fight that makes you reminisce about days of old. The thing is, all this does look impressive on the screen, but the content sorely lets it down. It is far too long and doesn’t really go anywhere, so after the first hour, the decision is to basically repeat what you have just seen, but in a different setting.

The film’s success lies in the puppets. It may be impressive to have CGI monsters and dogfights, but put a small puppet with big eyes and more charisma than most actors on screen, and you are onto a winner. Grogu is a star and makes the whole thing much more bearable. This creation is funny, sweet, and ultimately one of the cutest things in the Star Wars universe. This time, he is joined by a bunch of small workers who look like remnants from Michael Bentine’s Potty Time (really showing my age here) and Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock. As for the rest of the film, it just feels baggy, with plenty of filler, and every plot point is explained so we know where we are headed.

The cast is also something of a surprise. Pedro Pascal returns as the lead, though most of the time it could be anyone in the costume (in fact, there are two doubles for the characters), and we only get a brief sequence where the actor shows his face. Sigourney Weaver, the queen of Sci-Fi with Alien, Galaxy Quest and Avatar to her credits, is very much a guest appearance, but it is the voice talents of The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White as Rotta, and director Martin Scorsese (yes, that Scorsese) as a multi-handed creature who gives out information for a price, in what can only be described as the role the film director was born to play.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, to give it its full title, isn’t a terrible movie, and there is plenty to enjoy. It feels like an extended episode of the series and lacks the breathtaking impact of previous Star Wars films. In fact, this is the first time I haven’t been excited to see a Star Wars film in the cinema. Next year is the 50th anniversary of the original Star Wars. I just hope that we get to feel that level of excitement again when it is re-released, and that the franchise’s overexposure doesn’t dampen the feeling of being young again.

3 out of 5

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, Jonny Soyne, Steve Blum, Matthew Willig, Martin Scorsese, Hemky Madera, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Shirley Henderson

Written by: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Noah Kloor and (based on the characters created) George Lucas

Running Time: 132 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 22nd May 2026