The Mandalorian and Grogu lands as an average Star Wars outing rather than the franchise revival fans hoped for. Director Jon Favreau's big-screen spinoff arrived with high expectations after no new film since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. The plot is predictable, fight scenes fall flat, and diehard fans will likely feel let down. Still, Grogu's charm is hard to beat.

Season 4 of the Disney+ series was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood strikes, giving Favreau the green light to make this theatrical offshoot. Sigourney Weaver plays Colonel Ward, a New Republic officer who directs Mando and Grogu's missions hunting Imperial warlord remnants. Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin, and Jeremy Allen White voices Rotta the Hutt, Jabba's son.

The storyline sends Mando after Rotta on behalf of the Hutt Twins, who now run Jabba's criminal enterprise. In exchange, they provide intelligence on the elusive warlord Coin. Mando accepts partly because Ward offers a refurbished Razor Crest-like ship. It's a serviceable Memorial Day entertainment option but not the spectacular home run the franchise needed.