[Movie Review] Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) Delivers Action, Nostalgia and Plenty of Grogu Charm

Walking into The Mandalorian and Grogu, I kept my expectations fairly grounded. This is in spite of the marketing hype prior to the movie release.

The Star Wars universe has been a mixed bag over the years, especially after the recent wave of Disney+ series and sequel films. Nonetheless, I ended up having a genuinely good time with this one.

What I enjoyed most is that the film does not try too hard to be some massive galaxy changing epic.

Instead, it leans fully into being a fun, straightforward adventure centred around Din Djarin and Grogu. The tone feels much closer to a space western or even an open world RPG game where you travel from planet to planet meeting strange characters, getting into fights and uncovering smaller stories within the larger Star Wars universe.

That smaller scale approach actually works really well here.

The movie picks up after the Disney+ series and continues the bond between Mando and Grogu, which remains the emotional core of the story. Grogu is still effortlessly adorable and probably gets some of the loudest audience reactions throughout the film. The little Anzellans also steal plenty of scenes with their chaotic energy and quick humour. The cinema I watched it in was laughing constantly whenever they appeared.

Visually, the movie feels bigger than the series, especially during some of the action sequences involving bounty hunters, giant creatures and plane battles. Watching it on the big screen definitely gives certain scenes more impact compared to streaming it at home. At the same time, it still keeps the familiar style and pacing of The Mandalorian, so fans of the show will probably feel right at home.

I also liked that the story focuses more on side characters and corners of the galaxy that are usually overlooked. We get more Hutts, bounty hunters and criminal underworld politics instead of another Jedi versus Sith conflict. It makes the universe feel lived in without relying too heavily on Skywalker nostalgia.

Sigourney Weaver adds a fun presence as a New Republic officer, while Jeremy Allen White unexpectedly makes Rotta the Hutt surprisingly entertaining. I did not expect a giant Hutt character to end up being this likeable, but his interactions with Grogu became some of my favourite moments in the movie.

That said, the film is not particularly groundbreaking.

The plot itself is fairly simple and at times it does feel like an extended version of the television series rather than a completely standalone cinematic event. Personally though, I did not mind this at all.

Sometimes it is refreshing to watch a Star Wars movie that simply wants to entertain instead of trying to reinvent the franchise. The movie knows exactly what it is and never pretends to be more than that. It delivers action, humour, cute Grogu moments and enough nostalgia to satisfy longtime fans without becoming overly complicated.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is now showing in Singapore cinemas. Go catch it!