The first Star Wars movie in seven years is finally arriving in theatres, but early reviews suggest the return to the galaxy far, far away may not be landing the way many fans expected. The Mandalorian and Grogu have debuted with a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the lower-rated Star Wars films of Disney's era so far.
How The Score Compares To Other Star Wars Films
The current Rotten Tomatoes score places The Mandalorian and Grogu below films like Solo: A Star Wars Story, which holds 69%, and far behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, both of which crossed 90%.
However, it still ranks slightly above Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which scored 51%. The movie currently sits close to Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, which also holds 62%.
What Critics Are Saying
Several reviewers praised the film's visuals, action sequences and the chemistry between Din Djarin and Grogu, but many felt the story lacked emotional weight and cinematic scale.
Variety described the movie as "semi-forgettable episodes jammed together" despite its large-scale action. Deadline questioned how long fans would remain satisfied revisiting the same timeline and familiar characters.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote that while the film works better than The Rise of Skywalker, it “doesn't aim high enough.” Empire called it a “lively if inessential extended episode,” while GamesRadar praised the fun adventure elements but criticised the film for having surprisingly low stakes for a Star Wars movie.
One of the strongest reactions came from io9, which called the film “a throwaway adventure” and argued that it ultimately felt like “a longer, better-looking, mid-tier episode of the show.”
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Fans React Online
The mixed reviews quickly sparked debate across social media platforms. Some users expressed disappointment over the low score for The Mandalorian and Grogu, especially since this marks the franchise's first theatrical release since 2019.
7 years of waiting just to watch a 50-year-old toddler carry a multi-billion dollar franchise on his tiny green back for two hours, only to land a 58%
— Scionic Tech (@Scionic_Tech) May 19, 2026
First theatrical Mando film in years and it's only 58%? Disney cooked or what?”
— Kulture???? (@omotola101c) May 19, 2026
58% is rough, but after 7 years fans were always going to expect something huge
— PHEMMYTE (@phemmyte_akon) May 19, 2026
Hopefully ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu' still delivers the Star Wars magic on the big screen. pic.twitter.com/yd3MFM3TWu
Others defended the film, saying Rotten Tomatoes scores do not always reflect audience enjoyment. Several fans also argued that The Mandalorian works better as a streaming series rather than a full-length theatrical film.
Tbh, this may be a good sign for the movie???? Usually critics hate what audiences like.
— Mr. Mystery (@MrMystery______) May 19, 2026
This is just another case of the critics trashing something instead of realizing that the movie was made to be “fun” for the audience. Saw an advanced screening last night and it was exactly that! Fun!!! If you liked the Disney+ series, you'll like the movie. pic.twitter.com/Zz9OJZWTvb
— Rougue1 (@Rougue111) May 19, 2026
I'm a Star Wars fan and I don't think I'll see this because tbh this should have been an episode for the series as the same length of the film but for marketing it makes sense why its a film. God I miss when they took time with Star Wars films...
— Krack1997 (@morelock_t35514) May 19, 2026
Don't see the point in reviews it's one person saying what they think, how would they know what I like.
— The Pale King (Jason Grieve) (@jaybirdie1) May 19, 2026
Still, many viewers said they remain excited to watch Din Djarin and Grogu return to the big screen, regardless of the early reviews.
— y3rnaux ™️ (@y3rnaux) May 19, 2026
Directed by Jon Favreau, the film brings back Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin alongside fan-favourite Grogu for another adventure set after the fall of the Empire.
The movie is scheduled to release in theatres on May 22, 2026. Now, all eyes are on Friday, whether audiences embrace Din Djarin and Grogu's big-screen return more warmly than the critics did.
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