For most of its history, Star Wars has been a cinematic event. If adjusted for inflation, every Star Wars movie outside of one has grossed more than a billion dollars at the global box office. Even the two lowest-rated movies in the series, The Phantom Menace and The Rise of Skywalker, grossed over a billion dollars without inflation adjustment. Since the last Star Wars movie, however, Star Wars has solely been a TV product. Since the birth of Disney+, there has been at least one Star Wars TV show released per year, ranging from live-action series to animated content for children. After nearly a decade of TV shows, Star Wars returns to theaters with a sequel to its most popular live-action series, The Mandalorian. While the film has the same level of competence as its predecessor television show, it lacks the overall stakes needed for a big-budget feature.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu once again follow Din Djarin and Grogu as they begin working with the New Republic after the fall of the Galactic Empire. After taking a job to rescue and return Rotta the Hutt, son of Jabba the Hutt, in exchange for information on the whereabouts of a mysterious warlord, Djarin discovers the true intentions of his hiring, leading him on an expedition across the galaxy that takes him and Grogu on a slew of dangerous encounters.

If Disney is good at one thing, it’s making their products easily digestible for its audience. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is an extremely fine-tuned sci-fi film that immediately lets the viewer know what kind of movie they’re in for, and it does so with precision. With compelling sound design and seamless visual effects, the film is wrapped in quality filmmaking that makes for a light and entertaining experience. The action is shot in medium-to-wide shots, allowing the viewer to see every punch, kick, and gun blast. Ludwig Göransson once again showcases why he is one of the best composers working today, mixing Western, sci-fi, and hip-hop music in such a visceral manner that it drives the story to new heights. When it comes to the basic elements of moviemaking, there isn’t much about the film to critique.

The design of Grogu alone is enough to get the audience invested in the character, but Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu prove that he is undeniably one of the most adorable characters Disney has created in decades. From his little fast walk to his attempts to help out Din Djarin in his mission, everything this character does will make your heart melt. Making alien creatures effective and lovable is a near-impossible task, but Grogu mostly succeeds through practical puppetry, which makes the character’s actions and movements more organic and tangible. If there’s any reason to seek out this film, Grogu alone is a great selling point.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu are best described as a newly-built house. The exterior is clean and well put together, but once you delve beneath the surface, it is completely empty. While the film’s story isn’t anything to be ashamed of, it lacks the elements of great storytelling. Not only is there no development for the titular characters, but the stakes are not high enough to warrant a theatrical runtime. For a Star Wars movie, everything feels entirely too small-scale, lacking tension despite the slew of big explosions and high death count. Star Wars is known for its expansive world-building and big set pieces, and sadly, this film is missing these pivotal elements.

Before starting production on this film, writers Jon Faverau and Dave Filoni wrote season 4 of The Mandalorian, but they eventually had to scrap it in favor of making this movie. With the way Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu was structured, I would not be surprised if they just took three episodes of the show they wrote and adapted them into a movie. The film has a very clear three-act structure, with a long pause between acts that signals the start and end of a TV episode. While there are instances where TV attributes can translate well to feature-length films, this is an example where the TV structure was detrimental to the overall movie.

While Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is an easy enough movie to experience, it lacks any standout qualities that make it a memorable watch. From its hollow screenplay to the low stakes, the film is too slight for its own good. Watching a Star Wars movie in theaters used to be a cultural event, but sadly, this film is nowhere near deserving of event status. At least Grogu is cute.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Rating: 5/10

Oscar Prospects:

Best Visual Effects