The Mandalorian and Grogu first reactions are in: ‘A longer, bigger episode of the show’
The first reactions to this month’s brand new Star Wars movie are here, ranging from ‘a grin-inducing crowd-pleaser’ to ‘an emotionless, predictable experience’.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is dividing audiences in early screenings, with initial reactions across social media painting a picture of a movie that’s probably in line with expectations. Simon Thompson calls it a ‘solid popcorn movie’ that ‘puts Star Wars back on theatrical track’, while Fandango’s Erik Davis says it’s ‘a thrilling adventure full of big fights, gnarly creatures and plenty of adorable Grogu moments’.
At the other end of the spectrum, Jonathan Sim has branded it ‘one of the weakest Star Wars movies’, criticising the fight sequences as ‘action figures mashed together’ (a common theme across Disney’s Star Wars content, to which Lucasfilm veterans Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have themselves alluded in the past).
The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first big-screen outing for these characters following three seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney+, and one of the chief concerns in making that cinematic leap was that it might just wind up feeling like a made-for-TV movie (especially in place of a mooted fourth season). Those fears may have been well-founded – at least according to some critics.
“I can’t overemphasise how much The Mandalorian and Grogu is blatantly a full season of TV crunched down to movie length,” said ScreenRant’s Alex Leadbeater. “As in, you can clearly see where each episode would have started/ended. And it’s not a very good season of TV.”
Gizmodo and io9’s Germain Lussier says the film is ‘as expected’: “A longer, bigger episode of the show. It has one or two stand out scenes but it feels much more interested in developing the story to new locations with new creatures than the characters. Enjoyed some of it, left frustrated [by] the rest.”
The LEGO Group is banking big on The Mandalorian and Grogu at least having some Star Wars merchandising pull, with an entire wave of sets for the movie already on shelves and more still to come later this summer. Thanks to recent Nielsen data, we know that The Mandalorian is a hit with kids and baby boomers, so it’ll be interesting to see whether that translates to the silver screen too.
If nothing else, the LEGO Star Wars sets hooked to the movie so far are a comfortingly familiar assortment: an X-wing, a Razor Crest, an AT-RT, a buildable Grogu and so on. Even if the movie isn’t quite what some Star Wars fans are hoping for, the appeal of those ships, vehicles and characters might be enough to ensure the LEGO Group’s focus for 2026 pays off to some degree.
The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in cinemas on May 22, 2026. Check out the full range of tie-in sets so far below…
LEGO The Mandalorian and Grogu sets
| LEGO set | Price | Pieces | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40856 The Mandalorian and Grogu: Allies & Villains | £34.99 / $39.99 / $39.99 | 661 | April 26, 2026 |
| 75444 AT-RT Attack | £39.99 / $44.99 / €44.99 | 297 | April 26, 2026 |
| 75445 Anzellan Starship | £64.99 / $74.99 / €74.99 | 701 | April 26, 2026 |
| 75446 Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) | £119.99 / $129.99 / €129.99 | 1,200 | April 26, 2026 |
| 75447 The Razor Crest | £139.99 / $149.99 / €149.99 | 930 | April 26, 2026 |
| 75451 Hutt Palace Sentry Droid Showdown | £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 | 415 | August 1, 2026 |
| 75460 New Republic X-wing Starfighter | £59.99 / $69.99 / €69.99 | 558 | April 1, 2026 |
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