Rating of
3/4
Star Wars: Now Streaming On the Big Screen
Chris Kavan - wrote on 05/31/26
One of the inspirations that George Lucas has cited for Star Wars is the early serial sci-fi pulp series Buck Rodgers. The Mandalorian and Gragu seems like a direct extension of that inspiration - a light, pulpy tale that brings some fun, some action but, ultimately, unless you're a Star Wars fan, not much else. As many have pointed out, this doesn't feel much outside an extended version of the Disney+ series. If you're a fan, it gives you what you want but I can also see why it hasn't attracted much attention besides the built-in core audience.
The opening of our tale is pure action - our Mando (Pedro Pascal) is out cleaning up some old Imperial remnants. Along for the ride is Grogu, who get a fun opening scene involving a Mouse droid, along with pilot Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum), a character ported over form the popular Clone Wars animated series. After taking out a few AT-AT walkers, he returns to the rebel base where Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver - sadly mostly wasted in a too-small role) tells him he's sloppy before presenting him his payment, a replacement ship. But it does come with a catch, she needs him to fly to Nal Hutta where she promises they will reveal the identity of a high-ranking former imperial, but only if he rescues their nephew, Rotta (Jeremy Allen White) - a character who also briefly made an appearance in the Clone Wars movie. Despite misgivings, the Mando makes his way to planet where he learns the hutt is on a nearby moon. After making contact with a four-armed food truck owner (voiced surprisignly by famed director Martin Scorsese) he learns Rotta is a popular gladiator in the local arena.
Rotta, it turns out, is not kidnapped or missing but more than happy to be fighting to roaring crowds and leaving the shadow of his father, Jabba the Hutt, far behind. He is actually on his last fight before he's free from his contract under Lord Janu (Jonny Coyne) and tells the Mando the only reason his aunt and uncles are interested in him at all is to kill him so they can take control of his father's legacy with no strings lingering. Things are only more complicated when Rotta informs him that Lord Janu is the imperial he has been sent to find - and thinks the hutts are playing both sides.
The movie has plenty of action scenes - a huge arena battle, shootouts, space battles - you name it - but is absents a single Jedi, Sith or even lightsaber for once. It has plenty of fun scenese and Grogu, of course, is still as cute as possible, but this Star Wars lite entry has no major impact on the universe at large. It's very much a self-contained story with a few familiar faces. I liked it well enough but, then, I'm still a big Star Wars fan (not as crazy as I once was but still very much on board). I enjoyed myself but can understand that this isn't going to rival any of the prequel, sequel, OG trilogy or even the likes of Andor. It's fun and breezy, but it's not going to impress anyone outside the fandom. I'm hoping that the upcoming Starfighter will really take off because after this, Star Wars needs a fresh reboot to get it going again.
