The Critics Must Be Crazy, ‘The Mandalorian And Grogu’ Is An Absolute Blast

InnovationGamingThe Critics Must Be Crazy, ‘The Mandalorian And Grogu’ Is An Absolute BlastByErik Kain,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about TV shows, movies, video games, entertainment & culture.Follow AuthorMay 22, 2026, 05:27pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.The Mandalorian and GroguCredit: LucasfilmPerhaps it’s just a matter of expectations. I went into The Mandalorian and Grogu with mine set accordingly. Star Wars has been the very definition of a mixed bag over the past three decades or so, and I’m used to disappointment. Nevertheless, I walked out of this movie with a big grin on my face. Unlike Season 3 of The Mandalorian, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a delightful, action-packed, often hilarious little space Western.Critics have been harsh, unfortunately. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a 63% aggregated score, ahead of just four other Star Wars films: Attack of the Clones (62%), The Phantom Menace (54%), The Rise of Skywalker (51%) and The Clone Wars (18%). This is pretty wild to me and I can only assume that the critics, well, the critics must be crazy. Audiences paint a more positive picture, giving the film an 89% on the Popcorn Meter (placing it fourth from the top). But as with all things Star Wars, I’m sure this is going to be divisive. There’s an entire cottage industry on YouTube built on Star Wars hate (much of it deserved).Like I said, my enjoyment of The Mandalorian and Grogu is at least partly thanks to expectations. Mine have been fairly low with regards to pretty much any Star Wars project not titled Andor, though I thought Skeleton Crew was a fun little romp and the new Darth Maul animated series, Shadowlord, is excellent. I was a massive fan of The Mandalorian when it debuted seven years ago, and Season 2 was also quite good, but the show fell off a cliff in Season 3. They say first...