The Mandalorian and Grogu Movie Struggles Out of the Gate With One of Star Wars' Weakest Openings Ever
The Mandalorian & Grogu lands with a thud as early reviews rank it near the bottom of the Star Wars saga.
Well, this is not the hyperspace jump Lucasfilm probably wanted. Early reviews for the big-screen Mandalorian outing are in, and they are… chilly. Not a disaster, but enough to raise eyebrows before tickets even go on sale.
Where the score sits right now
As of today, the first wave of critics has Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu at 58% on Rotten Tomatoes. That stat comes from an early batch of 43 reviews, which is hardly the final word but definitely sets a tone.
'58% on Rotten Tomatoes from 43 reviews.'
That puts Din and Baby Yoda dangerously close to the franchise basement. If you are keeping score, here is how that 58% lines up against the rest of the saga right now:
- The Clone Wars ( 2008, animated): 18%
- The Rise of Skywalker: 51%
- The Phantom Menace: 54%
- The Mandalorian and Grogu: 58% (early)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story: 69%
- Rogue One: 84%
- A New Hope: 94%
- The Empire Strikes Back: 93%
- The Force Awakens: 93%
- The Last Jedi: 91%
So yeah, the new one is currently closer to the prequel growing pains than the top-shelf classics.
What the movie is actually about (as far as they will say)
Lucasfilm is still guarding plot details like Beskar, but the setup is straightforward: Din Djarin and Grogu head into rough Outer Rim territory, run up against Imperial holdouts, and try to keep a fragile balance of power from tipping the wrong way. The film opens only in theaters on May 22, 2026.
Should you panic? I would not
Early Tomatometer jitters are not a box office death sentence. Recent example: Michael got dragged for playing things too safe, then steamrolled the global box office anyway. Different movie, different fan base, same lesson — critics set a narrative, audiences write the ending.
If The Mandalorian and Grogu connects with fans, this 58% will become one of those weird footnotes people bring up in trivia threads. If it does not, it could go down as the moment the beloved duo stumbled on their first big-screen step. The gap between those outcomes is exactly why opening weekend exists.
Bottom line
Alarm bells? Maybe. Verdict? Not yet. We are a few days out from finding out where this actually lands once regular people (you know, the ones buying tickets) weigh in.
How are you feeling about that 58% start — blip or bad sign?