Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Review: The One Detail Everyone Missed in Jabba's Son’s Return

Jon Favreau's Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu officially marks the franchise’s return to movie theaters after a seven-year absence since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Clocking in at a brisk 2 hours and 12 minutes, this cinematic leap transforms what would have been Season 4 of the Disney+ hit into an IMAX-sized space Western. However, beneath the relentless blasters and lightsaber-adjacent action lies a specific legacy character return that radically reframes the criminal underworld between the original and sequel trilogies.  

The Mandalorian and Grogu Review Verdict

The movie operates on pure adventure video-game logic, breaking down into a series of interconnected fetch-quests across diverse galactic environments. While the father-son dynamic between Din Djarin and his green, puppet ward remains a reliable emotional anchor, the feature film relies heavily on nostalgia. The action is relentless, but the narrative often functions more as a bridge for Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni’s animated lore than a bold new cinematic frontier. It is an entertaining, albeit hyper-familiar, gateway back to the big screen.

Full Plot Breakdown

The narrative foundation of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu follows the status quo established at the end of the show's third streaming season. Din Djarin (voiced by Pedro Pascal) and his legally adopted apprentice Grogu are officially operating as independent contractors for the struggling New Republic, hunting down the remnants of the Imperial fleet hiding in the outer rims of the galaxy.  

The New Republic Assignment

The cinematic adventure kicks off when New Republic commander Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) summons the duo to track down a highly sensitive asset. Ward orders them to venture to the planet of Shakari to capture the mysterious Commander Coin and a missing figure. When they land on the cyberpunky, crime-ridden metropolis of Shakari—which bizarrely resembles a neon-drenched, live-action Earth city—they find themselves immediately tangled in the web of a fractured criminal syndicate left in the wake of Jabba the Hutt's death.  

The Return of Rotta the Hutt

While navigating the neon alleys of Shakari, Din Djarin runs straight into a surprising legacy figure: Rotta the Hutt, the son of Jabba the Hutt (famously introduced as a baby slug in the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie). Now fully grown into a gym-bro space slug, Rotta has taken over local criminal operations. Rather than communicating in the traditional guttural Huttese language, Rotta speaks plain English, voiced with an awkward, modern swagger by Jeremy Allen White.  

The encounter forces Mando and Grogu out of their comfort zone. Instead of clearing out rooms of Imperial Stormtroopers, the helmeted hero must bargain with a smooth-talking crime kingpin inside a luxury compound. The mission quickly shifts from a straightforward bounty into a multi-layered escape sequence when a deadly CGI hitman from Dave Filoni's Clone Wars lore arrives to ambush the compound, forcing Din, Grogu, and Rotta to leap over sand dunes and blaster fire to protect the New Republic's targets.  

Future Implications for the Star Wars Franchise

The Mandalorian and Grogu represents a massive corporate and creative pivot for Lucasfilm under Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni. By taking a proven streaming property and testing its viability in theaters, Disney is mapping out the future theatrical ecosystem of the franchise. The inclusion of adult Rotta the Hutt and legacy animated characters signals that future films will tightly integrate streaming storylines rather than remaining entirely standalone. If the box office holds strong, this movie establishes a direct blueprint for transforming ongoing television narratives into massive, cyclical cinematic events.

Quick Facts

• Release Date: Friday, May 22, 2026  

  
  

• Platform: Theaters Exclusive (IMAX, 3D, Dolby Cinema). Streaming on JioHotstar in India and available internationally via the JioHotstar global app following its theatrical window.  

  
  

• Director / Showrunner: Jon Favreau  

  
  

• Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes  

  
  

• Cast: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, Steve Blum, Jonny Coyne  

  
  

• Status: Theaters This Week

Frequently Asked Questions

Who voices Rotta the Hutt in the new movie?

Rotta the Hutt is voiced by The Bear star Jeremy Allen White. The character portrays a grown, modernized version of Jabba the Hutt's son who speaks fluent English rather than Huttese.  

Do you need to watch all seasons of the Disney+ show to understand the movie?

While the film sets up a self-contained mission involving Colonel Ward and Commander Coin, having context from The Mandalorian Season 3 heavily improves the viewing experience regarding Din Djarin's employment with the New Republic.

Who composed the musical score for The Mandalorian and Grogu?

The film's cinematic score was composed by Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson. His signature synthesized space-Western beats return to drive the theatrical action.  

Are there any animated Star Wars characters in live-action here?

Yes, the movie features prominent cameos and characters originating from Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, including a live-action appearance by Zeb Orrelios (voiced by Steve Blum).