THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU Is Dividing Critics and Fans as Audiences Are Clearly Having a Great Time
The Mandalorian and Grogu has officially landed in theaters, and while critics seem pretty split on the movie, audiences are showing up ready for the ride and enjoying it.
The latest chapter in the Star Wars saga pulled in an impressive $82 million domestically during its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo, and it’s already climbed to $165 million worldwide since releasing on May 22.
What’s really interesting is just how different the reactions are between professional reviewers and the people actually buying tickets.
Moviegoers are clearly connecting with the film, which makes me happy. CinemaScore reports that opening-night audiences gave the movie an A- grade, which is a very solid response for a big franchise release.
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience-driven Popcornmeter currently sits at 89% with more than 5,000 verified ratings submitted. That’s a strong sign that fans are embracing Din Djarin and Grogu’s jump from Disney+ to the big screen.
Critics, on the other hand, aren’t nearly as enthusiastic. The film currently holds a 62% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 235 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9 out of 10.
Metacritic is even cooler on it, giving the movie a 53 out of 100, which falls into the “mixed or average” category.
Rotten Tomatoes’ critics consensus reads: “Bountiful in action but threadbare in narrative thrust with its episodic structure, this Star Wars is more of a skirmish that coasts on the charm of its central dynamic duo.”
PersonalIy, had an absolute blast with the movie. The Mandalorian and Grogu delivered exactly what I wanted from a big-screen Star Wars adventure.
It’s fun, fast-moving, packed with cool creatures, exciting action sequences, and that classic galactic adventure energy that made so many fans fall in love with Star Wars in the first place.
Sure, the movie isn’t trying to reinvent cinema, but not every Star Wars story needs to carry the weight of the galaxy on its shoulders. Sometimes audiences just want to escape into an entertaining sci-fi adventure with lovable characters, cool worlds, and crowd-pleasing moments. This movie absolutely delivers that.
A lot of the criticism aimed at the film feels overly harsh for what it’s actually trying to be. Some critics seem frustrated that the movie leans into serialized storytelling and straightforward adventure, but that’s part of The Mandalorian’s DNA. It’s built like a classic pulp adventure series, and the movie keeps that spirit alive.
At the end of the day, the audience scores tell the real story here. Fans are showing up, they’re enjoying themselves, and they’re connecting with the movie in a big way. Sometimes it feels like certain critics just don’t know how to have fun at the movies anymore.
In the end, seeing Star Wars fans leave theaters smiling is a pretty great sign for the future of this corner of the galaxy.