With The Mandalorian and Grogu debuting soon on Friday, May 22, there is cautious optimism after years of Star Wars fatigue (and the first wave of reactions is not helping). Lucasfilm is taking a bold risk by bringing Din Djarin and Grogu to the big screen rather than keeping their story on Disney+, yet anticipation feels tempered. Many observers noted that the trailers and early footage for The Mandalorian and Grogu often feel more like an extended episode of the hit series than a true cinematic event. Despite that, Lucasfilm is banking on the undeniable popularity of the titular duo to draw families and casual fans back.
The Mandalorian and Grogu's momentum hit a new stride with a wave of early reactions to the movie's first 25 minutes from special IMAX events in different locations worldwide. Some of the scenes featured in the exclusive preview include Din Djarin and Grogu's ambush of an All Terrain Armored Transport (AT AT) and fun banter with returning Star Wars Rebels character Zeb Orrelios.
Film and TV critic Zach Pope shared that the first 25 minutes of The Mandalorian and Grogu reminded him "a lot of the first season" of the Disney+ series, noting that the action was "massive" and "very entertaining:"
"I saw the first 25 minutes of 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' in IMAX. Very entertaining, reminds me a lot of the 1st season + the OG Star Wars trilogy in terms of story structure & feel. Action is MASSIVE, the Hutts have a huge part, & I can’t wait to see the rest! LUDWIG Score is [fire emoji]."
JoBlo.com editor-in-chief Paul Shirey said that fans who loved the Disney+ series will enjoy The Mandalorian and Grogu, noting that it has "an elevated quality" with "more polished visual effects and atmosphere:"
"We saw the opening 25 minutes, although I think it was chopped down to give us the most bang for buck, moving rather briskly. If you love the show (as I do), I am positive you will love the movie (just based on what we saw). It looks like the show, of course, but there is an elevated quality to it, with more polished VFX and atmosphere."
Ion Cannon podcast host William Devereux hyped The Mandalorian and Grogu by pointing out that much of what the trailers show is from "early in the film," suggesting there will be fun surprises in the latter half:
"Just finished watching the first 27 minutes of The Mandalorian and Grogu! Din Djarin is arguably the coolest he’s ever been, and Grogu is as adorable as always. While the movie’s stakes aren’t the highest, a lot of what the trailers show is from early in the film. So hopefully we’ll get some fun surprises. I love this duo and can’t wait for May 22nd!"
Laughing Place posted that there were "big applause moments" when Zeb, the BD-X droids, and a holoscan of baby Rotta the Hutt were seen on-screen while also teasing some interesting plot details:
"We saw the first 25 minutes of The Mandalorian and Grogu, including the full snow walker scene, how Mando gets the new Razorcrest, as well as the Hutt’s setting up the full story. Big applause moments were Zeb, the BD-X droids, and a baby holoscan of Rotta the Hutt. Great tease!"
Star Wars Lore Guy described the film as "absolutely amazing," giving high praise to its visuals, choreography, and score:
"Just got out of the The Mandalorian and Grogu event and it was absolutely amazing. The Visuals, Choreography, and The Score was a stunning. I can’t wait to watch it in theaters and IMAX on May 22. Make sure you see it in IMAX or any of the large premium format screens it is definitely worth it."
Star Wars Holocron were "blown away by what [they] saw" during the special IMAX event, acknowledging that The Mandalorian and Grogu's epic scale "demands to be seen on the big screen:"
"We just watched the first 25 minutes of THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU in IMAX and are blown away by what we saw. Cinematic, epic scale that demands to be seen on the big screen. Ludwig Göransson’s music gave us goosebumps. Had smiles on our faces the entire time watching the footage."
Blast Points had a lot of positive things to say about The Mandalorian and Grogu, calling the film "cinematic," "fun," and "insane:"
"Just got home from the IMAX event for The Mandalorian and Grogu and they showed A LOT and what I saw floored me. It’s big, it’s cinematic, it’s fun, it’s insane … it’s the Mandalorian. It’s blast points the motion picture. Bring on May 22nd."
Leah Marilla Thomas was "truly gobsmacked" and "delighted" after seeing the first 25 minutes of The Mandalorian and Grogu:
"I watched the first approx. 30 minutes of The Mandalorian and Grogu in IMAX this evening during valuable Met Gala arrival refreshing time and geeked over the most RANDOM thing. But was truly gobsmacked by it, delighted, in awe, etc."
Film critic and producer Andre Saint-Albin was excited about "a beautifully choreographed seamless one-shot" action sequence and impressed with its sound design:
"The Mandalorian and Grogu seen in IMAX… yes, this is the way it MUST be seen and experienced. They opened with a custom IMAX 10-second countdown that hit hard. The film dives straight into action from the opening scene, and Grogu is still the perfect sidekick.
I watched a beautifully choreographed seamless one-shot oner, and the sound design is impressive!! You feel every blaster shot and engine roar in rumble the seats. Almost the full 28 minutes played in stunning expanded IMAX format. The opening titles and cinematography are elite. Every future Star Wars film needs this full IMAX treatment."
Tyler Disney shared a mixed reaction toward what he saw during the IMAX Special Event for The Mandalorian and Grogu, noting that "something felt off when the opening credits rolled" since "it didn't quite feel like a Star Wars movie:"
"My reaction to the first 25 mins of The Mandalorian and Grogu:
The opening scene deserves credit. It’s genuinely cool. The CGI still needs some polish, but if the film keeps that momentum, it could easily turn into a hit. I wouldn’t say I didn’t like it, but something felt off when the opening credits rolled, it didn’t quite feel like a Star Wars movie.
It came across more like a streaming TV film than a big-screen experience. Overall, I enjoyed what I saw and will still be seated to watch the rest on May 22nd."
While these reactions are overwhelmingly positive, it's worth noting that many of these opinions come from invited Star Wars fans, influencers, and content creators who might be predisposed to enjoy the material and have a vested interest in maintaining access to future Lucasfilm events.
While a good portion of those who attended the events were regular fans, as many of these screenings also allowed early access on a first-come, first-served basis, there is an innate bias that these reactions will skew on the positive side. The majority of fans willing to see an early preview of The Mandalorian & Grogu are exactly the fans who are going to be more excited to see the film in the first place, and thus be more willing to share their excitement and positive reactions online.
That said, these reactions are not necessarily representative of the movie-going audience and may not paint the clearest picture about the movie's quality, as well as its flaws.
These reactions are also only for the opening 25 minutes of the movie, which may not be clear from some of the posts the official Star Wars account is reposting to drum up excitement. The timing was also crucial because the special preview arrived on Star Wars Day (May 4), and the celebration heightened anticipation for The Mandalorian and Grogu, whether fans liked the footage or not.
Despite a historic month for the franchise this May, Star Wars is still recovering from the mixed reaction to the sequel trilogy of the Skywalker Saga.
Given that a theatrical Mandalorian movie is a big swing, early controlled reactions coming from influencers and invited guests are the safest way to build momentum without risking unfiltered early reviews.
Although there is clear interest in The Mandalorian and Grogu on social media, early tracking for the film's box office is at $80 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend (via The Hollywood Reporter), which would be the lowest for any modern Star Wars movie. This unexpected low box-office tally should be a cause for concern, which explains why Lucasfilm is working overtime to build strong anticipation for the film ahead of its release later this month.
While these first reactions shouldn't be dismissed entirely, treating them as proof of The Mandalorian and Grogu's triumph on the big screen is risky. True confidence should come from strong word of mouth after the film drops, leading to a genuine win for Star Wars and helping rebuild excitement for the franchise's future.
