The Mandalorian & Grogu Just Broke a Star Wars Record That’s Stood Since The Original Trilogy

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Despite lukewarm reviews from critics, The Mandalorian & Grogu is proving popular with audiences. The movie, which continues the story of Din Djarin and Grogu from the Disney+ series, premiered in theaters on May 22nd. While some critics feel it’s essentially a longer TV episode, most viewers seem happy with a fun, entertaining experience. In fact, the film has achieved a box office record that hadn’t been broken since the original Star Wars trilogy.

As of today, The Mandalorian & Grogu has the best audience score on Rotten Tomatoes of any Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back. Currently, 89% of viewers on the site have given it a positive rating, making it the fourth highest-rated installment in the entire franchise, following only A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. This score is subject to change.

What This Reception Means for The Mandalorian & Grogu

Some movies, like those in the Jurassic World and Transformers series, seem to ignore critics altogether. These films deliver exactly what audiences expect – dinosaurs causing chaos or robots battling it out – and viewers shouldn’t look for deeper artistic meaning. Star Wars is different, though. Because the original films focused on rebellion against oppressive power, critics tend to be disappointed when a new Star Wars movie doesn’t carry that same weight and just aims for simple entertainment.

It’s easy to see why people enjoy The Mandalorian & Grogu – it’s a fun adventure about a former bounty hunter and his young companion, often called Baby Yoda. Star Wars has always made room for both compelling stories and pure entertainment, just like the original film. A New Hope was all about a farm boy rescuing a princess and destroying a massive weapon, and its focus on fun resonated with audiences, earning a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 94% critic score. The Empire Strikes Back took a more serious turn, and audiences and critics alike still loved it, giving it scores of 97% and 93% respectively.

Things began to decline with the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. While fans still enjoyed it (giving it a 94% rating), critics’ scores dropped to 83%. Since then, critics haven’t been as enthusiastic. No movie since the original Star Wars trilogy has resonated with audiences as strongly as The Mandalorian & Grogu, and critical scores have often mirrored those of Solo. The only film since the original trilogy to receive a critics’ score above 90% was The Last Jedi, but it has the lowest audience score in the entire franchise, largely due to negative reviews posted in a coordinated effort.

Despite opening over Memorial Day weekend, initial predictions for The Mandalorian & Grogu‘s box office were lower than for many other Star Wars films. Current estimates suggest around $80-100 million domestically and $160 million worldwide for its opening weekend. However, with a production budget of $165 million, the film is still expected to be profitable. Strong positive reactions from audiences, as reflected in its high Rotten Tomatoes score, could lead to continued success and potentially exceed expectations this summer.

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2026-05-23 22:40