The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Is One of Star Wars’ Lowest & Continues an 8-Year Trend

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After a seven-year break from Star Wars movies, The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters this weekend. While it should be a major cinematic event, excitement for the film hasn’t been as strong as expected. Initial marketing caused some division, though more recent trailers were better liked. Early reactions online were generally positive, describing it as an enjoyable but not groundbreaking Star Wars adventure. Lucasfilm likely hoped full reviews would generate more buzz before the weekend, but the results haven’t been overwhelmingly positive so far.

Reviews for The Mandalorian and Grogu are now available, and the show currently has a 61% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 77 reviews. This is one of the lowest scores for a Star Wars project, falling behind Solo: A Star Wars Story (69%) and Attack of the Clones (62%). Only The Phantom Menace (58%) and The Rise of Skywalker (51%) have received worse ratings among live-action Star Wars films.

The Mandalorian and Grogu Continues a Star Wars Rotten Tomatoes Trend

There’s a slight catch to this statistic – it’s been a while since a new Star Wars movie came out – but The Mandalorian and Grogu is the third Star Wars film in a row to receive a score below 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning it’s not “Certified Fresh.” The first three Star Wars films Disney made all easily passed that threshold, with Rogue One at 84% being the lowest. Now, though, the franchise seems to be struggling with critics. After The Rise of Skywalker received negative reviews, many hoped The Mandalorian and Grogu would be a successful return to form for Star Wars in theaters, but it only partially achieved that goal, according to early reactions.

Although a formal critics’ consensus isn’t available yet, early reviews of Mandalorian and Grogu suggest both strengths and weaknesses. Many praise Ludwig Göransson’s music and the film’s exciting, adventurous spirit. While most viewers find it enjoyable, even fans acknowledge it isn’t the most groundbreaking Star Wars story. However, that simplicity is seen as a drawback by some, who find the plot too small and unimportant. Some critics feel the movie doesn’t add much to the Star Wars universe and lacks the epic feeling of previous films, though it’s unlikely to be considered the worst installment ever.

Expect to see a lot of reviews for The Mandalorian and Grogu coming out soon. Past Disney films have usually gotten at least 450 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and even if this one gets fewer, there will likely still be hundreds. This means the score could change quite a bit. However, it’s probably not going to jump up to 75% and earn a “Certified Fresh” rating. Generally, the first reviews give a good idea of how most people feel about a show or movie.

It’s unclear whether reviews will affect how well The Mandalorian and Grogu performs in theaters. Even before the generally lukewarm reactions started appearing, it was already expected to have the lowest opening weekend of any Star Wars film released by Disney. While the movie should still have a reasonably good start due to a lack of major competing releases, its long-term success might be limited. A more positive response would have suggested greater staying power, but it now seems Star Wars may need to rely on next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter to fully revive the film series.

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2026-05-19 19:20