The Mandalorian & Grogu has not impressed critics with its release in theaters this weekend, but the critics aren’t who this movie was made for. The movie, based on the popular Disney+ TV show about a Mandalorian named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice, Grogu, hit theaters on May 22nd. While many critics’ reviews complain that the movie is simply an expanded version of a TV episode and offers nothing more than a fun time at the theater, it seems that is what the majority of the audience was looking for with the film. In fact, it has broken a record that has stood since the original trilogy.
At press time, The Mandalorian & Grogu has the highest Rotten Tomatoes audience score of any Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back. The movie currently sits at 89% for audiences on the site (although this could change at any time), which is fourth best for the entire franchise behind only A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.
There are certain movies that are considered critic-proof. Examples of this are films in the Jurassic World and Transformers franchises. One of those franchises is meant to show giant dinosaurs running rampant, and the other is about giant robots fighting each other. Anyone who goes to those movies and expects art is ruining the experience for themselves. However, when it comes to Star Wars, things are a little more nuanced. The franchise has always been about people standing up and fighting back against an authoritarian regime. When a Star Wars release just tries to have fun, critics take issue with it.
While that is understandable, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a movie about a former bounty hunter and a young apprentice who was once known as Baby Yoda going on an adventure. There is room in Star Wars for deep storytelling and still room for fun. The first movie in the franchise was about a farmboy saving a princess and blowing up a Death Star. The entertainment factor was always the most important part of that film. It has a 96% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, and critics loved it, awarding it a 94% score. The Empire Strikes Back then got serious, and everyone loved it, with the audience at 97% and the critics at 93%.
However, things started to go downhill with the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi, where fans still loved it, with a 94% rating, but the critics’ score dropped to 83%. The refusal to have fun has caused critics’ scores to drop ever since. No movie since the original trilogy has as high an audience score as The Mandalorian & Grogu, while the critics’ score looks a lot like Solo. The only critics’ score that broke 90% since the original trilogy was for The Last Jedi, but the audience score is the lowest for any movie in the franchise, thanks largely to a concentrated review bombing campaign.
The Mandalorian & Grogu opened on Memorial Day weekend, but the tracking showed a lower opening than many Star Wars movies. Box office tracking is somewhere around $80-100 million domestically and $160 million globally for its three-day numbers, but thanks to a lower budget of $165 million, it should be a success regardless. However, with such a high Rotten Tomatoes audience score, it could end up with legs and surprise box office experts this summer.
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