Star Wars Is Back in Theaters After 7 Years: Was It Worth the Wait?

Star Wars returned to theaters this Memorial Day weekend for the first time since 2019 - and audiences have delivered their verdict.

The Mandalorian and Grogu opened to $100 million domestically and $163 million globally over the four-day Memorial Day frame, landing comfortably at number one. Critics were divided - the film sits at 62% on the Tomatometer - but the people who actually paid for tickets told a completely different story. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Mandalorian and Grogu debuted with an 88% audience score - the highest of any Star Wars film released under Disney's ownership, surpassing The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Rise of Skywalker. 

SO WHAT IS THE FILM ACTUALLY LIKE?

Critics praise the action, visuals, and the Din Djarin-Grogu dynamic, but note the film's self-contained story keeps it from expanding the larger Star Wars universe. Audiences, meanwhile, disagree with that as a criticism. Fans are calling it fun, heartfelt, and adventurous - describing it as filled with the spirit that made the original series a phenomenon, with the bond between Din and Grogu given room to fully shine on the big screen. 

Composer Ludwig Göransson's score is drawing particular praise - emotional when needed, thrilling during action sequences, and anchored by the themes that have defined these characters since the beginning. 

THE STORY WORTH KNOWING

The film follows Din Djarin and Grogu as they help the fledgling New Republic hunt down scattered Imperial warlords across the galaxy. But the deeper story is simpler than that. Din Djarin did not set out to be a father. He was a loner with few words and fewer attachments - until a child was placed in his care and everything changed. For families of faith, that arc is not a new story dressed in space armor. It is one of the oldest stories there is: a man who chooses love, sacrifice, and someone else over himself. 

Director Jon Favreau designed the film to stand on its own - no prior viewing of the Disney+ series required.

IS IT WORTH SEEING?

For families - yes. The film is rated PG and is still playing across 4,300 screens nationwide. The audience score answers the headline question plainly. After seven years, Star Wars came back with a story that the people in those seats found worth the wait.