A not so long time ago, in a galaxy not so far, far away, the release of a new Star Wars movie would have been a major pop cultural event. It would have been the most anticipated film of the year, and showtimes on opening day would have sold out within minutes of going on sale. None of that is true of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the latest installment in the series and the first in nearly seven years. There are many reasons for this diminished interest, none of which is the movie’s fault. Now working exclusively for the New Republic to bring Imperial warlords to justice, the Mandalorian warrior Din Djarin (voiced and played, when unmasked, by Pedro Pascal) is tasked by his superior, Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), with tracking down the New Republic’s most wanted Imperial fugitive. Unfortunately, all she has is his name. For further intel, Mando must turn to the Twins, Hutt siblings who now control the Hutt criminal syndicates. In exchange, he will have to rescue their nephew, Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta (voiced by The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White), who, they claim, has fallen in with a bad crowd. After some complications, Mando and Grogu (né Baby Yoda) secure Rotta. Rotta then reveals the mystery Imperial’s identity himself. Cutting out the middlemen, Din and his partner, Zeb Orrelios (voiced by Steve Blum), capture the target and take him back to the New Republic, breaking the agreement with the Twins. The Hutts don’t take kindly to this betrayal and set out to exact revenge. Then Grogu has to turn protector and save Mando from the Twins’ clutches. In recent years, it’s become common practice for anime shows to get what are known as “omnibus” releases, where multiple episodes are cobbled together and deposited into theaters. The Mandalorian and Grogu has something of that flavor, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given its origins as the popular Disney+ series, The Mandalorian.