DUBAI: With “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” director Jon Favreau delivers a film that is undeniably charming on the surface. It is packed with adorable Grogu reaction shots, new creatures to enjoy, familiar and new planets, and just enough nostalgia to remind audiences why the galaxy far, far away still has such a hold on pop culture. But beneath the polished exterior lies a frustrating emptiness. This is a film that often feels more interested in selling the idea of “Star Wars” than actually saying anything meaningful within it.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is a big-screen Star Wars spin-off of the once-successful and now largely passé Mandalorian series

"Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" — the first "Star Wars" movie in theaters since 2019’s "Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker" — is getting wobbly reviews from Rotten Tomatoes…