The reviews are rolling in for latest Star Wars installment The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Set shortly after the 2019-’23 Disney+ series, the movie follows Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu as the New Republic enlists them to rescue Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White) in exchange for information on a target. Sigourney Weaver also stars.

Jon Favreau directs the Disney/Lucasfilm film, which releases globally May 22. Produced by Lucasfilm, the film is written by Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor.

The early critical reaction is underwhelming (after the early fan and influencer social reaction inevitably skewed positive) with the film garnering 62% on Rotten Tomatoes from 50 reviews.

Deadline’s Damon Wise described the film as “pretty entertaining when it’s at its simplest”, but echoed many critics today in viewing the franchise as one that is lost and in need of a way back to base.

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He writes: “At the end of the day, TM&G is what it is, and the fanbase will show up for it, much like they did last time. But for how much longer? The same fans are tired of being in the limbo between the original films and the prequels, and they want to see more of the minor characters than the usual suspects (when you break it down, TM&G is basically The Wonder Years version of Bobba Fett, Jabba the Hutt and Yoda). But is the younger audience going to stay with the franchise when they’re old enough to choose movies of their own? Next year, the original Star Wars turns 50 — and it’s showing its age.”

IGN wrote of the film: “This is not the way…It feels inevitable that, in the years to come, the popular criticism of The Mandalorian and Grogu will be that it just feels like either a truncated season of the TV show or a too-long episode.”

Den Of Geek was also dispirited: “The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t a bad film, per se, it’s just a disappointingly average one set in a universe that once inspired awe… Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu might be the first summer tentpole blockbuster that feels like a small screen rerun.”

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Gizmodo was also left cold: “With The Mandalorian and Grogu, co-writer and director Jon Favreau aimed to make a Star Wars movie someone could watch cold. Something a person could enjoy without needing to watch three seasons of the TV show it’s based on before seeing the movie. It’s a good thought, one inspired by Star Wars creator George Lucas himself, who famously dropped fans into Episode IV of a larger story. What Favreau neglected to do, though, is what Lucas later did with the prequel trilogy. He neglected to make a Star Wars movie for people who had watched the show. For people who have followed the franchise.”

The Verge says a similar thing: “The Mandalorian and Grogu should have been a season of TV….The new Star Wars movie isn’t strong enough to get the franchise back on track.”

Empire gives the film 3/5 stars, noting: “Oddly, it feels like the least consequential Mandalorian chapter yet, with previous episodes from the TV incarnation — or even segments of the much-maligned Book Of Boba Fett — having more impact on the narrative. It’s thinner than skimmed blue milk…”

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The Guardian also gave the film 3/5 stars calling it a “decent outing”: “The badass bounty hunter and his little green friend take on the Empire and Jabba the Hutt’s family in this solid enough addition to the ever-expanding universe.”

IndieWire was another who said the movie more resembled a TV episode: “This supersized episode Is Star Wars at its most generic: inessential and inoffensive, frequently adorable and fun for the whole family, Jon Favreau’s film feels like three good-enough TV episodes smushed together.”

The Telegraph was more stinging: “Even cute Baby Yoda can’t save Pedro Pascal’s hopeless Star Wars spin-off…The Mandalorian and Grogu’s absurd plot flops from one clumsily staged brawl to another – at least the puppetry and stop-motion are alright.”

The Independent was also damning: “Stick a fork in Star Wars. It’s done…With just five minutes of Pedro Pascal and a completely dispirited voice performance from Jeremy Allen White as Jabba the Hutt’s son, this is the dullest and most inconsequential Star Wars ever made.”

Polygon was more of a fan, however, saying while the movie “probably shouldn’t exist”, the reviewer was “glad it did”: “The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t a Star Wars movie but it’s still a damn good time.”