3/5 stars

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars films were major events. But since George Lucas sold the franchise to Disney in 2012, there have been five variable-quality big-screen outings, innumerable television shows and spin-offs, and this strange hybrid.

Directed by series creator Jon Favreau, and co-written by Favreau, Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor, the film follows bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal, plus stunt team) and his apprentice Grogu on another adventure.

This time, they are ordered by New Republic Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) to rescue rogue space slug Rotta the Hutt (voiced by The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White), son of Jabba, although they soon find themselves tangling with his evil relatives, the Hutt twins.

An exciting opening scene sees Mando and Grogu breaking into a snowy mountain stronghold, then taking down a platoon of AT-ATs as they escape. To be fair to Favreau and co, they probably could not have mounted such a sequence on a television budget, even a Disney one.