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To paraphrase Nicole Kidman's AMC Theatres spiel, we come to the movie theater for magic. To laugh, to cry, to care, to hand over our time, money, and attention to someone's artistic vision for a couple of hours. So in other words, we go to the movies to be moved. But, from what we can ascertain from The Mandalorian and Grogu's recent trailer, it appears that Disney is more interested in transporting us to one of their theme parks. 

I'm not kidding. Take a look at the trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu below. 

Take, for instance, this shot of Sigourney Weaver seated at a table with our two protagonists. I'll never not complain about seeing Sigourney Weaver in any movie, but it all looks so pedestrian. She looks like Sigourney Weaver wearing Star Wars merch she got from a visit to Galaxy's Edge. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw polyester versions of the green shirt jacket she's wearing here pop up at Trading Post locations around Disney within the next year or two.

I'd argue that Ms. Weaver looked more like a Star Wars character when she appeared in Marvel's The Defenders on Netflix (she was giving Mon Mothma-core there).

From a storytelling standpoint, I have literally no idea what kind of character Sigourney Weaver is supposed to be beyond the fact that she looks vaguely Rebel-adjacent. Let's also remember that The Mandalorian is originally what gave us Amy Sedaris's Pelli Motto character - a woman whose curly hair, dirty face, raggedy bandana, and dingy coveralls communicated to us that she was a rough and tumble lady who answered to no one, all without her having to speak a word.  

There's also the matter of the sets showcased in The Mandalorian and Grogu's trailer. Again, Ms. Weaver looks like she's sitting in the waiting area for a ride at Galaxy's Edge. The white lighting of the scene, again, bears no specificity to what kind of establishment this is supposed to be, beyond one that's perfectly suited for family photos and selfies. If it weren't for a stray Rebel flag hanging in the background of Mando and Grogu's reverse shot, I'd have no idea where the scene was supposed to take place. Yes, I understand that this is a billion-dollar franchise where brand synergy is king, but man. At least Andor season 2 looked great. 

Listen, I'm not one of those Star Wars fans hellbent on hating everything about Star Wars. I've got a Stellan Gios lightsaber hilt on my desk right now (I can talk your ear off about why you should read The High Republic novels), and I'll make it out to Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland once a year or so. As much as I love Star Wars and its massive artistic and cultural legacy, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed when I see a live-action project that looks like paint-by-numbers. Obviously, the trailer doesn't show us the whole movie, so we'll have to see if the entire film can deliver on its promise when The Mandalorian and Grogu flies into theaters on May 22, 2026. 

Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.