Disney is gearing up for the release of its latest “Star Wars” film, “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” However, the company is receiving backlash after a reportedly staged promotional event featuring Pedro Pascal, which reportedly included influencers rather than fans. Plus, reviews for the movie are out, and they are less-than-stellar.
The official “Star Wars” social media channels posted footage of Pascal suited up as the Mandalorian at Disneyland, apparently surprising fans about to board the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride. The 38-second clip featured the actor preparing to walk out for the audience and later removing the helmet as fans raved.
After that, he posed for photos with the event goers. Disney captioned the video, “Pedro Pascal creates the surprise of a lifetime at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at @disneyland.”
However, the backlash came when the internet learned that Disney had allegedly staged the event. Instead of everyday “Star Wars” fans, the people in attendance were influencers, journalists, and others. Still, it’s worth noting that the company never claimed that the attendees were run-of-the-mill fans.
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Gets Sour Movie Reviews
Disney lifted the “Mandalorian and Grogu” review embargo on May 19. The movie debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a “rotten” 58%. However, as of writing, the score has increased to a “fresh” 61 percent on the platform. Its current score is based on 77 reviews. Currently, there is no audience score, as it has not yet been released.
Regarding individual reviews, Tessa Smith from Mamma’s Geeky summarized her thoughts, saying, “Underwhelmed is an understatement. ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ feels like a mashed-up TV arc that belonged on Disney+ rather than in IMAX.”
Matt Oakes from Silver Screen Riot gave the movie an “F.” He said, “The biggest problem with ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ is not simply that it is boring, ugly, or dramatically inert. It is that it barely qualifies as a movie. It has the shape and style of content, not cinema.”
In a somewhat positive review, Katie Smith-Wong from Flick Feast stated, “Although a generic premise fails to expand its horizons, Favreau pulls out the big guns to bring The Mandalorian to the big screen, and his emotional and action-packed efforts reiterate that Star Wars isn’t just about the Jedi.”
Fans Call Disney ‘Contrieved’
Regarding Disney’s marketing for “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” fans think the company has lost the plot in promoting its movies organically. One person said, “Everything Disney does feels so contrived. Look at the reaction of those ‘fans.’ What a bunch of cringe.
Someone else criticized the company, writing, “Surprise of a lifetime” with invited influencers with acting chops that would get them cast in a late-night ’90s Cinemax movie.”
Another fan stated, “Pedro Pascal dressed as the Mandalorian in Smugglers Run is a bunch of bull sh-t. It wasn’t a normal day with guests; it was all influencers that Disney had hired to promote the movie. When Johnny Depp was actually on ‘Pirates,’ it was REAL Day guests, and he was there all day.”
A different person remarked, “Not normal fans. Just a bunch of influencers pretending to be surprised lol. Disney deception knows no bounds.”
In response to the movie’s reviews, one fan said, “POV: You waited 7 years for Star Wars and paid $20 to watch a Disney+ episode with better lighting.” Another one posted, “LMAO who thought that releasing an episode of The Mandalorian in the theaters would be a good idea?”
Still, not all comments were negative. Some Star Wars fans believe in the movie and are withholding judgment until they see it for themselves.
The New Star Wars Film Is Predicted To Have Weak Box Office
There hasn’t been a new “Star Wars” film since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” Because of this, as well as criticisms of Disney’s handling of the property, there’s increasing pressure for “The Mandalorian and Grogu” to succeed.
According to Variety, the new film, directed by John Favreau, is expected to open with between $80 million and $100 million across its four-day opening weekend. While this is a solid figure for most films, it’s not the best outing for a “Star Wars” film.
Per Box Office Mojo, “Skywalker” opened to $177 million in the US and another $198 million internationally. However, it’s also worth noting that “The Mandalorian and Grogu” has a smaller budget than most films in the franchise at a lean $165 million, not including marketing.
The New ‘Star Wars’ Film Boasts A Stacked Cast
Disney’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” boasts a stacked cast, including Pascal. It features the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, Jonny Coyne, Steve Blum, Dave Filoni, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee.
The movie has a 132-minute runtime. According to Coming Soon, it has no post-credit scenes.
