The second big film to premiere in May 2018, Solo: A Star Wars Story sets out to give audiences a look into the life of one of the franchise’s most famous characters, Han Solo. A film that has been plauged with production troubles and a plethera of rumors, Solo debuted to great first reactions. But did that excitement translate to critics reviews? In short, it did indeed… for the most part.
Solo currently holds a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 6.4/10. Critics opinions range from praising the performances and expansion of the Star Wars universe to criticism aimed the film playing it too safe. Check out the Solo review round-up below and stay tuned for Talkies Network’s official early review, out next Tuesday!
Chris Nashawaty from Entertainment Weekly
What you’re really left with, apart from a yearning for the young Ford at his most cavalier, is a slightly fuller and more rounded understanding of who Han Solo is – where he came from, what makes him tick, and how he’d much prefer to shower alone than with a Wookiee. In other words, it’s pure fan service. And if that’s what you’re after, then you’ll be more than satisfied. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for the sort of jaw-dropping visual grandeur and epic poetry of The Last Jedi (not to mention the original trilogy), then you’ll probably be a little nonplussed. Solo feels like a placeholder, a wafer-thin palate cleanser before the next big course. It’s the very definition of “solid” and “competent.” Nothing more, nothing less. Trust me. B
Peter Howell from The Toronto Star
Starring Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!) as a younger version of Solo, a role made famous by Harrison Ford, the movie offers the back-story of how Han became the good-guy adventurer beloved by generations of Star Wars fans. It even explains, quite literally, how he got his unusual name.
Directed by reliable studio hand Howard, Solo isn’t likely to become anybody’s favourite chapter of this ever-expanding franchise, but it gets the job done and offers more than a few good laughs and plot twists.
Andrew Baker from Variety
The most important thing to note about “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is that, in spite of its widely-publicized behind-the-scenes turmoil, culminating with the replacement of directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller with Ron Howard several months into shooting, the film is not the disaster its production history might suggest. In fact, it’s not even close. Though burdened with a slow start and enough thirsty fan-service to power Comic-Con’s Hall H for a decade, it has a kicky, kinetic heist movie at its heart, and its action sequences are machine-tooled spectacles of the first order. Its performances, starting with Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han Solo and extending to the film-stealing Donald Glover as his wily frenemy Lando Calrissian, are consistently entertaining
Peter Travers from Rolling Stone
Solo: A Star Wars Story keeps throwing curveballs to distract us from the fact that we know all too well where this is heading. There’s no arguing that the actors are a likable crew, even if Harrelson, Glover and Bettany are the only three who don’t play it safe. This is a Han Solo who wants to be loved even of he doesn’t want to be liked, and when he puts his arm around the immortal Chewie it’s tough not to go “aww.” But only a glimmer of the hardassed charmer that Harrison Ford immortalized finds its way into this episode. Howard and the Kasdans play the series game without ever raising the stakes, defaulting to dull and dutiful when they might have blasted off into creative anarchy. Even the new score by John Powell (Jason Bourne) only soars when it samples the original John Williams theme.
Jim Vejvoda from IGN
Solo: A Star Wars Story commits to being a charming and fun exercise in repackaging nostalgia and pre-owned protagonists. It’s just too bad its script never fully committed to seeing through Han’s arc — and those characters who are supposed to have shaped him into being the iconic version we all know and love — to its preordained end.
Michael Mistroff from Heroic Hollywood
The film’s third act and the finale is full of predictable twists and turns but the characters have been so great up until this point, it’s all still enjoyable to watch unfold. But while you can see most of the beats coming from a mile away, the final act holds some of the film’s biggest surprises that are going to have Star Wars fans buzzing for quite a while. Leading up to the film’s release, Star Wars fans have already made it clear they would be lining up for a Lando-centric spin-off but the final moments of Solo will have you ready for another adventure with young Han and Chewie as well.
Joseph Schmidt from Comicbook
Aside from some pacing issues that plague the beginning and ending, the movie’s backed by forward momentum, as Han attempts to look backward but can’t help but be propelled into the future, toward a life of crime. As an insular plot not dependent on prequels or sequels, Solo: A Star Wars Story stands by itself as a strong entry in the franchise. But it’s because the film relishes in its setting that allows it to thrive as one of Lucasfilm’s strongest forays yet in a post-Disney world.
Eric Eisenberg from Cinemablend
Solo: A Star Wars Story is a ricocheting experience of highs and lows, and the end result doesn’t inspire any real extreme reaction — as hard as that might be grasp in the world of modern blockbuster filmmaking. It’s just… fine. It’s certainly way better than any of the films in the prequel trilogy, but also the weakest of the most recent generation of titles (which have ranged from really good to excellent). Unlike, the previous Star Wars Story, Rogue One, it does leave the door open for a follow-up, and it would not be surprising at all to see the franchise utilize that opening. If they do, hopefully they can continue to really refine their prequel storytelling strategy for notable heroes, because right now it looks like they haven’t fully nailed it.
So, are you going to see Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2 weeks? Let us know in the comments down below!
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