'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Review Roundup
Less than six months after the last entry in the Star Wars saga, Lucasfilm has hit once more with [...]
JK Schmidt - ComicBook.com
Does #SoloMovie live up to its legacy?! Find out in this MOVIE REVIEW! FULL REVIEW: https://t.co/KcuG7uMCWf pic.twitter.com/iOsRBvQ3Bh
— Comicbook.com (@ComicBook) May 15, 2018
Solo Sets the Standard for Star Wars Spinoffs
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.
Rating: 4 out of 5
prevnextBrian Truitt - USA Today
Spinoff ‘Solo’ works because it’s not just another ‘Star Wars’ movie: Our review https://t.co/OOLkRn3Wo1
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 15, 2018
Solo gambles (and wins) by not being just another Star Wars movie
The film's narrative focuses on showcasing tall tales in Star Wars lore — for example, how Han won the Millennium Falcon off Lando and that time Han made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs — rather than taking any big risks. Howard, who took over the movie from fired filmmakers Chris Miller and Phil Lord mid-production, is most successful in creating a bunch of great character relationships that fuel Solo's best scenes. ... While Solo is a Star Wars movie that gambles on not really being a "Star Wars movie," it's a winning chapter that only sparingly (though intriguingly) shows its hand in connecting to the bigger universe.
No Rating
prevnextAsh Crossan - Entertainment Tonight
Spinoff ‘Solo’ works because it’s not just another ‘Star Wars’ movie: Our review https://t.co/OOLkRn3Wo1
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 15, 2018
Prepare for an Unexpectedly Bold Adventure
Much like Han Solo himself, the film isn't without flaws, but none stem from actor Alden Ehrenreich's portrayal of the iconic outlaw. Any apprehensions should quickly melt away, as the 28-year-old captures Han Solo's roguish charm without impersonating Harrison Ford. As you might expect, Glover's take on the suave Lando Calrissian (and his many capes) is the scene-stealer throughout. In fact, some of the biggest laughs of any Star Wars film to date come courtesy of Lando and his sassy droid and co-pilot, L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). Let's just say she is...not shy.
No Rating
prevnextPeter Travers - Rolling Stone
#SoloAStarWarsStory gives us the origin story of the one and only Han Solo – and the dullest #StarWars movie to date. Read Peter Travers' review https://t.co/LpMZs6iV7o pic.twitter.com/YS9UwLqBpb
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) May 15, 2018
Origin Story of 'Star Wars' No. 1 Rogue Plays It Way Too 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. And somehow Han Solo – the roguish Star Wars hellion famous for breaking all the rules – finds himself in a feel-good movie that doesn't break any.
Rating: 2.5 out of 4
prevnextJim Vejvoda - IGN
Solo: A Star Wars Story may not really develop its title character or justify why it even needed to exist, but it still delivers a fun time.
Our review: https://t.co/4rD9pF0nwN pic.twitter.com/0Bl91GqnUE
— IGN (@IGN) May 15, 2018
"Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh…everything's perfectly all right now."
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.
Rating: 7 out of 10
prevnextChris Taylor - Mashable
Our full #Solo review is here. You might want to buckle up, baby. https://t.co/lOqHzjNb0x
— Mashable (@mashable) May 15, 2018
Solo is something new in Star Wars. Old-school fans will love it.
That said, Solo manages to stretch the possibilities of Star Wars in interesting new directions, just as The Last Jedi did last December. But unlike that movie, which was forced to make difficult choices in resolving its predecessor's cliffhangers, Solo has plenty of room to maneuver — and should surprise and delight even the old-school fans who enter the theater heavy with expectations.
No Rating
prevnextChris Nashawaty - Entertainment Weekly
Han Solo gets a good (but not great) origin tale in Solo: A Star Wars Story: EW review https://t.co/lEabWcqMMj
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) May 15, 2018
Han Solo gets a good (but not great) origin tale.
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.
Rating: B
prevnextMike Ryan - Uproxx
I wrote about SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY. Han Solo is probably my favorite movie character ever and I have mixed feelings about this movie. https://t.co/SuqujnUuZL
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) May 15, 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story Is A Great Heist Movie And An Underwhelming Origin Story
There's an argument to be made about whether this movie even needs to exist (the box office projections would lead pretty much everyone at Lucasfilm to say, "Yes, it does") but since it does exist, Ehrenreich does a nice job taking over a character who is impossible to recreate. And I do hope he gets another shot at Han because I can't help but suspect that a lot of the behind the scenes turmoil isn't really great for a young actor who is trying to portray "indifferent swagger." But after the box office money rolls in, I also suspect in the next movie, Ehrenreich will be in a position to say things like, "Hey, this is stupid, why don't we just shoot the guy?"
No Rating
prevnextDan Jolin - Empire
Punch it! Empire's review of #Solo: A #StarWars Story is here: https://t.co/KG33jUcTV9 pic.twitter.com/IE0GqLs94j
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) May 15, 2018
A bright and breezy sideshow adventure makes up for its overly frantic pacing with a charismatic central turn from Alden Ehrenreich — strong enough to make us want to see even more of him in Solo mode.
Rating: 4 out of 5
prevnextNick Schager - The Daily Beast
#SoloAStarWarsStory sacrifices Han Solo's swagger for a bland origin story, @nschager writes https://t.co/WKZBh2zj8t
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 15, 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story Sacrifices Han Solo's Swagger for a Bland Origin Story
The studio's newest offering will surely rankle far fewer feathers than did last December's more daringly heretical The Last Jedi; on the contrary, it's a veritable olive branch to die-hards after Ford's Han was murdered by his son Kylo (Adam Driver) in The Force Awakens. Yet trying to grow by intensely focusing on the microscopic seems, at this stage, to be a misguided tack – one that results in effective installments such as Solo, but conjures little of the magic that originally made, and is needed to keep, Star Wars a genuine phenomenon.
No Rating
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