The critics have spoken, and it would appear Ron Howard has achieved the impossible on Solo: A Star Wars Story, serving up a worthy addition to Lucasfilm’s space opera that is at once heartfelt and deeply entertaining.
To give you an idea of how the anthology flick has performed, we’ve collected a small sample of reviews from the four corners of the Internet, and while the general consensus rules that Solo is constantly entertaining – despite a somewhat shaky start, mind you – there are those who question the film’s relevance, as it fails to develop the titular smuggler in any meaningful way.
Be that as it may, you’ll also be pleased to note that the following review round-up is completely free of any spoiler material, meaning you can still venture out to the theater on May 25th, safe in the knowledge that all of the film’s twists and turns are under wraps.
So without further ado, let’s get it to it, shall we?
THR: Although the end result will unlikely find itself occupying an upper berth in the Star Wars movie pantheon, there’s enough here to satisfy the fan base and give Disney a very strong turnout (it received its Cannes premiere today) when it opens Memorial Day weekend.
Variety: 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.
Both Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover also received praise for their respective performances (surely this isn’t the last time we see Glover as Lando Calrissian?), though it would seem the former’s romantic subplot with Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra is the weak point of Solo.
The online consensus continues:
IGN:Â Solo may not really develop its title character or justify why it needed to exist, but it still delivers a fun time.
The Verge: Solo: A Star Wars Story is classic Star Wars, and if it ends up being the last time Lawrence Kasdan writes a movie in this universe, it’s one incredibly entertaining, instructive swan song.
The Guardian:Â Solo: A Star Wars Story reshuffles the accepted component myth-parts in a way that some find overfamiliar: there are desert scenes, weirdo cabaret acts. But I found it purely lovable. With Howard at the controls, the movie is a fun-fuelled entertainment.
EW: 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 one more batch of reviews, just for good measure…
Empire: 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.
IndieWire: While Solo is often occupied with heists and hijinks, there are plenty of nods to the wider galaxy and what lies beyond Han’s view. At the very least, now we know who gave Han and Chewie the idea to seek out that big-talking crime boss on Tatooine, and Han’s eagerness to get to the next step in his adventure is both thrilling and believable.
CBR: The concerns and rumors about Ehrenreich’s acting abilities seem to have been blown out of proportion. He does a totally fine job of serving up a swagger and charm that feels like a believable precursor to ’70s Harrison Ford, and his chemistry with Glover’s Lando is a genuine joy to watch. Glover, though his screen time feels about a third of what he actually deserves, steals every scene he’s in. The aforementioned creature designs really are a total marvel, despite their lack of use — some of the crowd scenes are populated with the strongest practical effects Star Wars has cooked up to date. So, all told, not a total misfire.
Solo: A Star Wars Story opens big on May 25th, and it seems destined for a record-setting Memorial Day weekend, with box office analysts predicting a suitably huge $155M.
