Solo: A Star Wars Story Review Roundup

With the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story finally upon us, the reviews are in. The movie is the second Star Wars spin-off, following 2016's Rogue One, and it focuses on the early adventures of the iconic space smuggler. It stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, and Donald Glover as Lando, plus Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Bettany, and Emilia Clarke.

Solo had a troubled production, with original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller replaced by Ron Howard during shooting, leading to many months of reshoots. So what do the critics make of the finished movie, which hits theaters next week? The film currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 72%, which while solid, is below that of The Force Awakens (93%), The Last Jedi (91%), and Rogue One (85%). Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on May 25, so let's take a look at the reviews...

GameSpot -- no score

"Solo wasn't an essential story to tell, and some of this might have been better left to the imagination. It's valid for some fans to wish Disney would devote resources to telling fresher tales that don't rely so heavily on nostalgia and existing plots and characters. With who knows how many more Star Wars releases planned from now until the end of time, we'll no doubt get those at some point. But Solo: A Star Wars Story is what we have right now, and if it's simply an enjoyably well-crafted side story, well, is that really so bad?" -- Michael Rougeau [Full review]

Pop Matters -- 8/10

"Its action sequences are crackling with energy, the charming but shifty-eyed cast of characters brings the hilarity while constantly keeping you on your toes, and visually, it's a dazzling affair that captures the whimsy and tactility of the original trilogy arguably better than any of the other Disney-era Star Wars flicks. Solo has got its flaws, some glaring and some easily forgivable, but overall, it's a sterling success, albeit an unlikely one." -- Bernard Boo [Full review]

Slashfilm -- 7/10

"What hurts Solo is the fact that it's ultimately not about anything. Let me be clear: I understand that in one way or another, all Star Wars films simply exist to create more Star Wars films. These stories are products. But Solo is the first Star Wars film in recent memory that feels like it's selling something. Even Rogue One, one of the worst Star Wars films in years, felt like a self-contained, well-intentioned story with something on its mind. Solo merely exists to set up more Solo movies. And it shows." -- Chris Evangelista [Full review]

New York Post -- 1/4

"Disney was bound to hit a wall sooner or later. The studio has been cranking out Star Wars movies with the rapidity of chocolates on Lucy and Ethel's conveyor belt. Everything started out dandy, but now they’re scrambling to keep up with the demands of cranky fans, troublesome talent, and truly crazy annual release dates. Four movies in less than three years is a lot of celestial battles. Solo is the first victim of that madcap pace--a movie so un-fun you should get college credit for watching it." -- Johnny Oleksinski [Full review]

RogerEbert.com -- 2.5/3

"As unnecessary prequels go, Solo: A Star Wars Story isn't bad. It's not great, either, though--and despite spirited performances, knockabout humor, and a few surprising or rousing bits, there's something a bit too programmed about the whole thing. It has certain marks to hit, and it makes absolutely sure you know that it's hitting them." -- Matt Zoller Seitz [Full review]

ScreenRant -- 3.5/5

"Ultimately, Solo delivers on what was promised: an entertaining enough origin story for Han Solo that explains how he became the smuggler introduced in A New Hope. Beyond that, the movie takes very few risks and offers very few surprises." -- Molly Freeman [Full review]

Collider -- 5/10

"Solo doesn't do anything egregiously wrong, but it doesn't do much right, either. There are a few bright spots, especially the relationship between Han and Chewie, but the plot drowns in the perfunctory as new characters, outside of woke droid L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), fail to leave an impression. I don’t have a bad feeling about Solo: A Star Wars Story. I don’t have much of a feeling about it at all." -- Matt Goldberg [Full review]