Mixed Reviews For Solo Have some Fans Worried
Since it’s debut last week, reviews for Solo: A Star Wars Story have been mixed. Some critics have loved it while others have loathed it. At the writing of this post, I have found 39 reviews of the movie. Of the 39, all but three score a 50% or higher. A few critics seem to flat out love it, calling it “brilliant,” “enriching,” and “a swashbuckling success.” On the other han, some critics call it “boring,” “underwhelming,” and simply “bad.” While each of the reviews mention the high points and low points of the film, there does seem to be one common thread that seems consistent throughout each review for Solo: risk.
The Common Thread
What all critics seem to agree on is that Solo didn’t take enough chances. It gives just enough backstory to keep people who aren’t familiar with the universe integrated and too little to keep the die-hard fans satisfied. This is not surprising. In an attempt to bring on the next generation of fans, Disney seems to be trying to play to today’s audience, while trying not to piss of the fans from other generations. The result for Solo, or so it would seem, is an entertaining movie that does exactly what you’d expect and nothing more. Essentially, it brings nothing new to the table.
And that’s just not what Star Wars is… or at least has been.
The original trilogy was almost by definition, new. People had never seen anything like it. From the opening crawl to the overall enormity of it all, Episodes 4-6 were truly original. Fast-forward 20 years. No matter what you think about the films, they took chances. Lots of them. Some of them truly unnecessary. Who would have though intergalactic politics could be so…divisive. Fast forward another 20 years and we see a remake of a New Hope, but with new faces.
The Sequel trilogy has received much of the same criticism that Solo seems to be getting. It seems Disney wants to use the same material that created generations of fans to create a new generation of clones…I mean fans. So far, it seems to work, but at the cost of losing many from the original fan base.
Cause for Concern
Should fans be worried? Solo didn’t do itself any favors by waiting until the last quarter to release a trailer. Rumors of the need for an acting coach, the loss of the original directors, and re-shoots have all played a roll in growing concern. Not to mention the lackluster performance of Episode 8 among many in the true fan-base. What reassures me about this film IS that the reviews are mixed. If you remember the hype around The Last Jedi, then you remember that critics praised the second coming of the Chosen One as a tour de force of awesomeness…or other words big-shot critics used. In short: the FREAKING LOVED IT!
Then the fans saw and the great divide began.
The critics score on Rotten Tomatoes still has this film listed at 91% while fans have it listed at a whopping 46%. No matter how you fry them, no one wants to eat tomatoes that green. What brings me hope is that critics seem to be universally mixed about whether they like this movie or not. And since most critics have long since lost touch with what makes a good movie, this is one of the few things that bodes well for the film.
Conclusion
Based on everything I have seen so far I have come to one conclusion: go in with low expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised. Solo: A Star Wars Story officially opens on Friday, May 25th, with “Midnight” showings on Thursday the 24th. I will post my own review after I have seen the film later next week.
Mixed Reviews For Solo Have some Fans Worried
Since it’s debut last week, reviews for Solo: A Star Wars Story have been mixed. Some critics have loved it while others have loathed it. At the writing of this post, I have found 39 reviews of the movie. Of the 39, all but three score a 50% or higher. A few critics seem to flat out love it, calling it “brilliant,” “enriching,” and “a swashbuckling success.” On the other han, some critics call it “boring,” “underwhelming,” and simply “bad.” While each of the reviews mention the high points and low points of the film, there does seem to be one common thread that seems consistent throughout each review for Solo: risk.
The Common Thread
What all critics seem to agree on is that Solo didn’t take enough chances. It gives just enough backstory to keep people who aren’t familiar with the universe integrated and too little to keep the die-hard fans satisfied. This is not surprising. In an attempt to bring on the next generation of fans, Disney seems to be trying to play to today’s audience, while trying not to piss of the fans from other generations. The result for Solo, or so it would seem, is an entertaining movie that does exactly what you’d expect and nothing more. Essentially, it brings nothing new to the table.
And that’s just not what Star Wars is… or at least has been.
The original trilogy was almost by definition, new. People had never seen anything like it. From the opening crawl to the overall enormity of it all, Episodes 4-6 were truly original. Fast-forward 20 years. No matter what you think about the films, they took chances. Lots of them. Some of them truly unnecessary. Who would have though intergalactic politics could be so…divisive. Fast forward another 20 years and we see a remake of a New Hope, but with new faces.
The Sequel trilogy has received much of the same criticism that Solo seems to be getting. It seems Disney wants to use the same material that created generations of fans to create a new generation of clones…I mean fans. So far, it seems to work, but at the cost of losing many from the original fan base.
Cause for Concern
Should fans be worried? Solo didn’t do itself any favors by waiting until the last quarter to release a trailer. Rumors of the need for an acting coach, the loss of the original directors, and re-shoots have all played a roll in growing concern. Not to mention the lackluster performance of Episode 8 among many in the true fan-base. What reassures me about this film IS that the reviews are mixed. If you remember the hype around The Last Jedi, then you remember that critics praised the second coming of the Chosen One as a tour de force of awesomeness…or other words big-shot critics used. In short: the FREAKING LOVED IT!
Then the fans saw and the great divide began.
The critics score on Rotten Tomatoes still has this film listed at 91% while fans have it listed at a whopping 46%. No matter how you fry them, no one wants to eat tomatoes that green. What brings me hope is that critics seem to be universally mixed about whether they like this movie or not. And since most critics have long since lost touch with what makes a good movie, this is one of the few things that bodes well for the film.
Conclusion
Based on everything I have seen so far I have come to one conclusion: go in with low expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised. Solo: A Star Wars Story officially opens on Friday, May 25th, with “Midnight” showings on Thursday the 24th. I will post my own review after I have seen the film later next week.
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By Thaddaeus Brodrick • Movies • • Tags: A Star Wars Story, Chewbacca, Disney, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Reviews for Solo