“It’s the very definition of ‘solid and ‘competent.’ Nothing more, nothing less,” one critic writes in his review
Before filming even wrapped, the latest entry into the beloved „Star Wars“ canon was making headlines – and not necessarily ones that Lucasfilm had hoped to attract. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Rob Marshall was asked to take the reigns of „Solo“ away from Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The duo, who had achieved success with hits like „21 Jump Street“ and „The Lego Movie,“ had already filmed three-quarters of the Han Solo origin story before they were dismissed, according to Variety. But their unique interpretation of the film’s script, which reportedly included added comedy and improvisation, seemingly sparked irreconcilable creative differences with executive producers Lawrence Kasdan and Kathleen Kennedy.
Was the blockbuster doomed from the start? Early reviews of „Solo: A Star Wars Story,“ which debuted Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival, are in and the results skew from mixed to good – but not great. The film currently enjoys a score of 72 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which encourages fans to „check their expectations at the theater door.“ While Howard was able to stick the proverbial landing, according to critics, a rocky takeoff and inconsistencies in steering from the film’s three pilots remain visible to the viewer.
„Solo“ seems to be a far cry from the game-changer many had anticipated with the hiring of its original – and less conventional — choice of directors. This sentiment was well captured by Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Nashawaty, who writes, „‚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.“
There are also varying schools of thought as to whether the film’s title star, Alden Ehrenreich, who undoubtedly had over-sized shoes to fill when stepping into one of cinema’s most iconic roles created by Harrison Ford, was miscast. The consensus seems to be that, once you move past the fact that Ehrenreich is not Ford, you are likely think he is „apt“ — if not a star in his own right.
That being said, the title role ironically may not be the juiciest part in this „Star Wars“ film. Vanity Fair’s K. Austin Collins calls the character „the least interesting guy in the room,“ while The New York Times‘ A. O. Scott begins his review by quoting a line spoken to Solo in the film: „This was never about you.“ That being said, there seems to be a consensus that Donald Glover steals Solo’s spotlight in the standout role of Lando Calrissian.
Here is a sampling of what the critics had to say:
Andrew Barker, Variety:
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press:
Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times:
K. Austin Collins, Vanity Fair:
Kate Erbland, Indiewire:
Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly:
Mick LaSelle, San Francisco Chronicle:
Brian Lowry, CNN:
Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter:
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone:
Brian Truitt, USA Today:
A. O. Scott, New York Times:
