Solo A Star Wars Story reviews: What the critics are saying about Han Solo prequel

After a troubled publication, does Ron Howard pull it off?

For the last year, it would be fair to say, the buzz around Solo: A Star Wars Story has been somewhat negative.

First, there was the director change, Ron Howard replacing Phil Lord and Christopher Miller after the pair had “creative differences” with LucasFilm. Then there were reports that Alden Ehrenreich, who portrays the titular iconic character previously portrayed by Harrison Ford, was struggling with the role.

Earlier this year, fans were also growing increasingly worried over the lack of promotional material surrounding Solo. With no teasers, trailers, or official posters released in tangent with The Last Jedi, people thought Solo would not be ready for the May release and would be delayed until December – a month now synonymous with Star Wars.

That all changed in February, when the first teaser was released. Solo existed and looked impressive. Donald Glover stunned as Lando Calrissian, the visuals looked fun, and Ehrenreich... well, we didn't see much of him.

Soon enough, more promotional material was released and the movie premiered in Los Angeles earlier this month. Now, following a screening at Cannes Film Festival, the reviews have been released.

With 80 reviews counted on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 percent have been counted as positive, with an average score of 6.5 on the reviews aggregate website.

The majority of UK-based publications, including The Independent, were positive about the adventure, The Guardian, Telegraph, and Empire awarding awarding four stars and concluding that the Star Wars spin-off makes for a fun space-romp.

The Hollywood trade press has been slightly more muted, but still relatively positive about the movie. The Hollywood Reporter acknowledged the movie may not stand among the best-received Star Wars movies but should satisfy fans. Variety praised the leading actor as Han Solo but, as many reviews have, was critical of the chemistry between Han and Emilia Clarke's character Qu'ra. IndieWire also gave a positive write-up, awarding B+.

On the negative end are the broader American publications, Rolling Stone, Roger Ebert, and Washington Post being less impressed, while the New York Post went for a one-star review, being critical of the leading actor who apparently cannot match Ford's charisma.

Read snippets from the reviews below. Solo reaches UK cinemas 23 May.

The Independent - Geoffrey Macnab - 4/5

There is nothing much here that will surprise Star Wars fans but there is nothing that should disappoint them either. No light sabres are on display and nor is there any sign of Darth Vader but Solo: A Star Wars delivers exactly what you want and expect from a movie about the young Han Solo.

The Guardian - Peter Bradshaw - 4/5

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.

The Telegraph - Robbie Collin - 4/5

After the Götterdämmerung-like pomp and sweep of The Last Jedi, Solo, the latest entry in the Lucasfilm franchise, brings Star Wars back to earth with a Millennium Falcon-rattling bump.

Empire - Dan Jolin - 4/5

Ultimately, this is a different kind of Star Wars film to any that have gone before, with only hints of the main saga’s bigger fate-of-the-galaxy picture. And while that means the story lacks the depth some might crave, it still offers plenty of fun, and (impressively for a prequel) the odd surprise along the way. Punch it, Chewie.

The Hollywood Reporter - Michael Rechtshaffen

Although the end result will not likely 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 on Tuesday) when it opens.

Variety - Andrew Baker

For a film that is constantly nudging us in the ribs with allusions to the original Star Wars trilogy, it does Solo few favours to bring to mind the incendiary interplay between Ford and Carrie Fisher that gave those films so many of their standout moments. Clarke and Ehrenreich have little such spark, although that seems less the fault of the actors than the unimaginative relationship they’re given to work with.

IndieWire - Kate Erbland - B+

one of the greatest pleasures of the film is how it digs into the slow evolution of Han’s lifelong taste for rebellion, one that will eventually lead him to become part of a collective resistance. For now, he’s a lone gun, but Solo ably lays out how and why that might change. We may know where he ends up, but for now, we can’t wait to see where he goes next.

Rolling Stone - Peter Travers - 2.5/4

Only a glimmer of the hardassed charmer that Harrison Ford immortalised 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.

RogerEbert - Matt Zoller Seitz - 2.5/4

If the entirety were as charming and unexpectedly haunting as the friendship between Han and Chewie, Solo might've been a classic. As is, it’s a frictionless trip down memory lane.

Washington Post - Ann Hornaday

Solo: A Star Wars Story gets the job done with little fuss, but also with precious little finesse. It might arguably succeed in teeing up the cinematic narrative that would change movies forever. But in both substance and execution, it bears but a whisper of the revolution to come.

New York Post - Johnny Oleksinski

Disney was bound to hit a wall sooner or later. 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.