This article was originally published on SFFGazette.com - be sure to keep checking that site for the latest on Star Wars and Andor!
The review embargo has lifted for Andor and you probably won't be shocked to learn that the response isn't quite as unanimously positive as the early social media reactions would have led you to believe. Despite that, the vast majority of verdicts are good and all signs point to the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prequel being (mostly) essential viewing for fans of this franchise.
The Hollywood Reporter says that "Andor doesn’t instantly deliver the thrills I expect from a Star Wars show, but it’s different and that may turn out to be the best thing about it." The Telegraph, meanwhile, awards the series 3* and concludes, "Luna is a coiled spring throughout and Andor as a whole is bunched up with a tension which, in the first four episodes at least, is never fully unleashed. But the new series isn’t an insult to the original movies and – set against the recent track record – what a scintillating improvement that represents."
Empire Online goes with 4* and notes that "With sharper edges than this franchise is used to, a previously peripheral character has set up one of the most intriguing starts to a live-action Star Wars entry so far." Rolling Stone was also impressed and calls Andor "perhaps the franchise’s best use of such a minor character since the rancor keeper cried in Return of the Jedi." However, they also point out that, four episodes in, the show is lacking on structure.
Radio Times appears to have grown bored with this pre-A New Hope setting and wraps up by explaining that "it's just not interesting enough to sustain such detailed exploration, no matter who the POV character happens to be. It was bleak, we get it. What more is there to say?"
Metro expresses concerns about Andor's planned 24-episode run and says, "How that time is used will be critical because for all its seriousness and boldness in taking Star Wars in a grittier direction, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Andor could end up being a little bit boring. For now, at least, it’s different and that just may be enough." Discussing Film was very impressed, though, publishing a 5* review that ends with, "Andor isn’t just a fantastic entry in the Star Wars universe, it’s a compelling fantasy-thriller that is on track to excite new and old fans alike every week."
"Andor's biggest problem is that its first three episodes should really just be one hour-long episode," Mashable argues. "That way, by the time we get to the events of Andor's fourth episode — which introduces several major players — we're excited for the story to come, instead of already exhausted by it." IGN went with a 9/10 score and tells readers, "Andor is off to a fantastic start thanks to its compelling performances, corporate thriller undertones, and considered filmmaking."
So, those are a sampling of reviews that, hopefully, give you a better idea of what to expect from Andor. Critics appear to appreciate the character-driven story and less reliance on visual effects and familiar faces. At the same time, though, it sounds like the series is slow and not necessarily a tale that needs to be told over such a long period.
The first three episodes of Andor premiere on Disney+ tomorrow.