Solo 1996

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: These escapist showdown movies are only as good as their villains and heroes. The heavies here are more of those ubiquitous gung-ho military types who are due to be dishonorably discharged from further cinematic duty. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: A lackluster action-adventure. Read more

Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer: Solo is at least instructive as a miscellany of action movie cliches in one neat and depressing package. Read more

Doug Thomas, Seattle Times: Here's a surprise tucked into the languishing days of summer movies. Arriving with hardly any attention is a satisfying, even fun, action picture about a futuristic soldier named Solo. Read more

Susan Stark, Detroit News: Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: As movie androids go, Solo is a softie, and that's his problem. Read more

John Gustafson, AV Club: Since the hero and the villains are equally mechanical, the big, loud battles are as exciting and suspenseful as watching people play Mortal Kombat for 90 minutes. Read more

Bruce Fretts, Entertainment Weekly: Soloflex might be a better title. Read more

Dave Kehr, New York Daily News: The action is neither big nor imaginatively filmed enough to satisfy fans of the genre, though Van Peebles seems to be enjoying his crack at sad-eyed, Chaplinesque pathos. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: It's all painfully formulaic. Read more

Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle: For what it is, a straightforward sci-fi action movie with an equally straightforward hero, Solo works. Read more

Leonard Klady, Variety: The best one can say for Norberto Barba is that he directs a slick piece of goods. But no amount of fast cutting or tempo can disguise the material's simplistic, thoughtless nature. Read more

Richard Harrington, Washington Post: Since filmgoers are told early on that there is only one other super-cyborg prototype in the world, well, guess what the big climax is? Read more