The power is strong with The Acolyte, according to early critics.
The Acolyte will be the first live-action series in the Star Wars universe to leave familiar eras behind. Instead, we travel to the time of the High Republic, when the galaxy looked a little different and familiar faces were rare – except for Yoda, who was already old then. The first season of The Acolyte is eight episodes long and will be released on Disney+ on June 5, 2024.
However, some well-known critics and content creators had already Access to the first four episodes of the series. The embargo on this first impression was recently lifted, and there are already numerous voices on the Internet that classify the series.
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The Acolyte: The new trailer for the Star Wars series shows a villain like from a horror film
We have taken a look and it seems as if the mood was fundamentally very positiveHere you can read some of the thoughts and opinions of various critics.
This is what the critics say
The Star Wars news site Star Wars Holocron is in her tweet convinced that the series will especially delight fans of the universe and speaks of a bold, new direction:
I can’t stop thinking about the first 4 episodes of The Acolyte. The prequels, High Republic, and previous Star Wars films are honored in such a wonderful way while taking the franchise in a bold new direction. Twists and turns, shrouded in darkness, mature tone. Fans will love this series!
Joe Deckelmeier of the film site Screen Rant even makes a very honorable comparison and sees parallels between The Acolyte and Quentin Tarantino’s revenge classic Kill Bill.
Star Wars: The Acolyte makes me think of Kill Bill. Each episode left me wanting more, in a good way. We’ve seen so much about the fall of the Jedi, but this series explores what the Jedi were like in peacetime, which is pretty fascinating. Amandla Stenberg is outstanding!
Also Nate Shelton vom Geekcentric Podcast is completely enthralled by The Acolyte. The series should be particularly fascinating if you are a fan of the relatively new era.
Star Wars: The Acolyte is a DREAM for fans of the High Republic era and a new experience for everyone else. After 4 episodes, the series takes its time to reveal the dark secret. AMAZING fight choreography and SUPERB performances by Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae. I like it.
Nate Shelton is not the only one who likes the fights in The Acolyte. The kung fu elements combined with the Jedi’s powers have impressed many critics. Daniel Baptista on Movie Podcast praises the fights.
Star Wars: The Acolyte is full of mystery and darkness, delving into new and varied depths of the galaxy. I’ve seen 4 episodes and am hooked on the dark story that keeps evolving. Great potential in this era. Carrie-Anne Moss with a lightsaber doing force-fu is PERFECTION.
However, the praise for the series is not overwhelming. Anthony Gagliardi, also from the Movie Podcast, is rather ambivalent about The Acolyte and bases his opinion on several points of criticism.
Four episodes of Star Wars: The Acolyte and it’s a mixed experience. The premise hints at KOTOR’s potential, but the pacing occasionally leaves something to be desired. The fight scenes, while engaging, often feel out of place. I hope to see stronger performances and a clearer narrative direction soon.
What happens next?
Of course, with all the reviews you should always keep in mind that none of the critics have seen the entire season. So it’s quite possible that the mood in the community will still change. But it at least indicates that the series has great potential. As always with Star Wars, it’s also possible that not all fans will feel equally taken with it.
We’ll know more as soon as the first season of the series has been broadcast in its entirety. The first two episodes will be available in Europey from June 5th. After that, a new episode will follow every week until the finale concludes the season on July 17th.
