Summary

The Acolyte
boasts an impressive 86% Rotten Tomatoes score early, but the “Top Critics” have only scored the series with a Tomatometer rating of 67%, at the time of this writing.
A mixture of good and bad critiques may ultimately cause the
Star Wars
series’ RT score to plummet as critics continue to turn in their reviews.

The Acolyte’s
two-episode debut drops on Disney+ June 4 at 9 p.m. EDT.

At the outset, the Force is strong with the upcoming series from creator Leslye Headland. Hours before the new Star Wars show’s two-episode debut officially drops on Disney+, at 9 p.m. EDT, The Acolyte currently boasts an 86% rating on the Tomatometer. However, could it be just a case of fool’s gold for the newest entry in that galaxy far, far away?

When switching from “All Critics” to “Top Critics” on Rotten Tomatoes, the Tomatometer dips all the way down to 67%! It’s an alarming trend that could continue as more critiques pour in. Here’s what MovieWeb’s review of The Acolyte’s first four episodes is saying about “a shaky start to a divisive series” below:

“Anyone thirsting for epic lightsaber battles is going to be sorely disappointed in the first four episodes.
Showrunner and writer Leslye Headland (Sleeping with Other People, Russian Doll) is clearly a fan of Chinese martial arts cinema.
Headland states a reason why the attacker doesn’t use blasters or Jedi weaponry.”

MovieWeb’s 2-out-of-5-stars review continues as follows:

“This means the action looks like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which is cool, but has some flawed logic.
The Jedi assassin is skilled but a Force neophyte.
How can she fight Jedi who literally never have to touch her?
Headland again sort of explains why, but it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
A Jedi can freeze your motion. What’s the point of punching and kicking an adversary?”

Mixed Reviews Could Threaten The Acolyte’s High RT Score

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and showrunner Leslye Headland recently addressed the backlash already facing The Acolyte from some fans even before the show could drop on Disney+. And, at the time of this writing, the latest Star Wars series is receiving a mixed bag’s worth of reviews from the critics, which could ultimately doom that “All Critics” 86% RT score to plummet. Eric Goldman of IGN writes:

Taken on its own terms, The Acolyte does offer some enjoyable character dynamics and an enticing mystery, but its first four episodes fail to coalesce into something that truly shines. But look, it does have a Wookiee Jedi, and that’s always a plus.

Alison Herman of Variety adds:

In giving itself permission to poke at Star Wars mythology, The Acolyte cultivates the same sense of curiosity it exhibits about its own universe.

Fans celebrated May the Fourth Be with You weekend by watching and responding favorably to the final trailer for The Acolyte. However, while several publications’ critics are also onboard with Headland’s streaming creation, there are those who don’t see the appeal of this new mystery of murdered Jedi that takes place 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. USA Today’s Kelly Lawler writes:

Full of logical fallacies, hokey dialogue and nonsensical plots, ‘Acolyte’ feels entirely of a piece with the worst elements of the prequel trilogy, which many hardcore fans love to hate, even 25 years later.

Mike Hale of The New York Times adds:

Beneath the familiar trappings, the visceral pull that Star Wars can summon in its best moments doesn’t manifest itself. Characters speak in platitudes about loss, grief, loyalty and revenge, and the cast mostly works down to the level of the dialogue.

Related The Acolyte Showrunner Is Reimaging Balance in the Force: ‘If You Are Unbalanced, the Force Cannot Protect You’ Leslye Headland teases the need for one to be balanced with the Force in order for it to protect the user in the upcoming Disney+ series.

Finally, Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone compares The Acolyte to The Book of Boba Fett rather than The Mandalorian, Andor and Ahsoka. Sepinwall writes:

It’s good to see another Star Wars project that, like Andor, interrogates some of the franchise’s fundamental assumptions. Entertainment-wise, though, the first half of The Acolyte is unfortunately a lot closer to The Book of Boba Fett.

The two-episode debut of
The Acolyte
drops at 9 p.m. EDT on
Disney+.