Critic Reviews

Solaris (2002) Rank 3 Reviews

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Movie critics combined give Solaris (2002) a score of 2.7666 out of 4
based on (382) reviews
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Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.32 out of 4 stars for Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Post-Intelligencer
Philip Messina's claustrophobic sets and Cliff Martinez's elegantly creepy score add to the film's distinction and work off Clooney's performance and Soderbergh's staging to create an hypnotic spell and suggest a cosmos full of spiritual possibility. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
SOLARIS. It's based on a classic science fiction novel by Stanislaw Lem, and has been made once before in a much different fashion by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972, which many people have cited as a major influence. In fact, elements exist in many other Hollyw ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Slate (David Edelstein)Slate (David Edelstein)
Essentially a solemn, splintered meditation on lost love: a movie about personal space, in space. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Slate (David Edelstein)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Village Voice (J. Hoberman)Village Voice (J. Hoberman)
Solaris achieves an almost perfect balance of poetry and pulp. This is as elegant, moody, intelligent, sensuous, and sustained a studio movie as we are likely to see this season -- and in its intrinsic nuttiness, perhaps the least compromised. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Village Voice (J. Hoberman)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
Meshing philosophical inquiry with a propulsive otherworldly mystery, it has the smart-pop quality of a vintage episode of Star Trek . ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Film Threat (Rick Kisonak)Film Threat (Rick Kisonak)
I find Soderbergh's Solaris an eminently more satisfying experience than Lem's. This is a film as elegantly directed as any by Kubrick, one which is superbly acted and brilliantly scored, as spellbinding a work of cinema as we're likely to see for some ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Film Threat (Rick Kisonak)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for New York Times (Stephen Holden)New York Times (Stephen Holden)
In the Hollywood pantheon of recycled heroes, [Clooney] suggests a Clark Gable for the new millennium, without the raised eyebrow and rakish leer. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at New York Times (Stephen Holden)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)
I loved every frame of Solaris . I'm just not sure why. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Time (Richard Corliss)Time (Richard Corliss)
Can't touch the 1972 film's austere poignancy, and McElhone lacks the bewitching beauty of Natalya Bondarchuk in the original Solaris. But the project's gravity and ambition can't be denied. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Time (Richard Corliss)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Film Threat (Michael Dequina)Film Threat (Michael Dequina)
More concerned with overall feelings, broader ideas, and open-ended questions than concrete story and definitive answers, Soderbergh's Solaris is a gorgeous and deceptively minimalist cinematic tone poem. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Film Threat (Michael Dequina)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
It is, all at once, exhilarating, frustrating, cryptic and wise. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Supercala.com (John Venable)Supercala.com (John Venable)
Not for everyone, but for those with whom it will connect, it's a nice departure from standard moviegoing fare. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Supercala.com (John Venable)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Citysearch (Erich Scholz)Citysearch (Erich Scholz)
Parallels to Stanley Kubrick's 2001 abound, and Clooney's portrayal of a man offered the opportunity to escape into a world of dreams might be the actor's best work to date. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Citysearch (Erich Scholz)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)
That level of acting-without-words demands the likes of a Bruno Ganz or a Klaus Maria Brandauer, not a Clooney. Even when flashing his bare derrière in a sex scene, he isn't revealing nearly enough -- his work is just skin deep. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Soderbergh, who hasn't ever attempted a film of this sort before, brings his gifts brilliantly to bear, with gorgeous shots of outer space, delicate, swift edits and a captivating score by his longtime collaborator Cliff Martinez -- But when the script ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Solaris, an exploration of outer space and inner anguish, reminds us that science fiction can embrace adult ideas and human drama as well as technology and futuristic action. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)
So beautifully made (everything in it is understated except the gorgeous good looks of its stars) and turns out to have such real cumulative power that it is worth holding out to the end. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for ReelViews (James Berardinelli)ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Neither as effective nor as ambitious as Kubrick's masterpiece, but it's still a compelling cinematic experience for those who are willing to abandon themselves to the unforced, measured rhythms of an issues-based motion picture. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Boston Globe (Ty Burr)Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
To appreciate Solaris, the new film by Steven Soderbergh, it helps to downshift your moviegoing metabolism to a level approaching the cryogenically frozen: The movie's that cerebral, that contemplative, that slow. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
The film's real appeal won't be to Clooney fans or adventure buffs, but to moviegoers who enjoy thinking about compelling questions with no easy answers. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for New York Daily News (Jami Bernard)New York Daily News (Jami Bernard)
A darkly brilliant sci-fi movie about emotions so deep, the story could be taking place within the chambers of the heart instead of an arid space station. At the same time, it is a coldly theoretical piece that could leave viewers unengaged. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at New York Daily News (Jami Bernard)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Salon (Andrew O'Hehir)Salon (Andrew O'Hehir)
There's no way to talk about "Solaris," Steven Soderbergh's visually astonishing and thoroughly admirable new film, without giving away some crucial pieces of its story. So if you're a reader who's determined to avoid spoilers of any kind, I advise you ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Salon (Andrew O'Hehir)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Soderbergh skims the fat from the 1972 film. What's left is a rich stew of longing. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)
It's seriously hampered by its focus on an oddly bloodless love story, but there's enough provocative, thoughtful 2001 style material about the human identity here to salvage the movie. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Both cerebral and woozy, like a Twilight Zone episode with hyper visuals, or a more vulnerable, even feminized update on Them . ...read the complete Solaris movie review at San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for KBTV-NBC (Beaumont, TX) (Danny Minton)KBTV-NBC (Beaumont, TX) (Danny Minton)
This science fiction, psychological drama will make you think, but might also make you sleep as well. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at KBTV-NBC (Beaumont, TX) (Danny Minton)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
The movie never takes the easy road. It dares you to think about issues that are hard to wrap your mind around. I appreciate a movie that intellectually engages me as much as this one did. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Reno Gazette-Journal (Mark Robison)Reno Gazette-Journal (Mark Robison)
It’s an interesting movie and a good rental, but it never quite engages like it should. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Reno Gazette-Journal (Mark Robison)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) (Audrey Rock-Richardson)Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) (Audrey Rock-Richardson)
...there you are, keenly aware that if you were intellectual enough, this would be seriously exciting entertainment. But since something in your artistic-merit decoder isn't functioning properly, you’re checking your watch ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) (Audrey Rock-Richardson)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
One of the most frequent charges against science-fiction is that it replaces emotion with intellect. Its characters are people who live by and for the mind, and their personal relationships are likely to be stifled and awkward, That's probably true enough ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
It's a lovely, eerie film that casts an odd, rapt spell. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for ReelViews (James Berardinelli)ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Solaris may be the first big budget science fiction motion picture that belongs in an art house rather than a multiplex. The movie bears a stronger resemblance to 2001: A Space Odyssey than to Star Wars, with an emphasis on ideas over action. Those expect ...read the complete Solaris movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) (Jeffrey Westhoff)Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) (Jeffrey Westhoff)
Steven Soderbergh doesn’t remake Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris so much as distill it. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) (Jeffrey Westhoff)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Like Kubrick, Soderbergh isn't afraid to try any genre and to do it his own way. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for San Jose Mercury News (Glenn Lovell)San Jose Mercury News (Glenn Lovell)
If you give it half a chance, it will bore into your subconscious, mess with your mind and leave you mumbling, 'Hmm, what if --' ...read the complete Solaris movie review at San Jose Mercury News (Glenn Lovell)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
An example of an A-list director and movie star using their clout to do what more people in their position should: challenge themselves and their audience. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Boston Globe (Ty Burr)Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
[Soderbergh] goes so far into the terrors and rewards of romantic love that he comes out the other side into the universal. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
This bit of pseudoscience has been made appropriately enigmatic by Soderbergh and company. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Film Freak Central (Bill Chambers)Film Freak Central (Bill Chambers)
No film this acutely self-aware has fallen victim to unjust contempt so widespread since Last Action Hero . ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Film Freak Central (Bill Chambers)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
In a film of mostly singular shots and very few whole dialogue passages, the silence and unreliance on overemphasizing the glorious special effects gives the viewer plenty of time to think about the discussions the characters have. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Star Newspapers (Chicago, IL) (Michael Drakulich)Star Newspapers (Chicago, IL) (Michael Drakulich)
Solaris does not reduce the complex dilemma it creates for itself down to a simple set of conditions solved by a simple set of rules. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Star Newspapers (Chicago, IL) (Michael Drakulich)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) (Linda Cook)Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) (Linda Cook)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
Moody and characterised by steely greys and blues, this subtle and sharp transfer is beautifully done. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for USA TODAYUSA TODAY
Soderbergh does a fine job creating a moody atmosphere of pervasive anxiety. The ending can be interpreted a few different ways and should ignite debate about its meaning. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at USA TODAY
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
A shrewdly pared-down version that confines its focus to a single issue for the ages: the nature of romantic passion. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)
There is a truly memorable love story somewhere in Solaris, unfortunately it’s buried under much 2001-ish pretensions. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
...one of those movies that can mean everything and nothing at once, depending on your level of intellectual curiosity and your mood. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) (Bob Bloom)Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) (Bob Bloom)
As written by director Steven Soderbergh, Solaris comes across as one of those movies filled with cryptic dialogue that skirts around the story, forcing viewers to use their imaginations to fill in the blanks. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) (Bob Bloom)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.82 out of 4 stars for Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
I can think of two reasons that as to why the Steven Soderbergh/James Cameron/George Clooney movie version of SOLARIS ($28) received a lukewarm reception (rather unfairly, I might add) upon its theatrical release. The first of which is that this SOLARIS ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for LA Weekly (John Powers)LA Weekly (John Powers)
While I could tell the love story was supposed to be moving, I kept feeling the characters' passion struggling against the virtuosity of Soderbergh's direction, which is so tight, so gorgeously lit, so worked that even when he wants scenes to be ...read the complete Solaris movie review at LA Weekly (John Powers)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Ends up more challenging and intriguing than personally involving, and while these are far from small things, it is only human to hope for more. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)
This tale of the battle between predestination and free choice may hold some appeal to more mature audiences but will be hard pressed to get the younger, laser-sword-loving sci-fi fans to the theaters. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Eclipse Magazine (Sean O'Connell)Eclipse Magazine (Sean O'Connell)
An interesting concept exists at the heart of Solaris, a movie that ironically has no heart. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Eclipse Magazine (Sean O'Connell)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Solaris is rigid and evasive in ways that Soderbergh's best films, "Erin Brockovich," "Out of Sight" and "Ocean's Eleven," never were. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for The Spinning Image (Graeme Clark)The Spinning Image (Graeme Clark)
In the future, psychiatrist Kelvin (George Clooney) is sent out to the distant planet of Solaris to investigate the mysterious failure of a mission there. He agrees to go because a friend of his was part of the crew of the space station orbiting Solaris, ...read the complete Solaris movie review at The Spinning Image (Graeme Clark)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.66 out of 4 stars for Peter SobczynskiPeter Sobczynski
Despite the presence of such high-powered names as star George Clooney, producer James Cameron and writer-director Steven Soderbergh, the 2002 version of "Solaris" almost instantly disappeared from theaters and in hindsight, it isn’t hard to figure out ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Peter Sobczynski
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.63 out of 4 stars for Off-screen Off-screen
Che Soderbergh, frutto spurio godardiano e del suo percorso di ricostruzione teorica riguardo il dispositivo-cinema, poi adattatosi magnificamente (cioè criticamente) all’ eclettismo iconico del postmoderno dovesse prima o poi confrontarsi con la ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Off-screen
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.52 out of 4 stars for Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)
Steven Soderbergh's Solaris is an uptight movie -- the opposite of his scintillating "Out of ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.52 out of 4 stars for Time Out New York (Mike D'Angelo)Time Out New York (Mike D'Angelo)
Whatever else one might say of Soderbergh and Clooney, they understand that clout is something you exercise, not something you safeguard. ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Time Out New York (Mike D'Angelo)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.comfilmcritic.com
Fear not, Clooney fans. Those two already-infamous shots of George's butt are alive and well in the long-talked-about but barely-anticipated Solaris -- a remake of the equally infamous 1972 Russian sci-fi epic (known for its stark photography, a ...read the complete Solaris movie review at filmcritic.com
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
Fear not, Clooney fans. Those two already-infamous shots of George's butt are alive and well in the long-talked-about but barely-anticipated Solaris -- a remake of the equally infamous 1972 Russian sci-fi epic (known for its stark photography, a near-thre ...read the complete Solaris movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
Solaris (2002) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Accessible movie reviews (Joe Clark)Accessible movie reviews (Joe Clark)
Every second Soderbergh film is a good one. Usually flat-out great. Is there a single thing wrong with The Limey? Doesn’t it swagger with breathtaking braggodocio through cinematic history, casting Terence Stamp and using footage from a previous film ...read the complete Solaris movie review at Accessible movie reviews (Joe Clark)
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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
2.8369
Solaris (2002) is ranked overall as  out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
2.7666
Solaris (2002) is ranked overall as  out of 4 stars
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