Possible spoilers ahead for Solo: A Star Wars story…
Back in December, during my first go-around of reporting reactions to a Star Wars movie, I remarked about the number of disparate sources my news feed fed me as I searched high and low for hot takes.
We’re in that territory again, as The Washington Post collected a number of social media missives post-premiere and pronounced Solo: A Star Wars Story “A humorous, charming thrill ride.”
The Post’s Michael Cavna — who previously posted “How The Last Jedi became the most divisive Star Wars movie yet” — wrote that Solo’s filmmakers “can now exhale deeply with relief.”
While full reviews remain embargoed until Tuesday, Cavna reported:
Some early viewers, including IndieWire’s Kate Erbland and Uproxx’s Mike Ryan, tweeted to reassure that Ehrenreich eventually finds his footing… Other first-lookers — including Mashable’s Angie J. Han and Yahoo Entertainment’s Kevin Polowy — had praise, too, for Ehrenreich’s co-stars Thandie Newton (who plays Val) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (as the droid L3), as well as Donald Glover, who inherits Billy Dee Williams’s Lando Calrissian role… [Meanwhile] Film journalist Simon Thompson said that he went into the film with concerns but that they were “totally laid to rest,” thanks in part to the high-octane film’s laughs and emotional levels.
However, Cavna cited some subdued murmurs, particularly from one of this space’s favorites, which wondered aloud about the necessity of this story.
There’s some fun to be had with #SoloAStarWarsStory. Ehrenreich was solid and really enjoyed Glover and Waller-Bridge as L3, but not convinced we needed a young Han Solo movie. Was really hoping for higher stakes, more energy and depth.
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) May 11, 2018
However, and this fine Washington Post report aside, there were only two reviews I needed to help set the tone and expectations for my upcoming viewing – one each from the “Star Wards”:
https://twitter.com/realAmandaWard/status/995000513149087744
Woke up after last night & the first thing I thought was “Solo was such a fun movie, I need to see it again right now.” It felt like a movie for the fans & that’s not a bad thing. It doesn’t challenge the audience like “Last Jedi,” it takes us to hang out with Han Fucking Solo.
— Jason Ward (@MakingStarWars) May 11, 2018
Then Amanda and Jason joined Steele Saunders, Sal Perales & crew post-premiere:
May 24 can’t come quick enough for this nerd. JB