First Solo Reactions Hail Great Performances & Thrilling Action
It’s fitting that a film about the most iconic smuggler in the galaxy delivers the goods. Solo: A Star Wars Story had its premiere in Hollywood last night, and the first reactions suggest that, despite all that concern over the film’s fairly rocky production, Ron Howard and his incredible cast have pulled it off.
The action, the performances (just about every member of the cast is singled out by one critic or another for being the film’s crown jewel), and the deep cut references to Star Wars characters and events from the canon are some of the elements earning praise. The word you’ll keep seeing is “fun.” People had fun watching the story of how the young Han Solo became the Han Solo. Folks worried about Alden Ehrenreich filling Harrison Ford’s shoes? Just about everyone says the kid should stay in the picture—he’s got charm and charisma. And while everyone rightly assumed Donald Glover would be dynamite as the young Lando Calrissian (spoiler alert—everyone says he is), you’ll be delighted to read below that people are also freaking out about Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s droid L3-73. Woody Harrelson and Thandie Newton are also earning praise as two of the galaxy’s most seasoned crooks, Beckett and Val.
We’ve collected some of these early reactions on social media for you to parse (spoiler-free, of course), and will share the proper reviews soon. For now, the news that Solo is a fun, funny, beautifully acted thrill ride should make this Friday an extra special one for you Star Wars fans.
#Solo feels surprisingly unlike any Star Wars movie before, yet perfectly captures the tone, adventure, characters and humor of the #StarWars franchise. Also, I need a Lando movie in my life.
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) May 11, 2018
#SoloAStarWarsStory: It takes a bit for it to find its feet and for AE to turn on enough charm to make you forget he’s not HF. But once it kicks into its hey-let’s-make-a-crew and yes-also-do-a-heist stuff, it totally flies.
— Kate Erbland (@katerbland) May 11, 2018
Ooo @StarWars fans you are in for a friggin TREAT w/ #Solo. Killer cast. A great adventure. So much fun. #hansolo
— Kara Warner (@karawarner) May 11, 2018
Alden Ehrenreich is the real deal, Thandie Newton is who I want to be when I grow up, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s L3… well we’ll talk about that later. ? #SoloAStarWarsStory
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) May 11, 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story is a goddamn delight. It’s a non-stop adventure packed with way more emotion than your expecting. You’ll have a smile on your face the whole time and leave eager for more. pic.twitter.com/fOsF7Tr95L
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) May 11, 2018
SOLO was SO much better than I was expecting! It balanced fan service w/ meaningful storytelling, and it’s an absolute blast. Full of Easter eggs & deep cut references. The cast oozed charisma, especially Donald Glover as Lando & Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37. #HanSolo #StarWars pic.twitter.com/xzXNWleU15
— Dan Casey (@DanCasey) May 11, 2018
I really dug #SoloAStarWarsStory! I woke up this morning questioning whether I was excited for this movie and walked out ready to see Han’s next adventure on this path. It’s a super solid movie and feels true to what makes #StarWars fun.
— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) May 11, 2018
So, I was REALLY worried about #SoloAStarWarsStory but those concerns are totally laid to rest. A movie for fans AND those totally fresh to the Star Wars franchise. Heart, humor and a Falcon full of top notch action. From a worry to a favorite. Very, very happy! pic.twitter.com/VhvBSDFvjE
— Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) May 11, 2018
Pleasantly surprised by #SOLO! A cute, fun, stylish #StarWars adventure. Would absolutely watch more Han and Chewie, which is not what I expected going into this AT ALL. Excited to see it again. pic.twitter.com/rpwaZCNevC
— ✨ Rachel Heine ✨ (@RachelHeine) May 11, 2018
#Solo was fantastic. Rock solid, straight-down-the-middle #StarWars movie. If you’re looking for a palette cleanser after #TheLastJedi, this is it!! pic.twitter.com/2Qjbk4UWcQ
— Jesse B. Gill (@jessebgill) May 11, 2018
Featured image: Alden Ehrenreich is Han Solo, Donal Glover is Lando Calrissian and Phoebe Waller-Bridge is L3-37 in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.
