'Solo: A Star Wars Story' premiere earns mixed first reactions: Film is 'kinda a blast'
Young Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.
USA TODAY
Stars Alden Ehrenreich (Han Solo), Donald Glover (Lando Calrissian) and Emilia Clarke (Qi’Ra) heralded the first public view of director Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story at the Hollywood world premiere Thursday night.
The spin-off Star Wars story features a young Solo befriending his future co-pilot Chewbacca and meeting the notorious gambler Calrissian (opening May 25).
Official reviews will be released on May 15, but premiere attendees tweeted out their first reactions to the movie.
USA TODAY‘s Carly Mallenbaum praised Ehrenreich and Glover but yearned to see what original directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord (who were fired during filming) would have made.
Alden Ehrenreich as Han totally grew on me. And @donaldglover as Lando was such a delight. But I left the film yearning to see the version that Chris Miller and Phil Lord would’ve made. #SoloAStarWarsStory#SoloMovie#SoloPremiere
— Carly Mallenbaum (@ThatGirlCarly) May 11, 2018
RottenTomatoes.com editor Joel Meares called it “kinda a blast.”
Wow. Just come out of #SoloAStarWarsStory and can confirm it’s kinda a blast. @donaldglover was as perfect as expected, but Alden Ehrenreich has swagger to match, and spare.
— Joel Meares (@joelmeares) May 11, 2018
Entertainment Weekly‘s Anthony Breznican pointed out the “rough edges” in the movie, but felt director Howard “pulled it off.”
#Solo thoughts: Blast.? Like the Falcon, a few rough edges getting there, but I thought @RealRonHoward pulled it off as neatly as a Wookiee removes arms.
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 11, 2018
People magazine’s Kara Warner praised it as “a great adventure.”
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
Collider.com’s Perri Nemiroff wrote “there’s some fun to be had,” while praising Ehrenreich and Glover.
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
Collider.com video editor Dennis Tzeng called it a “mostly fun adventure” but added it would never be “one of my favorite #StarWars movies.”
#SoloAStarWarsStory was a mostly fun adventure and solid performances but with a predictable story. Never will be one of my favorite #StarWars movies but I enjoyed enough of it.
— Dennis Tzeng (@ThinkHero) May 11, 2018
IGN.com’s Jacki Jing wrote that she was both “completely floored” and “at the edge of my seat” by the movie.
Indiewire film editor Kate Erbland wrote that Solo takes time “to find its feet” but eventually “totally flies.”
#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
Mashable.com deputy editor Angie Han wrote that “Ehrenreich is the real deal.”
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
Nerdist.com’s Michelle Buchman called it her “fave new #StarWars” movie.
I loved #SoloAStarWarsStory so much. It’s a western. A caper. Funny with so much heart. It’s got so much surprises that fans are going to love. Donald Glover is charming x1000. Alden Ehrenreich is a great #HanSolo and just know I’ve been saying this for years! Fave new #StarWars.
— Michelle Buchman (@michelledeidre) May 11, 2018
TheWrap.com’s film reporter Umberto Gonzalez said “the movie is an absolute blast to hyperspace.”
ALDEN EHRENREREICH IS HAN SOLO! The movie is an absolute blast to hyperspace! #SoloPremiere#SoloAStarWarsStory#Solomovie
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) May 11, 2018
Syfy.com writer Jenna Busch said it had “a rough start” but was ” blast of an adventure.”
#SoloAStarWarsStory has a bit of a rough start, but it was a blast of of an adventure. And yes, Donald Glover steals the movie! But you already knew that. pic.twitter.com/4SGiq6tDmQ
— Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) May 11, 2018
Mashable.com’s Chris Taylor loved it.
Oh, thank the maker. It’s good. It’s sooo good. #Solo
— Chris Taylor (@FutureBoy) May 11, 2018
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