I just walked out of the Easton Premiere Cinemas after seeing “Solo,” glad to feel re-charged about the direction of the Star Wars cinematic universe! Despite the widespread advance reports of doom & gloom, this movie is actually pretty good! No doubt, the misfire on the last movie, coupled with negative press on this one, had some fans gun shy. I can identify. After months of “I have a bad feeling about this…” kind of vibes being put out there by the media, I was almost ready to let this one go by the wayside and thought about not seeing it in theaters. If you consider yourself a Star Wars fan, DON’T make that mistake, my friends.
I know what you’re thinking. You were disappointed in “The Last Jedi”. Not too mention, there has been A LOT of negative press about “Solo”, ranging from the script re-writes, directorial changes, casting choices, and more. Seems as if the last move was bad, but the “fix” was in to keep the vibe positive about it, despite what a lot of fans thought. Now it’s the other way around. Media reports largely seem to have passed pre-judgement on this one, that there was so much turmoil that it couldn’t be any good. I disagree. I think most old-school Star Wars fans will love it. I never once found myself missing Harrison Ford or thinking that the new actor isn’t right (one of the biggest gripes I have read about it). So, what’s wrong with it? Perhaps Millennials that never saw the original trilogy won’t appreciate it. That’s a possibility. They won’t get many of the “Easter Eggs” in the movie (and there are plenty).
Nevertheless, “Solo” grossed over $100 million over the Memorial Day Weekend, yet media reports still want to label it a “bust” because the so-called “industry experts” had predicted more like 130 million for the opening weekend. If you ask me, considering “Avengers” and “Deadpool” are showing in the same theatre, (along with the aforementioned baggage), making $100 million is pretty darn impressive.
There was a day (not too long ago) when a $100 million weekend was considered a blockbuster opening. Not any more apparently, unless the “industry experts” approve of the number.
Anyhow, if you’re a true Star Wars fan and (like me) had begun to feel a bit disillusioned by the franchise, this is a good rebound moment. Don’t miss out.