Though fanboys and fangirls were certainly excited after the first premiere of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” last week, the Cannes Film Festival audience responded with a collective, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “the energy level in the theater was lagging” throughout the screening. While it did receive a four-minute standing ovation in the end, that’s standard fare among sycophantic film festival crowds who’d rather go along to get along than say how they really feel, unless that happens to be a Lars Von Trier film.
“There was only one moment when the crowd applauded, when the Millennium Falcon escaped a close call,” says THR. “And there was only one instance of audible laughter, when Lando (Glover) told Han that he hated him.”
Another screening had no boos, but only a “tiny smattering of applause.”
Contrast that reaction with that of Spike Lee’s “BlacKKKlansman,” which “drew laughter and breakout applause throughout the film and a much heartier, emotional standing ovation.”
Following the “Star Wars” screening, one audience member could reportedly be heard saying, “I don’t need to see it again. Once is enough.”
Not that it matters, though. This is a Disney film after all, and the company made sure they charmed people with a flashy beach party afterward, complete with a fireworks show accompanied by John Williams iconic score. It was everything “Star Wars” has become in the Disney-era, a spectacle of sound and fury signifying nothing.
The early reviews for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” have now been released on Rotten Tomatoes where it holds a tepid 73% rating. While that’s not rotten, it’s a steep drop for a “Star Wars” movie, which typically breaks into the low 90s and high 80s.