Hold that Tweet! Why Snap Film Judgments are Negatively Impacted by Cognitive Biases

Hold That Tweet Why Snap Film Judgments are Negatively Impacted by Cognitive Biases

With the proliferation of social media it has become increasingly difficult to not encounter at least a few opinions about current hot topics when scrolling through your newsfeed. This is especially true when it comes to the latest film releases. Over the past weekend it seemed as if every time I looked through my Twitter feed I was bombarded with preliminary reactions to currently trending movies, such as the popular horror film Hereditary or the box office hit Oceans 8. Recently, during the annual Festival of Disruption, esteemed writer and director David Lynch commented on this abundance of opinions about films on social media, stating that “Unless you’re a poet, words will fail you.”

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Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

Solo A Star Wars Story Review

3 out of 4 stars (3 / 4)

Solo is a fun intergalactic adventure fueled by an energetic performance from Alden Ehrenrich, even if the story doesn’t cover much new ground and adds very little to the Star Wars mythos.

Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story is the latest in what seems like an endless string of spinoffs and prequels to longstanding franchises that have essentially finished their core stories. Between Harry Potter continuing to exist through The Fantastic Beasts series, as well as news of a Boba Fett centered Star Wars story being in the works, it’s hard not to become cynical about this practice and to wonder if this is tainting the great stories that have already been told. In comparison with every other Star Wars film that has preceded, it feels as though there has been a tepid anticipation towards Solo thanks in no part to bad press around December of 2017. During this time there were reports of extensive reshoots, the lead actor requiring an acting coach, and an endless delay for a theatrical trailer. With Solo being only the second Star Wars story not directly linked to the main narrative, the question of whether the film would merely coast on the Star Wars name without providing anything new was a viable concern. Despite all of these seemingly negative omens, Solo manages to prove that in spite of an abundance of prequels and spinoffs, this practice can still be conducive to creating a thrilling story, even if it pales in comparison to the source material.

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