*Crazy Rich Asians* Is a Hit With Critics—and Why That's So Important
Crazy Rich Asians isn’t even out yet, and Hollywood is already raving about it. The highly-anticipated adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s hit novel has an impressive 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews. Granted, there’s a chance this rating could drop as more come in, but the fact it’s currently at 100 percent all but confirms Crazy Rich Asians is headed for a Certified Fresh Rating—and, hopefully, box office success.
“Seeing this kind of onscreen representation is incredibly satisfying, especially via Kwan’s rich page-turner,” reads the review from Time Out. “A loving take on Kwan’s books, bundled up in a wildly entertaining package,” says Kate Erbland from IndieWire.
And these are just two of many stellar reviews from top critics. In addition to their actual reviews, many of them took to Twitter to express their enthusiasm for the movie. “After seeing #CrazyRichAsiansMovie I wanted to reread the book and rewatch the movie, AT ONCE. It made me that happy, and not just because of the outfits (though they are stellar),” Moira MacDonald from The Seattle Times tweets.
“Crazy Rich Asians picked an auspicious date to lift its review embargo, but by delivering a satisfying, highly entertaining romantic comedy, the filmmakers have made their own luck,” writes Brian Lowry from CNN.
And here are some more tweets from critics:
“I wanted to rewatch CRAZY RICH ASIANS as soon as the credits started rolling. It’s a wonderful romantic comedy with culturally distinct (but universally relatable) stakes. It’s also a moving-as-hell affirmation of Asian American identity,” tweets Inkoo Kang from Slate.
“#CrazyRichAsians takes the fairy tale trope that has defined our cultural understand of romance, and gives it new life by showing that it doesn’t belong to blue-eyed, blonde haired Cinderella,” writes Anne Cohen for Refinery 29.
https://twitter.com/anneesthercohen/status/1027392168456073216
This bout of critical acclaim is coming on the heels of #GoldOpen, a social media campaign started by digital media entrepreneur Bing Chen to make sure Crazy Rich Asians has a banner opening weekend. “EVERY MOVEMENT NEEDS ITS MAFIA,” he tweeted earlier. “That’s why 100+ of us have bought out theaters to give #CrazyRichAsians a #GoldOpen. Join us and buy your tickets NOW for opening week on @Fandango.com.”
This early praise should certainly help drive viewers to movie theaters next weekend. After all, the 24/7 nature of our news cycle makes positive reviews impossible to ignore—and with people’s time and funds limited, they want to make sure they’re seeing something good.
The early Twitter response to Crazy Rich Asians seems to mirror this Rotten Tomatoes slam drunk. Check out some responses, below:
https://twitter.com/franklinleonard/status/1027050344570740736
https://twitter.com/carriesnotscary/status/1027533414138880000
Crazy Rich Asians hits theaters August 15.
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