“The whole thing is essentially one Riverdancing leprechaun short of a fairy tale”

Certainly the 'Cats' of 2020, the first reviews of John Patrick Shanley’s 'Wild Mountain Thyme' are beginning to flood in. And boy, are they comical.

John Patrick Shanley, the writer of 'Moonstruck' and 'Doubt' adapts his Broadway play 'Outside Mullingar' into a movie. Jamie Dornan, Emily Blunt, and Christopher Walkin lead the cast as the most stereotypical of Irish people of 'Wild Mountain Thyme', with Jon Hamm turning up at some point being all American and cool.

We don't really know the full storyline, but we do know it's a romantic comedy between two neighbours, and there are some issues around land and love. We haven't been given access to the movie ahead of its release online on December 11.

But here are some of the early reactions to the movie from various outlets.

IndieWire pulled out possibly the best reaction line we'll ever read. Ever. Reviewer David Ehrlich said: "This sometimes enchanting (but always demented) soda farl of banter and blarney couldn’t be a broader caricature of Irish culture if it were written by the Keebler elves and directed by a pint of Guinness.

"We’re talking about a movie so in love with its own lucky charms that it makes 'Waking Ned Devine' feel like 'In the Name of the Father' by comparison. Think that’s overstating the case? The National Leprechaun Museum of Ireland responded to the trailer by tweeting 'Even we think this is a bit much'. That was after seeing only two minutes of it; this critic has seen the other 100 as well."

Entertainment Weekly had this to say about the whole affair: "The whole thing is essentially one Riverdancing leprechaun short of a fairy tale...

"She [Blunt's Rosemary] doesn’t realize that Anthony [Dornan] is too is wracked by insecurities, having convinced himself that he’s unlovable and strange. (He talks to donkeys! He smells of cow!). By the time there are soaring pan flutes and kisses in the rain, you’ve either happily surrendered or slumped over, Walken-wasted. Either way somebody, or at least the whiskey, wins."

The Guardian over in the UK had this to say about the film: "'That Wild Mountain Thyme' makes little logistical or temporal sense is not unique or even imperilling for a romantic comedy, which can spin gold out of straw scaffolding with the gift of charm, chemistry or the basic intrigue of will-they, won’t-they hijinks."

While The Hollywood Reporter had this glowing review for the romantic comedy: "Audiences with an appetite for old-fashioned romantic blarney, the verdant fields of rural Ireland and heaping helpings of contrived quaintness might find something worth their time here. Those eager for entertainment with any kind of edge or cultural authenticity should look elsewhere.

"Shanley tries to keep it quirky and humorous by seldom resisting a cute reaction shot of a cow or dog, but there's just nothing particularly captivating about this lifeless romance."

Unfortunately, we here at entertainment.ie weren't given access to the movie ahead of its release. But you can expect our glowing review of 'Wild Mountain Thyme' in the coming days.