Solo: A Star Wars Story is a fun, swashbuckling film that takes audiences back to the tone of A New Hope.
Solo: A Star Wars Story just might be the most light-hearted installment this mega-franchise has seen since its post-Disney acquisition. Though still embodying the spirit of the original Star Wars trilogy, Solo does have a lot of “modernization” in terms of action scenes and pacing. Those things are both good and bad.
WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead
Solo is definitely not a perfect movie, but it’s still a worthy addition and never lets up on the fun. Even with a runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes, the story is brisk and well-balanced. I definitely had my qualms about the actor chosen to embody the galaxy’s most famous scoundrel. But Alden Ehrenreich pulled it off—to the point where audiences can actually see Harrison Ford.
With this being an origin movie, much of Han Solo’s “darkness” and mystery have been erased. Is this a good thing? Some may say “no.” However, the people complaining are probably the same ones who wanted to see all those tall tales come to life. And come to life they did. From making the “Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs” to winning the Millenium Falcon, Han’s pre-Luke phase was meticulously spelled out for fans.
And that’s the reason why Han’s edge and dangerous persona have been filed down quite a bit. In the original trilogy, Han was unpredictable and definitely in it for himself. Here, he’s given a love interest, an attachment if you will. Though not married in any way, a man who’s “taken” always seems like a safe bet, with this coming in the form of Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke). Han’s need to “save” Qi-ra after a failed escape from criminal gangs becomes the driving force of the first act—which takes us through a fun chase scene and a pretty epic battle on the planet Mimban.
As an infantryman, Han, after a few scuffles, meets a gang led by Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and befriends his future first mate Chewbacca. This new ragtag team quickly makes a pact and heads off to perform a train heist to try and steal coaxium hyperfuel—a valuable energy source able to give an advantage to fleets of starships.
Of course, the train heist is a failure—which is shown in all its dramatic and action-packed glory. We soon learn the loss of the fuel isn’t just a lost payday. Beckett was trying to steal it for Dryden Vos, leader of the notorious Crimson Tide crime syndicate. As they arrive at Vos’s flying headquarters to get a second chance, Han runs into Qi-ra, who’s now working with the dangerous criminal head. And that takes us into the meat of the second act where the team agrees to steal raw coaxium (an extremely volatile and unstable form of the fuel) to even their debts.
Solo‘s action scenes are built for modern audiences with its shaky cam footage and starship maneuvers inspired from the Fast and the Furious franchise. I kid you not. I never, in my wildest dreams, fathomed that I’d see the Millenium Falcon drifting. On top of that, Han and the gang actually used the raw coaxium like it was NOS. Ron Howard is a competent enough director, so it’s a wonder to me why he would film action scenes in this fashion.
Another gripe I had was how friendly some of the team members were to each other. For people who were criminals, they were quite hospitable. Han rarely, if ever, went up against any harsh conflict. There might be a brief stint of head-butting, but being “on the same page” came a bit too easily and quickly.
For fans, the film leaves enough references and Easter eggs to get a few tingles of excitement. John Williams also strikes up his classic march during key moments to really enhance the mood and mark certain in-universe milestones—like the first time Chewie co-pilots the Millenium Falcon with Han.
One of the true standouts in the film was Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. If Billy Dee Williams was the Force, Glover was using him like a Jedi. He was that good. The role is extremely difficult because it was a dangerous straddle between acting like Williams and parodying him. I was convinced this was a young Williams and I can’t see any other actor playing this youthful version of the famous character.
More Movies: Deadpool 2 Review
Of all the new Star Wars films, Rogue One still remains as my favorite installment. The depth and darkness of the storytelling was something unseen in any Star Wars film. I would place Solo as my second favorite. At least its a return to form after The Last Jedi debacle (I know it has its supporters). By showing Han’s trials and tribulations in his younger years, a lot of the character’s enigma has been removed. However, you can say another mystery has been introduced: how did he get from the end of Solo to what he is in A New Hope? Could a sequel answer this? Could that fated meeting with the not-so-mysterious “big-time gangster” change him into the Han we know?
Solo: A Star Wars Story was released in the United States on May 25, 2018
Leave a Reply