When Rogue One hit theaters in 2015 it was the first film to not be part of the main episodic adventures. It was a standalone film that ties into the episodes as untold stories of a galaxy far far away. Now comes Solo: A Star Wars Story. Warning, spoilers ahead…
It’s never easy filling the shoes of a legendary character and Han Solo is no exception. With that said, Alden Ehrenreich despite the haters does an admirable job. I actually like him in the role of the scruffy looking nerf herder we have loved since seeing Harrison Ford seated in the Cantina on Tatoonie. As for the film itself, it’s all about a heist and what one is willing to gamble for freedom or love. Neither being mutually exclusive however. Through a series of events in which Han wants to return home to Corellia and reunite with his love Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), he finds himself fighting in the Imperial army and soon becomes a deserter when he hooks up with a band of smugglers led by Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and his wife Val (Thandie Newton). He soon meets a Wookie name Chewbacca and well, we know the rest.
After losing their payload, Han, Chewie and Tobias must find a way to pay back gangster Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) before he puts a bounty on their heads. In order to do so, they’re going to need a ship, a fast ship, enter the Millennium Falcon and its owner a notorious and charismatic gambler Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). With all the pieces in place, this is where the film really takes off faster than doing the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.
The supporting casts is very good. Bettany and Glover in particular steal the scenes they’re in. Clarke at times channels her Dragon Queen persona from Game of Thrones and Woody Harrelson is Woody Harrelson of every other film he appears in. That’s not a knock, it’s just what we’ve been accused to over the years.
The film isn’t without its flaws. It’s probably even better than anyone thought it should be thanks to director Ron Howard stepped in after the dismissal of the films original directing team of Chris Miller and Phil Lord. The writers even added a rather surprising twist in the end that will surely need explaining should Disney go ahead with a sequel. Despite all that, Solo is still a fun, fast-paced space western. It may not be the best Star Wars film and I am not sure if it’s going to draw in newcomers but longtime fans of the saga itself should enjoy this adventure nonetheless.
On a side note… from 1977 to 1983 there were the original three Star Wars films that launched a fandom, a culture and a lexicon unlike anything we had ever seen before or since. Then the prequels arrived from 2003 to 2005. That’s six films in 28 years. Since being acquired by Walt Disney, we have seen over the last 3+ years four films with two sequels and two standalone films. Some worry about over saturation. Perhaps there is some legitimacy to that concern but until the box office says otherwise, you can be sure that more Star Wars stories will be coming to a theater near you.
Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo and Paul Bettany
PG13 135 Mins
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
