Review of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) by Joshua S — 09 Jul 2018

It's becoming clear that Disney's attempt to turn Star Wars into a massive franchise akin to their beloved MCU, looks less like that particular juggernaut and more like the DCEU. Your mileage may vary on that loaded statement. Heck, I may be one of the few who doesn't hate either for simply existing, but facts are stubborn things - these movies should be better. Which brings us to Solo: A Star Wars Story. Yes, the most maligned big budget film of 2018 that nobody saw. Funny this is, for the few that actually did feel sorry for it - Solo was a competent film. And no, not because of low expectations. There are issues with cinematography and structure. But while everyone was b******g about reshoots and making "SOYLO" jokes, Solo ends up being the most no bull***t Star Wars movie of Disney's lineup, thus far. This does not mean the BEST. But it doesn't try to remake Star Wars (Force Awakens), subvert it with hostility (The Last Jedi), or issue out fan service (Rogue One). It's a charming, straight-forward picture, with a just a couple of references and cameos, but sticks to a simple three-act structure without s******g the pooch. Or Wookie so to speak.

Alden Ehrenreich proved himself to be the best part of the otherwise forgettable Hail Caesar, and one could see why he was cast as everyone's favorite smuggler. His take is not an impersonation of Harrison Ford and I'm glad it wasn't. Avoiding caricature, he is allowed to be a bit more naïve toward the beginning of the film and matures and hardens as the story moves along. It is interesting how the moral presented to both him and the audience is to trust NO ONE and ALWAYS shoot first. Advice I could have used in both my personal and professional life. Ehrenreich, like the film he stars in, is more than competent, but was prejudged by the worst fandom in the galaxy. He was assigned the same label that destroyed Brandon Routh's mainstream career - "milquetoast." Woody Harrelson steals the show at times, literally, as a piece-of-s**t criminal who Han Solo both takes notes from and despises. Donald Glover is as good as the notices would have you believe as Lando Calrissian, though he and his reviled droid counterpart are barely in the film, contrary to all the ink spilled on them. It is debatable whether or not Emilia Clarke will have much of a mainstream career after Game of Thrones wraps up next year, but she impresses here as a lively femme fatale who isn't there to s***w Han over so much as to reinforce the core message the film has for him.

Some of the best moments in the film relate to its simple, unpretentious humor, the banter between Chewbacca and Han, and the h*****h state of the galaxy under Imperial expansion before the Rebellion. I mentioned before subpar camera work, and I meant it. EVERY shot was poorly lit and it was so physically dark it was hard to make out details. In addition, many shots are flat and uninspired. This may be a result of rushed reshoots when Ron Howard had to take over production late in the game. Speaking of which, Howard is a bit underrated himself, and studio hack or not, he always keeps a brisk pace and he rarely outright misfires. As for the ultimate fate of Solo and Star Wars stand alone movies, this may be the last one not named Obi-Wan or Boba Fett. We can split hairs whether Last Jedi angered half the fanbase or the trailers looked terrible or if people wanted the screwball comedy promised by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Solo bombed because audiences aren't interested in a huge Star Wars universe, at least not one managed by Disney. They want the usual episodic content and a conclusion to the story in medias res. And that's that. Is this movie worth a watch on Netflix or on DVD/Blu Ray? Yes, I'd endorse it. You'll enjoy it more than you anticipated, and that's always a win.