Review of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) by Teddy F — 04 Jun 2018

Slick and fun, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a movie for the fans and for the first time since Disney purchased the franchise, I did not walk out of a Star Wars movie underwhelmed; the bad taste left in my mouth by the Last Jedi is now almost gone.

When I first heard about the production of this movie, I was instantly concerned because I knew Harrison Ford was too old to play a young Han Solo and thought no one else could play that role...I guess I was wrong. While no one will ever perfectly replicate Harrison Ford's portrayal of Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich's performance is close enough that it never pulls you out of the movie or discredits his role of being Han Solo. Actually, Ehrenreich does a pretty solid job with the character and at times does flash similar mannerisms to Ford's Solo. And when you consider this is the youngest Solo ever put to screen, the differences in attitude and character between Solo in a New Hope and in Solo could be explained by age difference; it is reasonable to believe the younger Solo will act differently from the older one. The supporting cast of Solo is very strong with the likes of Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, and Donald Glover. Harrelson plays Captain Beckett, who is very clearly an early influence on Solo; Harrelson brings his typical wit and charm to the role. Emilia Clarke plays Qi'ra, a love interest and is a main plot driver; Clarke does a good job hiding what her secretive character is going to do next. Glover plays Lando Calrissian (whom I'm assuming does not need an introduction), and while I do believe calling him a standout (as many have) is hyperbole, he does bring a cool demeanor to the gambler.

In Solo, a lot of things went well. The visuals were great, the Kessel Run sequence was exciting, the score was Star-Wars-ey but still had its own distinguishable theme for the character of Han Solo, and the story did a good job in keeping me hooked; despite having some expectations of what to see coming in, Solo was still able to pleasantly surprise me. Similar to Rogue One, the droid character ended up being a standout. Voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, L3 and her ambition of droid liberation add on as a subplot quite well without making the film feel convoluted. While it is a shared belief that this movie was made to be nothing more than a cash grab, and the question is frequently asked why anybody should care about what is going on in the movie, I, for one enjoyed myself watching all the references that harken back to Han Solo in the original trilogy; I came to watch the origin of Solo and that is what I got, from watching him attain the Millennium Falcon to how he obtained the dice he hangs in the Millennium Falcon. Did Han shoot first? Guess you'll have to watch the movie. I care because I care about the character of Han Solo, and despite his story not being entirely relevant to the overarching Star Wars Story, I want to watch it unfold anyway. The movie also opened up a few possibilities for future films. My only true critique of the film was that its pacing slowed down a bit too much in the middle of the film, otherwise I thought it was very entertaining.

After the Last Jedi, I didn't think I'd be ready for another Star Wars movie only a few months later. I went to see it opening weekend anyway and don't regret it one bit. In my eyes, Solo: A Star Wars Story is better than a lot of the meh reactions it's been getting and if you're conflicted on whether or not this movie is worth your time, I recommend seeing it because you might just feel the same way.