Review of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) by Ray G — 11 Nov 2018

Star Wars fatigue? I understand the perception since it's been five months since "The Last Jedi" rather than waiting a year or usually three for the next. Although with an open-minded approach and expectations, I wouldn't use the word fatigue since the second anthology chapter of the epic space opera franchise still adds a worthwhile story with depth into familiarity this time than providing something wholesomely new. "Solo" continues the franchise's recent freshly transformative aesthetic in a fun ride with a worthwhile narration and satisfying efforts to make things lively under the expected charisma.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Before Luke and Obi-Wan met Han Solo for his assistance for their mission to rescue Princess Leia, there was a time where Han lived in a life with a dream and a love of two. He soon got motivated to take a chance on pursuing his dream of beyond that would trigger his adventure of daring escapades within the galaxy's criminal underworld. On the way through smuggling missions and getting to know his newfound profession, he meets few familiar faces that would impact his life at interesting turns, along being introduced to a certain beauty to his own eyes, while holding on to his initial motivation.

The previous anthology chapter "Rogue One" adds an emotional weight to the original trilogy, while the main takeaway from "Solo" is the character-driven aspects for further backstory such as where did Han came from, what was his life like before the big shift, and how did he befriend with Chewie, Lando, and acquiring and flying the Millennium Falcon. The only sense of depth this standalone feature offers is the galaxy's dynamic duo's unlikely team-up as displayed in the film and Han's deep connection as a pilot for the Falcon. So when watching the subsequent chapters (Episode IV - VIII), you would probably be thinking about the prequel-functioning backstory to couple characteristic elements that were brought up here.

What makes the film a fun ride overall is separated by three things: the expected charisma in the casted performances, Ron Howard's attempt to guide the Force in more of stylized vibe of a western than something epic, and the visuals mainly for the building action sequences. The latter is scaled down in comparison to the higher soaring action of the episodic films as they are now structural to build up character in experience, particularly the point when the now-experienced has easy expectations after couple of lessons. Those sequences are along the structured style that Howard, through enough shot footages of reshoots and the remaining quarter to claim directorial credit, retooled as a western-like approach to the galaxy narrative with the genre's individualistic elegancy. Adding onto that with other efforts, the character Han Solo showed charisma in the films, and his "Solo" film is expected to retain that which the cast were faithful in their performances, particularly Donald Grover as Lando Carlrissian and the impressive correction of talented worthiness from Alden Ehreneich as the titular outlaw. All in all, satisfying efforts to make it lively like when in Han's seat piloting the Millennium Falcon.

On the side note on what was put into the film is the attractive motifs that nicely recalls back to the other films such as Han's dice and John Williams' themes, leaving the film's score composer John Powell to score and mix in newer music to emphasize points of the story.

It may be early for a new Star Wars cinematic storytelling after how much "The Last Jedi" left us, but "Solo" proved itself to be a worthwhile addition into the mythology as well widening the transformative horizon in storytelling approach. Expectations for upcoming Star Wars stories should be for looking forward to see how the Force is guided in a new, fresh way rather than the constancy of the first seven films (1977-2008). As much an entertaining fun ride "Solo" is, it's ranked ahead of the four prequel films while behind "Rogue One" and the other two trilogies when agreeing it doesn't add anything new to the lore. But it does add new lights and minimal depth to the favorable characters and elements, along with some surprises that adds into the value, that I don't think it was told in canonizing producerly texts. (A-).