Review of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) by Jason R — 03 Jun 2018

Doing a prequel for the odds-on most popular character in the Star Wars universe was going to be difficult. It's not like you can clone Harrison Ford, de-age him to 25, and go.

That said, Alden Ehrenreich did a good job. He had the swagger down, the smirk, the wit, and there were certainly times where he almost took on the appearance of the Episode IV Han. There's no doubt that Harrison Ford's assistance buoyed his performance, and prevented him from potentially falling into the traps of the "Young brat" that would then be the dominant take on his performance.

Ron Howard took a difficult task and likely made a better movie than it would have been otherwise, and as such got saddled with a movie that has not been able to shake its difficult reputation.

Donald Glover delivers a remarkable performance as Lando, practically becoming Billy Dee Williams, and displaying the smooth, scoundrel aspects that Han talked about in Empire.

There's a few interesting surprises and references littered throughout the movie, and it's kind of up to the individual viewer to determine if they feel the movie is necessary, and chances are that will shape the opinion. To take it as it is, ignoring such a question, is key to taking it as a whole, complete experience.

A number of things don't quite go as the setup might suggest, which helps keep the film fresh, and leads Han more naturally along his path, and give him opportunities to shine without being forced.

It's ultimately a fun entry into the pantheon, and does the principal characters well, leading them along a plot that's solid enough to keep you tuned in. It's up to you whether that's enough.