Solo: A Star Wars Story

•             PG-13
•             Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi
•             US Release:  May 25, 2018
•             Runtime:  2 hours 15 minutes
•             Directed by Ron Howard
•             Written by Lawrence Kasdan, Jon Kasdan
•             Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Joonas Suotamo, Paul Bettany, Thandie Newton
•             Grade:                         B-       
•                                       It’s watchable!

 

Han (Alden Ehrenreich), a young rogue living by his wits and luck on the streets of Corellia with his first love Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) under the shadow of ruthless gangsters and Imperial garrisons, is suddenly thrust into a life of adventure by chance and circumstance. His skills as a pilot and his overwhelming confidence in his abilities serve him well, yet after three years Solo – as he is now known – is no closer to his ultimate goal: purchasing a fast ship and returning to Corellia for his beloved Qi’ra.

Hoo boy. If anything can generate debate on the internet, it is almost certainly the release of a Star Wars movie.

I’ve always found it interesting that, even though I considered The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi to be the better films, I still enjoyed Rogue One more. Being swept up into the Star Wars universe is such a delight that I’m apparently far more willing to overlook a film’s flaws than the average Star Wars internet fan. And Solo definitely has flaws. It’s formulaic, there’s nothing really new here, and the script avoids delving too deeply into Solo’s character. This is a straight-up adventure set in the Star Wars universe with someone who looks and acts like the Han Solo we know and love, and since we know that our favorite characters live beyond this adventure, there is very little tension.

However, it’s the simplicity of this movie that really appealed to me, much like Rogue One. Solo allows us to visit moments in Solo’s life that we have always known about but never seen, like how he acquired the Millennium Falcon and formed an incredibly strong bond with a wookie. Sometimes it really is enough to just be able to reconnect with old friends, and Solo gives us this chance with a competently-made and enjoyable adventure story.

Ehrenreich is solid as a young Solo, even though the script doesn’t really give him a chance to do much with the character. Donald Glover and Emilia Clarke are both terrific, as is Paul Bettany, although he didn’t have much screen time. The developing chemistry between Solo and Chewbacca was probably my favorite part of the film, but I must admit I also really enjoyed L3-37, a droid that seems to have been written primarily to mock anti-SJWs. . . or mock SJWs . . . or maybe mock the whole ridiculous dialogue between them, I’m not sure which.

The score was excellent, the cinematography was robust, the special effects were largely on point, and the set designs perfectly captured the customary Star Wars themes. There is also a blatant “world-building” moment with Qi’ra and a surprise character from the Star Wars universe near the end of the movie. I think we can safely guess what another Star Wars Story might be in the future, and I dig it.

Solo is a damn good time at the movies, as long as you go in with reasonable expectations.  Unfortunately, that’s apparently too much to ask of this franchise’s fans. The Last Jedi was criticized for, among other things, deviating too much from past films and taking too many risks. Some early critiques of Solo have complained that the film doesn’t take any risks. The fickleness of fans can be toxic, it seems.