Solo: A Star Wars Story - Review

Solo: A Star Wars Story - Review

Release date (US): May 25th, 2018

Directed By: Ron Howard

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Paul Bettany, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, 

Expectations/Background: Being quite honest, did anyone have high expectations in the slightest for this movie? It has been well-documented on this site of the director drama that this film underwent. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were both fired during early shooting, and were promptly replaced by Ron Howard. Then, reports came out that Alden needed an acting coach and that he couldn't act at all - additionally, more reports about Howard having to reshoot anywhere form 60-90 percent of the film surfaced. All in all, things were not looking good in the offices of Kathleen Kennedy and co. On top of all of this, on a personal note, if Disney were to have asked me, which they wouldn't in a million years, which character I would have wanted to see a solo (no pun intended) film about, I would not have said Han Solo, simply because I have no interest in the backstory of this character. I know that I do not, in any way, represent the majority of ilm going audiences - but I do seem to share the general consensus with the rest of Star Wars fans. There isn't the same level of palpable, tangible excitement as compared to the announcement of an Obi-Wan movie. That being said, reading early reviews and reactions, the buzz was positive enough to give me hope, and so, I went into the theater hoping for the best, leaving all the expectations and production drama at the door. 

The Movie: On the whole, were I to summarize the experience of seeing this movie in a few words, I would say that it's not the worst way to spend a couple hours. Granted, you could be doing a lot of other things with your time, but should you find yourself in the theater with this movie, it is most definitely not the worst way to spend your time. 

Positives: This film spends the vast majority of its runtime with our beloved smuggler, Han, as he journeys throughout the galaxy to find out what his place in the world really is. And, for the most part, I am very happy to say that Alden does an excellent job at portraying the titular smuggler. While he doesn't quite nail it as some critics have expressed, I do believe that he captures the mannerisms of Harrison Ford without doing an impression. (MINOR SPOILER) As this film takes place a few years before A New Hope, I can clearly see how this version of Han turned into the smuggler we see on Mos Eisley all those years later. 

Additionally, the chemistry between Han and Chewie works impeccably. There are a couple moments that feel a little clunky, but their pure interactions, the way they talk to each other, that feels like such an organic development of their relationship, which I particularly enjoyed. Adding on to that, there was some level of excitement and nostalgia as we revisited key moments/objects/people that we had come to know and love throughout the original trilogy.

One such person was Lando, played wonderfully by Donald Glover. Again, just like Alden, he didn't do an impression of Billy Dee, but he captured the spirit of the character, and you can easily see how this version would turn into an aged, perhaps more suave Billy Dee Williams Lando. 

The rest of the supporting cast, some of which includes Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, and Emilia Clarke, all did an excellent job. There was another character that I won't spoil that I particularly enjoyed, and my enjoyment of the character increased simply because I had no idea who they were or that they'd be in the film at all. They all played their parts well. Their characters all play an integral in shaping Han's life as we see him grow as a person, and each one, especially Harrelson, does a great job at showing how they individually leave their mark on the young smuggler.

Another commendable aspect to this film is the set design, props, and costumes. Just like Rogue One, this universe of Star Wars feels very much "lived in", and less of the fantastical aspects we see in The Last Jedi. There are aspects of this world that relate directly to ours, such as army recruitment and occupation, as the people in the film are living under the regime of the Empire. 

To round out the positives, there is one jaw-dropping, gasp-inducing scene in the film that I will not spoil, but I will say; for me personally, as a huge Star Wars aficionado and fan, it worked beautifully because I understood right away what they were doing with this particular "thing", it may not work for everyone, but for me, it worked beautifully. 

Negatives: I think the biggest detriment of Solo is that it's boring, bland, and frankly, uninteresting and inconsequential. No, it is not the worst way to spend a couple hours, but there are so many things that this film could have done better that ultimately result in a boring film.

While it is not noticeable that this film was directed and reshot by three different people, which is commendable in it of itself, the pacing does seem very flat, rather random, meandering, and not that interesting. There is almost nothing in this film that can't be predicted, which is fine for this type of movie, I suppose, except that it has nothing else to rely on as the story is a series of plot jumps, from one event to another.

Additionally, this film lacks any depth or emotion. There are a few scenes where emotion is painfully and forcibly drawn out of the characters, and then in the next scene, it's gone and the characters don't make mention of it at all. Perhaps this is because of the switching of directors, but regardless, there it is.

One thing that shocked me was the dialogue, and in the worst way - this film was written by legendary writer Laurence Kasden, who wrote Empire Strikes Back, and I had high hopes for the script, especially after people in Lucasfilm said it was THE best script ever written. And while some of it is sharp and light, as it should be, some of the dialogue and exposition was EXTREMELY clunky and weak, which surprised me. There were some lines in the movie that made me wonder, "Did Kasden really write that?"

But I feel, above all else, that my biggest grievance with this film is how unnecessary it is. And the filmmakers know it, and the director knows it. As such, the film drags, and it attempts to create a story out of "moments". A movie makes the moments, the moments don't make the movie. Ultimately, this film was more concerned on asking the questions like, "How did Han get _____" or "Why does Han ______" instead of trying to build a coherent story.

The Villains: I won't spoil who or what the villains of the story, because quite frankly, I had no idea who they were before I saw the film. And for the most part, he/she/they were fine, for the most part. They served their role and did what they had to to progress the story forward, and I suppose that's all you could ask from a movie of this caliber. 

The Music/Score: John Powell takes over from John Williams, and for me personally, I could feel hints of John Williams poking its head out throughout the entire movie. But Powell goes in an interesting direction, adding a lot of Western elements with a chorus, and sometimes it really works, but other times it doesn't work at all - so nothing much to report in this department. 

The Verdict: Nobody (or many at least) asked for this movie, and for the record, neither did I. Yet, here we are, and for what it's worth, the film that we got is fine. Nothing more, nothing less, it's serviceable and very, very average. Alden does a great job with Han, as do many other actors in the film, but ultimately, that's not enough to take this film to the next level. Letter Grade: C+. Number Score: 6.1/10

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER**: Letter grades and Number grades do not mean the same thing. Just because I give a film an A does not mean it gets a 9.5 or above. They do not line up like a traditional school grading system To see specifics, see below.

A- to A+: Amazing

B- to B+: Enjoyable, but Flawed

C- to C+: Redeemable in some cases, but heavily Flawed

D- to D+: Nothing but Flaws

F: A Failure of a Film

9-10: Nearly Perfect to Perfect

8-9: Very Good

7-8: Good

6-7: Okay

5-6: Average/Mediocre

4-5: Apparently Flawed

3-4: Heavily Flawed

2-3: A complete and utter mess

0-2: A Failure of a Film