Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) review

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
D: Ron Howard
W: Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan
C: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, Paul Bettany


Cinema's most famous smuggler gets his own movie with Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Here we see Han (Alden Ehrenreich) meet his future co-pilot and pal Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), and joins a grand heist that leads to the famous Kessle Run! On this heist he joins up with the rogue Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) - that's probably the most normal name I've seen in Star Wars, his former lover Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), the activist droid LC-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), and, of course, the smoothest smuggler in the galaxy - Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover).

When I first heard about this film, I was rather hesitant about it. Mainly, because I wasn't sure if I wanted to see a pre-New Hope Han.

Even after seeing the cast I was getting slightly more optimistic but still hesitant - if that makes sense.
I like just about everyone in it and when they announced Ehrenreich as Solo, I started to come around just a bit more.

But my fears came back after the original directors - Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie) - left the project citing "creative differences" with Lucasfilms. It's always disheartening to hear about behind the scenes trouble like this. But they then announced that Ron Howard would be taking the wheel and I thought "well, okay, that's not a bad choice".

This isn't the first time Howard has directed a Lucas-related film.

For the record: I enjoy this film. 

So, by the time I went, I was to keep a fairly optimistic mind. Coming out, my reaction is that it's a fun film. And I think that's all it needed to be.

When it comes to Solo's early days, obviously there was going to be some hardship. Those hardships would ultimately lead him to become the loner pirate we meet in the Mos Eisley cantina.

But the movie doesn't give us a moody and bleak film. It gives a movie that combines a lot of fun elements. And thank goodness for that! In this bleak and troubling world, we can use some plain pulpy fun.

In his early days, we see Han and Qi'ra in this almost Dickensian like environment. They're under the watchful eye of criminal gang lead by Lady Proxima (voiced by Linda Hunt). This has some parallels to Fagan and pickpocketers from Oliver Twist. While this scene is bleak and dark - literally and figuratively - it does still have some fun elements including a hot rod chance.

The relationship that Han has with Beckett is strikingly similar to the relationship young Jim Hawkins has with Long John Silver in Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Without going getting into spoilers, with these two, there's obviously a connection forming - out of respect at least - but it's hard to tell if you can trust the older one.

Of course, there's definitely some Western elements in this film. If you've seen the trailers you know what I'm talking about.

All of these elements work in the same magical way that really only works in the Star Wars universe.

Now, what about Ehrenreich as Solo? I've only seen this guy in a handful of films. He was in Blue Jasmine (2013, dir. Woody Allen) but I had to remind myself who he played - for the record, I only watched this film because of Cate Blanchett's Oscar-winning performance. He did a good job in Warren Beatty's Rules Don't Apply (2016). But it was in the Coen Brothers film Hail, Caesar! (2016) where he really shined. And now, I can add his performance here as another example of his talents.

There's were couple moments where his Solo lapses, but overall I felt like I was watching a younger version of the scruffy looking nerf herder. 

Oh, sorry.

There a lot of moments where he conveyed the smug, overconfident, yet charming space captain. He nails the Solo smirk pretty damn well. 

The rest of the cast is pretty good too. Harrelson is great. Clarke is always a welcomed presence in a movie. Suotamo is really cementing himself as the new Chewbacca. L3-37 continues the new tradition of being a scene-stealing droid, thanks in part to Waller-Bridge's performance. I also really like the performances from Thandie Newton and Jon Favreau who sadly play rather smaller parts. 

Paul Bettany plays a pretty awesome villain. It's a shame we never got to see what Michael K. Williams would've been like in the role - he was originally cast in the role but due to schedule conflict during reshoots, they cast Bettany. 

None the less, he does a great job at playing a rather peculiar crime lord. Seriously, he bring a lot of flavor to the character. 

But of course, the actor who stole the show completely was Childish Gambino himself as Lando. I can't properly describe how awesome he is in the role. You have to see it to get the full experience of it. 

Are there problems with films? Yes, but these don't ruin the film for me. Mainly I wish we got more time spent with Newton and Favreau's characters. Also, there's a revelation about one of the main characters that seem... almost out of nowhere and I don't know what exactly the plan is with it. 

Without spoiling it too much, it involves a character we had seen in the prequels and had been seen in the Clone Wars animated series. They do good job foreshadowing it but I'm still uncertain about how including this one aspet on it in the film. 

Again, it's hard to talk about it without spoiling. 

But again, these don't ruin the film for me. I still think it's a worthwhile film to check for a fun trip to the movies. 

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