The Star Wars franchise has had its ups-and-downs over the past 41 years. For every New Hope, there is a Star Wars Holiday Special. For every Empire Strikes Back, there is a Battle for Endor. Last year, Star Wars: The Last Jedi caused a rift in the Star Wars universe. Not so much because of what it was but for what it wasn’t. It didn’t follow the predictable path of a Star Wars film. Director and writer Rian Johnson threw some curveballs at the fans and, not unexpectedly, many didn’t like it. Some vowed to never support Star Wars films again. Some called for producer Kathleen Kennedy’s head on a stick. And some simply said that they’d move on and see what the next film had to offer.
Unfortunately for Solo: A Star Wars Story, it was the next film in the franchise to be released. Even before The Last Jedi caused a split in the ranks, there were some signs that things were going sideways. Original Solo directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were removed from the project when they had “philosophical differences” with Disney. Director Ron Howard was brought in to “salvage” the film. This put up red flags and made some fans wonder how good this film would actually be. Many decided even at that early stage not to see it.
So, when Solo was released in May of 2018, it wasn’t exactly a rousing success. It had the lowest opening box office of a Star Wars film since Walt Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012. It ended up making over $300 million less than previous “Star Wars Story” spin-off Rogue One did in 2016. And none of that was because it was a bad movie. It just had terrible timing and a run of bad luck much like its main character sometimes does.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is essentially the origin of one of the franchise’s most beloved characters, Han Solo. Originally portrayed by Harrison Ford in four earlier films, this new entry casts Aiden Ehrenreich as the scruffy-looking nerf-herder as a youngster.
We meet Han as an ambitious young man on the starship-building planet of Corellia. He dreams of piloting his own ship and getting away from his boss, Lady Maxima, who offers shelter and safety in exchange for a life of crime. Along with his girlfriend Q’ira (Emilia Clarke), he comes up with a plan that is supposed to be their way off the planet for good. Unfortunately, the plan fails and the two become separated. He joins the Empire to get pilot training and Q’ira is captured.
Flash forward three years and, while serving as an infantryman for the Empire, Han runs into a rag-tag group of smugglers and thieves led by Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson.) They are plotting to steal Coaxium, a valuable fuel resource, and Han wants in with the group and out of the Empire. Through sheer determination (and help from a certain Wookie), Han manages to convince Beckett to take him under his wing.
Solo is a fun ride through the Star Wars universe. It provides conflict with a group other than the Empire for a change and there’s no mention of the Force. Yet it still feels like a Star Wars film with thrilling action scenes and a bevy of otherworldly alien creatures. Some may argue that it simply revisits familiar scenarios from the previous entries in the series. I can definitely see that as a valid criticism. However, it still manages to capture the lighthearted spirit of the original trilogy in spite of that.
The biggest problem with Solo isn’t the movie itself. It’s that the fate of the main character — as well as several others in the film — is never in question. We know nothing bad will happen to him because we’ve already seen what happens to him in other movies. So, we’re left to invest in the supporting characters who may or may not make out alive. And, unfortunately, only one of them is truly memorable.
Han Solo is so ingrained in our psyche as being portrayed by Harrison Ford that Aiden Ehrenreich has the unenviable job of trying to emulate Ford while still trying to capture the essence of the character. I think he does an admirable job. I didn’t have a problem with his take on Solo at all.
Woody Harrelson’s Beckett is a likably gruff anti-hero type and it’s not hard to believe that his character influenced young Solo. He is, by far, the strongest of the new people introduced in the film. Emilia Clarke’s Q’ira, on the other hand, is a disappointment. Her character is, for lack of a better word, a conundrum. (I can’t really say much about her without giving away plot points.)
But the real scene-stealer in Solo isn’t even a human. It’s L3, a CGI-animated robot, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Her “equal rights for droids” mantra and aggressive attitude is a refreshing antithesis to the uptight C-3PO.
And, say what you will about Ron Howard coming on-set as the director midway through the production, I think he made a film that balances humor and action quite well. Once it finds its feet, it cruises through its two-hour and 15 minute running time and never stalls out.
Solo is, ultimately, a completely unnecessary entry in the franchise. Like Rogue One before it, I don’t think it adds anything of real substance to the Star Wars universe. But, also like Rogue One, it’s enjoyable and fun. Cynically speaking, it is just a cash grab from fans who want more Star Wars. But as one of those fans, I didn’t mind seeing how Han Solo met Chewbacca or how Lando Calrissian lost a game of Sabacc and, as a result, the Millennium Falcon. If you’re a fan, you probably won’t either. And, if you’re one of those people who felt The Last Jedi ruined your childhood, Solo could even restore a little of your faith in the franchise. It feels more Star Wars-like than that film even if that’s just code for saying it’s predictable.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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