Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story boasts one of the more inventive plots I've seen lately. They play with Han's story and aren't afraid to take it some unexpected directions (at least for those just familiar with the movies and haven't researched to extended continuity of the franchise). One of the small problems I had with Solo was while the movie does have some intriguing ideas and exciting sequences, they reside in the middle of the movie. The bookends of this movie (beginning and end) are the weakest with all the best stuff in middle hour and a half. This isn't a major flaw, but I had to be patient for it to get going and the finale felt a little rushed.

After the news of Alden Ehrenreich needing some extra help to get the character of Han Solo, I wasn't sure he could capably perform in the lead. He caught me completely off guard, he was great as Han Solo. He's not Harrison Ford (and no one could have matched him as Han), but he has the charisma, the toughness and the comic timing and I think he pulled it off. He bounces off Joonas Suotamo (who plays Chewbacca) well and I thought he also had good chemistry with Emilia Clarke who played his love interest Qi'ra. Clarke did well, her performance as Daenerys is still better but this was a step in the right direction. She's had trouble getting off the ground when it comes to acting in movies and this will hopefully be that stepping stone for her. Donald Glover does a fine Lando impression, there was a lot of praise for his version of this character and I largely share those sentiments. Woody Harrelson is solid as Beckett, he's appropriately slimy but he invites you in enough that you want to believe in him. Thandie Newton is good for the limited time we get to spend with her. I also liked Paul Bettany, but he was kneecapped by his character.

I would put this in the heist movie genre but there are a couple of big action set pieces. Despite the troubled production, they were actually pretty great. Between the fight on the train and the escape/heist from the spice mining planet are both excellent. I didn't have a problem with the ending fight for the action choreography and even that bit had its moments. They pack the thrills and there were some unexpected outcomes for that little extra payoff. If anything, Solo proves you don't have to have a lightsabre duel to keep audiences on the edge of their seat.

My problems with Solo: A Star Wars Story boil down to 2 things. The first is that Bettany's character of Dryden Vos is a weak villain and although the ending boasts a couple of unique twists, its undercut by the lack of a real threat. Bettany's a great actor and they gave him a decent backstory, but a surprise betrayal comes in the 3rd act and instead of getting 2 sinister threats, we end up with none. The second is that Solo feels somewhat clunky or as if the movie is being too obvious when it brings in iconic items for Han or connects to the larger Star Wars universe. Solo works best when it operates as its own story, the seams only start to show when you really examine how it fits in the original timeline or when characters from other movies cameo.

I expected very little from this movie. I already mentioned all the bad press the movie got and while I went into this movie open-minded, the negativity surrounding Solo did lower my expectations accordingly. While it's far from perfect, I had a lot of fun with this movie. Between the taught pace, the solid acting from the cast and the infectiously happy vibe the movie boasts, I was swept up in it. It doesn't nail every aspect, but it gets far more right than it doesn't and I'm not going to drop it down to a 4 or a 5 because of some nitpicks. My actual rating for Solo: A Star Wars Story is somewhere between an 8-9/10 but I'll go with an 8/10 to be safe.

So I am of the generation who got to experience Star Wars feom the beginning. Standing in a crazy ling line, literally wrapped around the local theater back in 1977 as a kid. Totally unaware I was about to see a movie that would become my central interest for all my childhood, early teens and once again as an adult. And all these years later, able to share this fandom with my own son. I liked Solo. I wouldn't say it's my favorite but it was a fun ride and it evoked the feelings that I associate with Stat Wars. The world and characters felt right. It showed us some cool new things about life in that world, living under the Empire. The amazing cityscapes of Corellia... It felt similar to me to Rogue One. Modern filmmaking techniques yet convincingly evoking the vibes of the classic Star Wars world. Anyway, I just wanted to put in some positive review for this movie to contrast this strange wave of hate feom "fans" on here. I don't really understand it. I have liked something about every Star Wars movie there has been. Some are better than others. There are weaker moments in every one to be sure. But none are worth the irrational seeming hate some people are putting out there. Solo is good and worth your time if you like Star Wars. Just one fan's opinion.

Because more than 2000 folks have already reviewed this film on IMDB, I'll keep my review very brief. After all...what's one more review among so many?!

The movie was a bit of a shock when I found it, as somehow I really didn't hear much about it and I wasn't even sure if it had yet debuted. Much of this is because after so many "Star Wars" films, I find that a sort of fatigue has set in...much like how I feel about all the super hero films. But, as I was on a 13+ hour flight, I wasn't in a position to be picky and decided to watch the movie.

I was surprised to read that the movie is only rated 7.0 (meaning it must have ticked off a lot of fans) and really made almost nothing at the box office. Much of this is because I actually enjoyed the picture...and more than I'd expected. The story about the young Han Solo is exciting throughout and I also appreciated its dark tone and willingness to kill off characters (much like the previous installment)...but perhaps this is why fans were not so impressed by this one. All I know is that I liked seeing a darker film and it kept my interest throughout.

Better than I feared it would be, Solo is a different type of star wars film, which I welcome. No lightsabres, no mention of the force, and no big climactic battle. Alden Ehrenreich is passable as Solo,I found myself warming to him towards the end. Emilia Clarke is completely wooden and the most memorable thing about Woody Harrelson is his bad wig. Effects are excellent as you would expect, the set pieces (train heist, kessel run and the end fight with Paul Bettany are good. Only the middlesags because of Clarke's poor acting. Worth a watch

So the latest in what is becoming a long running sci-fi franchise sees Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) get his prequel movie. Unsurprisingly, such is the ferocious core fan base of the Star Wars series, it has been met with a mixture of outright hatred to pats on the back appreciation. It really is a case here of jumping in to view it on its own terms to at least give it a chance. The truth is, is that if this was a stand alone movie being judged purely as a science fiction action movie, then it would be better appreciated. For this is cracker jack entertainment in that sphere, with superbly constructed worlds inhabited by delirious looking aliens species, feisty droids hold court, and the humans are daring, cheeky and even sexy. It is in short quality and fantastical sci-fi, even if in truth as per the Solo character trajectory it's safe film making.

We, as in the royal Star Wars fans we, all have our card carrying belief that our opinion on any Star Wars film is correct, but really the only advice I can honestly give here is that if you haven't seen it yet then at least give it a chance. Those that have seen it have their minds made up either way, so personally I can only say how much fun I had watching it - twice! All the dots are joined towards the Solo character I love so dear, from back when with childhood eyes in the late 70s I was transfixed on that big screen. How great to see how Han met Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and how their brilliant friendship begins. To witness the birth of the Han/Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover excellent) friendly rivalry - and all that that entails as regards our favourite spaceship - The Millennium Falcon. Yes, I like it well enough for sure, maybe you will as well? 7.5/10