(3 / 4)
Solo is a fun intergalactic adventure fueled by an energetic performance from Alden Ehrenrich, even if the story doesn’t cover much new ground and adds very little to the Star Wars mythos.
Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story is the latest in what seems like an endless string of spinoffs and prequels to longstanding franchises that have essentially finished their core stories. Between Harry Potter continuing to exist through The Fantastic Beasts series, as well as news of a Boba Fett centered Star Wars story being in the works, it’s hard not to become cynical about this practice and to wonder if this is tainting the great stories that have already been told. In comparison with every other Star Wars film that has preceded, it feels as though there has been a tepid anticipation towards Solo thanks in no part to bad press around December of 2017. During this time there were reports of extensive reshoots, the lead actor requiring an acting coach, and an endless delay for a theatrical trailer. With Solo being only the second Star Wars story not directly linked to the main narrative, the question of whether the film would merely coast on the Star Wars name without providing anything new was a viable concern. Despite all of these seemingly negative omens, Solo manages to prove that in spite of an abundance of prequels and spinoffs, this practice can still be conducive to creating a thrilling story, even if it pales in comparison to the source material.
Solo takes place between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope and begins on the planet Corellia, where a young Han (Alden Ehrenrich) and his lover Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) are in the midst of an attempt to escape their life of forced thievery by evacuating the planet. After successfully bribing an Imperial officer, Han manages to escape, however, Qi’ra is captured and the two are separated. Han is determined to be reunited with his lover and as a result joins the Imperial Flight Academy to become a flight cadet and acquire the means to rescue Qi’ra in the future.
The story then fast forwards three years into the future, where Han has been expelled from the flight academy and is now, much to his dissatisfaction, serving in a battle as a soldier. Han serendipitously meets a gang of criminals composed of their leader Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), his wife Val (Thandie Newton) and their alien companion Rio Daurant (voiced by Jon Favreau), who Han is eager to leave with. The gang is initially reluctant to allow Han to join, but after proving himself, Han and a newly introduced Chewbacca eventually join this group. Beckett lays out the plan to Han about a heist to acquire hyperfuel coaxium and bring this in exchange for a considerable payment to Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), who is the leader of a criminal group known as Crimson Dawn, as well as Beckett’s employer. Along the way Han and this group of thieves cross paths with other iconic Star Wars characters, such as Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), and the story tracks a series of elaborate plans to acquire this precious material and receive payment.
Hands down the film’s greatest asset and what prevents Solo from being unsatisfying is the energetic cast. Alden Ehrenrich, whom I had never seen in a starring role before, exceeded my wildest expectations in his portrayal of Han. Ehrenrich had immensely big shoes to fill as Harrison Ford’s Han Solo is without question one of the most iconic roles in cinematic history, and on the surface the actor bears little physical resemblance to Ford. Nonetheless, Ehrenrich nails many of Ford’s mannerisms and wisely provides a new take on the character by easing up on some of the cynicism and injecting more naivety at times to reflect a much younger and greener version of Han. As Solo arrives at its finale, Ehrenrich increasingly adopts more of Ford’s swagger and arrogance and by the final scene it feels as though Han has evolved into the classic character Star Wars fans know and love.
The rest of the cast are also fantastic as the chemistry of the team working together is a highlight of the film. Woody Harrelson’s Beckett serves as the perfect mentor to Han as the character occupies many of the distrustful and ruthless tendencies that are quintessential to Ford’s take on the character. It was a wise choice, as this leads to Han’s arc being more satisfying than if he was merely a carbon copy of Ford’s take on the character. Donald Glover and Emilia Clarke also provide standout performances as each have great interactions with Han. Between the highly amusing love hate relationship between Lando and Han, as well as Emilia Clarke providing a femme fatale whom you are wary of at all times, it is clear that the spotlight is not reserved solely for the titular character.
Collectively, this group of morally grey characters also sets the film thematically apart from other Star Wars films by having the protagonists almost unanimously comprised of criminals and gamblers instead of the virtuous Jedi knights and well-intentioned rebels we are accustomed to. With almost every character possessing a seemingly different agenda and no scruples about breaking the law, I was unsure of who to trust at all times. The finale managed to be thrilling in a way that no other Star Wars film has been, as there was an element of duplicity and suspense of not knowing who would reign supreme in the chain of double crossings.
Solo’s problems begin to appear once it is scrutinized due to having the Star Wars moniker. Unlike any other Star Wars film, the worlds depicted in Solo are lacking in creativity as there were few planets featured that were truly memorable. The closest the film comes to reaching this status is in depicting Lando’s residence, but even this felt like something we have already seen before. This is disappointing as almost every Star Wars film has featured at least one instantly recognizable planet, such as Cloud City, Naboo, Tattooine, and even the visually distinctive Crait, which greatly enhanced the iconic standoff present in the latest film, The Last Jedi. Despite featuring some of the most iconic characters of the franchise, this lack of imagination causes Solo to, at times, not feel as if it’s part of the Star Wars franchise. At the beginning of the film, I might have believed someone if they told me this was a new Hunger Games film as the environment was merely dark and nondescript.
At times it does seem clear that Solo had extensive reshoots as elements of the plot feel rushed and inorganic. The first act in particular seems weak, as it features a series of half-baked character meetings with unbelievably quick connections as well as overly convenient chance meetings for long awaited reunions that collectively seem illogical. Also, considering the lofty expectations from existing within the Star Wars universe, many pivotal moments lack the necessary gravitas, with the initial meeting between Han and Chewbacca coming to mind as not feeling as monumental as it should. The film does however finds its footing by the time Han meets with Lando and the team is assembled for the mission, and despite being clunky, the beginning story beats are still entertaining.
Overall, Solo is not even close to being the greatest Star Wars film and feels the most removed from the series out of every entry thus far, however, it’s a lot of fun. If the endless practice of studios creating spinoffs and prequels leads to entertaining stories like this, I’m perfectly fine with it. If you are a Star Wars fan and you are able to let go of the insurmountable expectations from what’s come before, you will have a blast watching this exhilarating intergalactic popcorn movie, but if you are bogged down by the way it pales by comparison to the greatness of the original films, then you will have a hard time enjoying this film. Personally, by the end of Solo I found myself eager to go on another mission with Han and Chewie, and I would definitely welcome the start of this new trilogy.
