Solo: A Star Wars Story

I believe there is a way to enjoy this movie because in truth, there are no major problems. Firstly, don't spend the full price to see it and also check your expectations at the door. That might sound contradictory but I am mostly speaking to those fans that worship "Star Wars" so much that they have actually turned against it. "Solo: A Star Wars Story" is just fine but it is part of the Star Wars Anthology film series (SWA) and therefore cannot be judged as if it is an actual episode of the franchise. The movie looks impressive and it has rising action as the origin of ironic images that were first seen in "A New Hope" are depicted.

I don't want to end on a bad note so I will voice my concerns first. I felt like the movie had too many supporting characters. In "Rogue One", each member of the team was unique and was important during the climax. "Solo" introduced us to many characters throughout the movie as if they were going to have some importance later but then don't appear during the climax. The campfire scene on Vandor for example was misleading because you waste valuable story time. I also did not care too much for Alden Ehrenreich's performance. It came across sometimes as an exaggerated version of Han Solo in that he was played as too overconfident at times and not as laid back as I would have liked. Had this been an original character, I think I would have enjoyed what Ehrenreich delivered. Like it or not though, this character is one of the biggest heroes in film history (according to the American Film Institute) and so it is impossible to recast this character without comparisons being made to Harrison Ford in "A New Hope". One could say that the space of time between the events of "Solo" and "Episode IV" justifies the differences we see in both versions of the character but Ehrenreich is 28 while Harrison Ford in 1977 was 35. I just don't see Jabba's smuggling operation taking seven years to pull off. Those making "Rogue One" knew that from a design standpoint, they had to be very faithful to the Oscar-winning look of "A New Hope" and pulled it off quite impressively. I don't understand why Lucasfilm and/or Ehrenreich couldn't take the same effort to create a slightly younger Han Solo that is genuinely reminiscent of Harrison Ford. I guess I was hoping for an impressionist like on "The Age of Adaline" but that wouldn't have worked for a film like this. The actor had to make the character somewhat his own but Ehrenreich went a little too far. I do make these flaws out to be quite annoying and I might sound a little too picky but I did take the time to check my expectations at the door of the theatre and as a result, I came out well enough entertained. Maybe the defects I have mentioned were the result of the directorial changes that happened during filming.

I guess the reason why I am slightly disappointed with Ehrenreich's performance as Han is because Donald Glover gave us the perfect Lando. His first line in the movie sounded so much like Billy Dee Williams. I have seen Glover in a few shows prior to this one but this is my favourite role of his to date. It was a great balance between making the character his own and paying homage to yet another scoundrel in the Star Wars universe. Glover did meet with Williams before filming so that is nice. The filmmakers were at least faithful in sticking to othero aspects of Star Wars canon, like unto what J.J. Abrams did with "Star Trek". Sabacc is included in the film and Chewie's life is saved by Han more than once. I like how we get to see such planets as Corellia and Kessel. While the first part of the movie was predicable, the climax was less so and that was important. The turning point for me in "Solo" where the show finally started to get good was during the trip between Kessel and Savareen. That was my favourite part of the movie as it caused my rating to go up a star on a scale of 10. The use of music in this scene was a major reason why I liked it. John Williams did compose an original theme for this spinoff which composer John Powell incorporated into the rest of the score that he wrote. Powell has wrote some great movie music in the past such as for "United 93" and "How to Train Your Dragon" (he earned an Oscar nomination for the latter score). While I like Michael Giacchino's musical approach to the Star Wars universe a bit more, Powell's work and use of Star Wars themes was noteworthy. He even used a piece of music from the prequels. I got a kick out of the fact that the Imperial recruitment music on Corellia is Williams' Imperial theme.

In coming years, "Solo" will probably be most known for the fact that Lucasfilm changed directors during filming. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had given us such animated delights as "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and "The Lego Movie". They are also known for the "Jump Street" franchise. Lucasfilm was hoping that Lord and Miller would add a dash of comedy to the Star Wars universe but the directors were going for a full comedy. Lord and Miller remain on the credits though as executive producers. Oscar-winning director Ron Howard is friends with George Lucas. Both worked together as actor and director respectively on "American Graffiti" in the early 70's. Howard was called upon to finish as the new director and reshot 70% of the movie. It sure is a unique film for Howard considering his past works. Lucas even showed up one day for a visit during filming. He ended up staying the whole day and a suggestion of his became part of the finished film. The writers also have an impressive resume. Lawrence Kasdan has wrote many films in the franchise from "The Empire Strikes Back" to "The Force Awakens". He co-wrote this screenplay of "Solo" with his son Jonathan (I sort of wish that Jake Kasdan had been involved instead). Lawrence was considered to replace Lord and Miller but couldn't because of guild rules. Besides Ehrenreich and Glover, there are other noteworthy cast members. I first saw Emilia Clarke in "Terminator Genisys" and I liked her in that. Phoebe Waller-Bridge & Paul Bettany were good in their roles and Rio Durant is voiced by Jon Favreau. Some cameos in "Solo" include Warwick Davis, Anthony Daniels and Clint Howard (he always shows up in his brother's films). The surprise cameo at the end of the film makes me wonder if Lucasfilm has a sequel in mind. If it is up to the fans, I don't think it will happen. I like how the original actors reprised their roles for this cameo by the way but I hope to someday have a major Star Wars fan explain to me how this cameo is possible.

There are flaws to be sure with this film but why is it blasphemy to set your expectations a little lower so as not to disappoint yourself? Because I did so with all the Star Wars films since "The Force Awakens", they were worth it. I believe that "Solo: A Star Wars Story" is likewise worth seeing. There are some notable elements of this movie such as its design and narrative. The visual effects earned the movie an Oscar nomination. The SWA is way to bring to life stories that we have only just heard in passing in mainstream Star Wars films. As long as we don't expect perfection, I think some entertaining films are in store.

3.5 Stars out of 5