Written by: Kevin Berge
If Alden Ehrenreich correctly follow Harrison Ford's example, he'll be the best part of his sequel, burn out in the third, then return decades later for one of the best performances of his career. (Image Courtesy of: Iromoline.com)
Quick Take: Solo: A Star Wars Story relies on callbacks, nostalgia, and fan service to elevate its fairly bare bones heist story, making it feel intensely narrow in scope. Despite this, it is an enjoyable ride with a trio of great performances from Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, and Emilia Clarke.
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***The focus of this review will be the overall effect of Solo not including spoilers. There will be a section after the grade for spoilers (with an additional warning), but, until that point, anyone can read on with worry.***
I love Star Wars. I've basically defined my favorite entertainment by how close it is to Star Wars. I watch all the films frequently. I'm on board for basically any SW television shows. I have a growing collection of books and video games in the universe just to enjoy the possibilities of this galaxy more.
That said, there can always be too much of a good thing. For the first time in the existence of Star Wars, we are reaching a dangerous juncture with this space opera franchise, the potential of oversaturation. But how do you oversaturate such a diverse galaxy?
Solo: A Star Wars Story stands as the potential answer. With Disney pushing out one Star Wars film every year, the focus at first has been to embrace what fans know. It began with a new episodic trilogy, and now we're branching out to origin stories, namely that of arguably the most famous Star Wars character: Han Solo.
The criticism was swift and honestly justified for such an announcement. Why do we need to see Han Solo's origin story? The answer is honestly simple: it can make for an engaging film that fans will have a connection to. Telling that story though was always going to easier said than done.
Solo is a heist film. It's a serial action flick that is reminiscent of the entertainment that originally inspired George Lucas. It's a fun ride that doesn't take itself too serious but also does not shy away from hard decisions. Unfortunately, its quick and breezy style is bogged down by its need to play to fans.
This film tries far too hard to wink to the audience. There are layers of references in this film from writers Jonathan (The First Time) and Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back) that just bog down the movie. Solo relies on these callbacks and nostalgic winks to carry the film.
The web of references just comes off jumbled, leading to an experience that often feels like less than a complete story. There's so much here that the experience comes off as a twelve-episode television season crammed into 135 minutes of movie time.
***The focus of this review will be the overall effect of Solo not including spoilers. There will be a section after the grade for spoilers (with an additional warning), but, until that point, anyone can read on with worry.***
I love Star Wars. I've basically defined my favorite entertainment by how close it is to Star Wars. I watch all the films frequently. I'm on board for basically any SW television shows. I have a growing collection of books and video games in the universe just to enjoy the possibilities of this galaxy more.
That said, there can always be too much of a good thing. For the first time in the existence of Star Wars, we are reaching a dangerous juncture with this space opera franchise, the potential of oversaturation. But how do you oversaturate such a diverse galaxy?
Solo: A Star Wars Story stands as the potential answer. With Disney pushing out one Star Wars film every year, the focus at first has been to embrace what fans know. It began with a new episodic trilogy, and now we're branching out to origin stories, namely that of arguably the most famous Star Wars character: Han Solo.
The criticism was swift and honestly justified for such an announcement. Why do we need to see Han Solo's origin story? The answer is honestly simple: it can make for an engaging film that fans will have a connection to. Telling that story though was always going to easier said than done.
Solo is a heist film. It's a serial action flick that is reminiscent of the entertainment that originally inspired George Lucas. It's a fun ride that doesn't take itself too serious but also does not shy away from hard decisions. Unfortunately, its quick and breezy style is bogged down by its need to play to fans.
This film tries far too hard to wink to the audience. There are layers of references in this film from writers Jonathan (The First Time) and Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back) that just bog down the movie. Solo relies on these callbacks and nostalgic winks to carry the film.
The web of references just comes off jumbled, leading to an experience that often feels like less than a complete story. There's so much here that the experience comes off as a twelve-episode television season crammed into 135 minutes of movie time.
He may not be related to Danny Glover, but I am wondering if Donald Glover is related to Billy Dee Williams now. (Image Courtesy of: mashable.com)
Honestly, this would have been a killer television show. However, there's still a lot to love here. In particular, the main cast of this film are in top form. Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!) brings his own twist to Solo as a character, not just trying to be Harrison Ford, and it makes him just as effortlessly charming while clearly still growing in the role.
Donald Glover (Atlanta) goes for the opposite approach of Ehrenreich, fully embracing the impersonation of Billie Dee Williams' Lando, which luckily works because Glover is pitch perfect. Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) puts in what might be her best performance to date as the complicated Qi'ra.
This is also a beautiful film though in grimy colors. It feels like an old western polished up for modern audiences. The cinematography from Bradford Young (Arrival) gives this film its style with shots packed with meaning and personality to the point that it amplifies the feeling that the the script is unnecessarily bloated.
When you sit back and enjoy the ride, there's a lot here to latch onto. It feels like a film aimed much more toward a younger demographic, who won't get as hung up on the details. Much like the titular character, Solo is adventurous, wild, and clearly means well.
Obviously, some of the issues in the film may come down to the director change and massive reshoots. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street) had one vision for this film, and the official director Ron Howard (Apollo 13) had another. There are certainly moments in this film that feel like they are telling two different stories.
I enjoyed Solo. It was a delightful flawed ride especially for a passionate fan of the brand, but it is a fleeting experience. Much of the journey can be easily forgotten hours after the fact, and I certainly don't feel the pull to revisit the film any time soon that I had with both of the modern episodic Star Wars films.
There's nothing wrong with a fine fun film. Solo could have been a lot worse, and this movie does leave a lot of room for excitement down the line. The disappointment here is simply that there's just enough here of promise to hint at a great movie under the surface that was missed.
Donald Glover (Atlanta) goes for the opposite approach of Ehrenreich, fully embracing the impersonation of Billie Dee Williams' Lando, which luckily works because Glover is pitch perfect. Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) puts in what might be her best performance to date as the complicated Qi'ra.
This is also a beautiful film though in grimy colors. It feels like an old western polished up for modern audiences. The cinematography from Bradford Young (Arrival) gives this film its style with shots packed with meaning and personality to the point that it amplifies the feeling that the the script is unnecessarily bloated.
When you sit back and enjoy the ride, there's a lot here to latch onto. It feels like a film aimed much more toward a younger demographic, who won't get as hung up on the details. Much like the titular character, Solo is adventurous, wild, and clearly means well.
Obviously, some of the issues in the film may come down to the director change and massive reshoots. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street) had one vision for this film, and the official director Ron Howard (Apollo 13) had another. There are certainly moments in this film that feel like they are telling two different stories.
I enjoyed Solo. It was a delightful flawed ride especially for a passionate fan of the brand, but it is a fleeting experience. Much of the journey can be easily forgotten hours after the fact, and I certainly don't feel the pull to revisit the film any time soon that I had with both of the modern episodic Star Wars films.
There's nothing wrong with a fine fun film. Solo could have been a lot worse, and this movie does leave a lot of room for excitement down the line. The disappointment here is simply that there's just enough here of promise to hint at a great movie under the surface that was missed.
Grade: C+
***This final section will discuss a few crucial spoilers in the movie, expecting the reader to have seen the film. If you have not yet seen Solo and plan to do so, do not read past this point until you have.***
Good of Emilia Clarke to not bring her Terminator Genesis acting to Star Wars. (Image Courtesy of: gadgets.ndtv.com)
More than anything, Solo made me excited about a potential franchise, and that is about the last thing I expected of a supposed Han Solo origin film. Where this movie ends is where things really get interesting, once all the expected moves have been made.
Solo goes through the greatest hits of the implied canon as Han meets Chewie and Lando, getshis blaster, falls into a life of crime, completes the Kessel Run in around 12 parsecs, and wins the Millenium Falcon. The Sabacc games and Han's instant connection with Chewie are the best of this bunch.
However, that's not where this film shines. This movie shines in creating and molding its characters into a dynamic conflict. At the start, everything feels simple. Han just wants to live it up with his girlfriend Qi'ra, and Lando is just a guy looking to go on adventures with his perhaps more-than-friends robot companion L3-37.
Qi'ra though turns on Han to rise up the ranks in Crimson Dawn, driven by a dark past that is never explored, and Lando has to feel L3-37 die in his arms. These events change those left alive and set up a potential sequel where Han must tangle with a more deadly Qi'ra while seeking his own purpose in the galaxy.
No storyline feels more TV-esque than that of Qi'ra, mainly because so much is left up in the air. While Han's failure at the Imperial pilot school is glossed over, whatever happened to Qi'ra during that same time jump is clearly important but never developed. It's merely foreshadowing for more reveals to come in "season two".
There's nothing inherently wrong with this. I definitely was on board when Darth Maul finally made his return to live action as the leader of Crimson Dawn and Qi'ra's more direct superior. However, it was the most incomplete part of a film that does not have a clearly announced sequel yet.
I hope the movie gets a follow-up because there's genuine story here to explore that feels more fully realized. The next movie won't have to spend time telling us how Han got his blaster or show him shooting first. He can just be a guy struggling with the world whose primary love interest is a crime lord working under a reborn Sith lord.
Solo goes through the greatest hits of the implied canon as Han meets Chewie and Lando, getshis blaster, falls into a life of crime, completes the Kessel Run in around 12 parsecs, and wins the Millenium Falcon. The Sabacc games and Han's instant connection with Chewie are the best of this bunch.
However, that's not where this film shines. This movie shines in creating and molding its characters into a dynamic conflict. At the start, everything feels simple. Han just wants to live it up with his girlfriend Qi'ra, and Lando is just a guy looking to go on adventures with his perhaps more-than-friends robot companion L3-37.
Qi'ra though turns on Han to rise up the ranks in Crimson Dawn, driven by a dark past that is never explored, and Lando has to feel L3-37 die in his arms. These events change those left alive and set up a potential sequel where Han must tangle with a more deadly Qi'ra while seeking his own purpose in the galaxy.
No storyline feels more TV-esque than that of Qi'ra, mainly because so much is left up in the air. While Han's failure at the Imperial pilot school is glossed over, whatever happened to Qi'ra during that same time jump is clearly important but never developed. It's merely foreshadowing for more reveals to come in "season two".
There's nothing inherently wrong with this. I definitely was on board when Darth Maul finally made his return to live action as the leader of Crimson Dawn and Qi'ra's more direct superior. However, it was the most incomplete part of a film that does not have a clearly announced sequel yet.
I hope the movie gets a follow-up because there's genuine story here to explore that feels more fully realized. The next movie won't have to spend time telling us how Han got his blaster or show him shooting first. He can just be a guy struggling with the world whose primary love interest is a crime lord working under a reborn Sith lord.
Can't wait until the third Solo movie where Enfys gets knocked out by a villain and trips into a pit. (Image Courtesy of: Irmoline.com)
Enfys Nest is the number one character in this film to suffer from the movie's cramped storytelling. Because of the pacing, the reveal that she is actually a young girl leading a rebellion against the Empire just feels underwhelming even though it had so much potential.
In fact, this film would have probably benefited from dropping the reveal entirely and leaving the character up in the air for a sequel. The whole group comes off as a lazy story convenience to allow Han to play the good guy when there was so much more here that could be done.
The young Enfys Nest's role in this movie is just confusing. Her attack gets Val Beckett and Rio Durant killed only to have the group next appear and instantly reveal they're desperate rebels trying to be the good guys. There's storytelling here that doesn't line up and would be easier to excuse with more separation.
That said, the idea of Enfys Nest has a lot of potential. Again, it feels like a TV plot thread to be revisited down the line with Han maybe doing jobs for the crew or having them accidentally cost him an important score. Right now though, it's just one more play on "Han's the good guy even if he doesn't admit it".
At the core of this film is the question of Han Solo's identity, but the movie itself struggles to answer the question. Because this is likely one of multiple films, this is not a full look at how Solo becomes the dirty scoundrel seen in A New Hope. We barely even see Han become that jaded through all these hardships.
Beyond anything else, that is the fundamental issue this movie has. It has so much it is trying to do that it never has the time to say anything. The filmmakers clearly have messages they want to convey, but they're too bogged down in empty reference.
Nothing showcased this more than the film's weakest and most ill-conceived idea: explaining Han's last name. Obviously, Han's last name was always supposed to be a fairly blatant play on his loner status, and this movie tries to explain that away by saying Han was named by an Imperial recruiter, just adding unnecessary confusion.
In fact, this film would have probably benefited from dropping the reveal entirely and leaving the character up in the air for a sequel. The whole group comes off as a lazy story convenience to allow Han to play the good guy when there was so much more here that could be done.
The young Enfys Nest's role in this movie is just confusing. Her attack gets Val Beckett and Rio Durant killed only to have the group next appear and instantly reveal they're desperate rebels trying to be the good guys. There's storytelling here that doesn't line up and would be easier to excuse with more separation.
That said, the idea of Enfys Nest has a lot of potential. Again, it feels like a TV plot thread to be revisited down the line with Han maybe doing jobs for the crew or having them accidentally cost him an important score. Right now though, it's just one more play on "Han's the good guy even if he doesn't admit it".
At the core of this film is the question of Han Solo's identity, but the movie itself struggles to answer the question. Because this is likely one of multiple films, this is not a full look at how Solo becomes the dirty scoundrel seen in A New Hope. We barely even see Han become that jaded through all these hardships.
Beyond anything else, that is the fundamental issue this movie has. It has so much it is trying to do that it never has the time to say anything. The filmmakers clearly have messages they want to convey, but they're too bogged down in empty reference.
Nothing showcased this more than the film's weakest and most ill-conceived idea: explaining Han's last name. Obviously, Han's last name was always supposed to be a fairly blatant play on his loner status, and this movie tries to explain that away by saying Han was named by an Imperial recruiter, just adding unnecessary confusion.
