Starring
Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover,
Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, Paul Bettany.
Directed by Ron Howard. (2018/135 min).
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY FROM
LUCASFILM / WALT DISNEY
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY FROM
LUCASFILM / WALT DISNEY
Review by Stinky the Destroyerđ¸
Like
a lot of folks, I was initially dubious about Disney's acquisition of
Lucasfilm. Sure, I was ecstatic that the Star Wars saga would
indeed continue - especially without George Lucas (who lost the plot
a long time ago). But announcing spinoffs that would result some kind of Star Wars-related movie every year? The
prospect of overkill loomed large. Did we really need character
origins or side stories based on a single line of dialogue from the
original trilogy?
Then
Rogue
One
was released. We didn't really ask for an entire film about how the
rebels stole the Death Star plans, but damn, if it wasn't the first
one that actually felt like a war
movie.
While
obviously still part of the Star
Wars
universe, Rogue
One was
a gritty, in-your-face film that owed as much to The
Dirty Dozen and
Where
Eagles Dare
as the saga which inspired it.
If
Rogue
One is
the classic war film in the Star
Wars
universe, then Solo
could be considered its classic western. And that's a great thing. We may not
have needed a Han Solo origin story, but in the tradition of the
coolest westerns, the film gives a true anti-hero as its main
protagonist, a first for the franchise. While no one could ever truly
replace Harrison Ford, Alden Ehrenreich is terrific in the role. He
sort-of resembles Ford if you squint your eyes, but more importantly, he incorporates
just enough of the character's mannerisms that we believe
this is what Han might have been like in his reckless youth. Frankly,
I don't understand much of the criticism that's been leveled at him
in some circles. Wouldn't a Ford lookalike who can't act be worse?
Dog is my co-pilot. |
In
fact, I'm surprised at some of the negativity aimed at the film in
general. As much as I revere the Star
Wars
saga, its massive story-arc has become so massive, sweeping and
concerned with its own mythology that we tend to forget the 1977 film
was just a simple, old-fashioned space opera with no concrete franchise
plans. More than any other sequel or prequel, Solo
maintains the same light, playful tone as the original.
And
yeah, a cynic can question the film's overall necessity. We already
know about Han's legendary Kessel Run, and how he acquired the
Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) is common
knowledge, but it sure is fun watching it all play out. The story
touches all the bases, from befriending Chewbacca to the story behind
Han's dice. But Solo
isn't bereft of creativity. In addition to some great new characters,
a few nifty story surprises are thrown in. There's also a
brief nod to the maligned prequel trilogy, as well as an amusing
moment near the end that could be interpreted as a sly dig at Lucas
for altering the one scene that established Solo as a questionable
rogue in the first place.
Like
Rogue
One,
Solo
takes a story we've known about for years and turns it into a rousing
adventure, albeit much lighter in tone. It's essentially a space
western - with touches of classic pirate films - but still fits
nicely in the Star
Wars
universe. Who cares if the outcome is a foregone conclusion?
EXTRA
KIBBLES
"SOLO:
THE DIRECTOR & CAST ROUNDTABLE" - Ron Howard and the
main cast sit around a gaming table for a laid-back chat about making
the movie. Pretty charming.
FEATURETTES:
"Becoming
a Droid: L3-37" - A feature about Lando's android co-pilot.
"Into
the Maelstrom: The Kessel Run" - How the classic mission was put
together.
"Remaking
the Millennium Falcon" - 'Nuff said.
"Kasdan
on Kasdan" - The father-son screenwriting team.
"Team
Chewie" - A focus on the "new" Chewie and this famous
friendship. "Soundrels, Droids, Creatures and Cards: Welcome to
Fort Ypso" - The set design of Lando's dive.
"The
Train Heist" - What's a western without a train robbery?
"Escape
from Corellia" - I really dug the 70s' car chase approach to
this sequence.
DELETED
SCENES
DIGITAL
COPY
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! LIKE BEING TURNED LOOSE IN A BIRD SANCTUARY.
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