Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Review

135min

Genre:     Action, Adventure, Sci-fi

Director:  Ron Howard

Cast:       Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson…and more

Writers:   Jonathan Kasdan, Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas

-Synopsis-

Years before becoming an infamous space hustler and hero of the rebel alliance, aspiring pilot ‘Han Solo’ must pull off a daring heist for a dangerous operator, cutting his smuggler teeth with shady characters and forming alliances with some familiar ones—of both the hairy and caped variety—as Disney brings us the origin story for the galaxy’s most beloved rogue, and the second of their ‘Star Wars’ stand-alone ‘Anthology’ films.

Nearly six years, two ‘saga’ films and one ‘anthology’ movie into Disney’s lucrative ‘Star Wars’ adventure and we get  the first of what will likely be several origin story movies to feed the hungry mouth of this all-consuming franchise. After a much troubled production, which included the replacing of original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller of ‘The Lego Movie’ fame after creative differences with the studio, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ finally hits our screens after the ever dependable Ron Howard steps into the breach to save the day—giving us arguably the ‘Star Wars’ movie with the lowest attached expectations since the 1977 original ‘A New Hope’.

Alden Ehrenreich is handed the daunting task of starring as a fledgling Han Solo, a petty criminal and Galactic Empire deserter who teams up with a sketchy criminal crew led by space cowboy ‘Beckett’ (Woody Harrelson), as they’re saddled with a dangerous heist  mission for interplanetary gangster ‘Dryden Vos’ (Paul Bettany) and smooth operator ‘Qi’ra’ (Emilia Clarke). Teaming up with a talented Wookie named ‘Chewbacca’ (Joonas Suotamo), galactic hustler ‘Lando Calrissian’ (Donald Glover) and his formidable droid ‘L3-37’ (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Solo and this rag-tag team—none of whom can be trusted—take a certain ultra-fast Corellian light freighter on a run that would become legend, and begin to change the course of the galaxy’s future.

From its very conception ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ always looked like it would struggle to win over audiences and critics alike, despite the goodwill of diehard fans. After all a film about a young Han Solo, who wasn’t exactly old when we first saw him forty-one years ago, doesn’t sound like something we particularly need or want, and there’s the matter of trying to recast an iconic character, which unlike a comic-book superhero was made definitive by one man.

Then of course came the production difficulties, with Ron Howard brought in to steady the ship and replace original directors Lord & Miller, therefore changing what might have been a more irreverent comedic tone in the vein of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ to something more balanced, and more conducive to a potential Solo prequel trilogy, which eventually bleeds in to the events of ‘A New Hope’. And finally there’s the timing, which sees another ‘Star Wars’ film just five months after the last one, contributing to the feeling for many that the frequency of releases makes any adventure “in a galaxy far, far away….” somewhat less special—although at least the wait until Christmas 2019 for ‘Episode IX’ makes that instalment more tantalising.

Yet despite the many obstacles and thanks to the lowered expectations, Howard’s safe and considerably experienced hands just about manage to pull this one out of the bag. Making up for a slight lack of signature ‘Star Wars’ magic, a little less substance, and an absence of ‘the force’, with an expertly crafted and thoroughly entertaining space action/adventure—which will tickle your funny bone and feed your nostalgia needs, while neatly carving out a place for itself in the beloved cinematic universe.

Whereas ‘Rogue One’ was essentially a war movie set in the ‘Star Wars’ universe and functioning as a de-facto prequel, this is basically a crime caper and heist film in the same setting and with the same purpose, but with a lighter space-opera adventure tone reminiscent of the original saga, i.e. a grimier and more grounded version of the ‘Flash Gordon’ comics which inspired it all . . . with echoes of Joss Whedon’s ‘Serenity’.

‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ is blessed with plenty of stylish, dynamic and banter-full action, and is occasionally dimly but well shot by cinematographer Bradford Young (Selma, Arrival), who takes advantage of scenic locations and some of the best production designs we’ve seen in a ‘Star Wars’ picture—taking us to parts of the galaxy we may have heard of but never seen. The film also has its share of charm and humour, although nothing near the level that a Lord & Miller production might have had, as it forges character relationships which have become iconic while introducing entirely new ones—and even resurrecting an unlikely figure we’d thought long gone. Typical of all the Disney-era ‘Star Wars’ films there is also a socially reflective spine running through the story, making sure to put the themes of equality and empowerment at the forefront of the narrative . . . for better or worse.

Howard also inherits an eclectic cast of mostly young hand-picked talents, with Woody Harrelson leading the pack as senior member and doing his rogue mentor thing, while the ‘mother of dragons’ herself Emilia Clarke proves solid if unspectacular in her second big studio action role. Meanwhile the multi-talented and currently white-hot Donald Glover musters all his 70s space suave to do Lando Calrissian justice, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge at his side providing much of the comic relief as the feisty ‘ultra-progressive’ droid of the piece—but it’s everyone’s favourite resourceful Wookie who steals the show once again, with towering Finn Joonas Suotamo once again stepping into Peter Mayhew’s considerable shoes and making them his own.

Yet if the titular character doesn’t work here, neither does the film, and despite misgivings about his casting from everyone and their grandmother, Alden Ehrenreich just about manages to carry the project on his young shoulders—capturing some of the Harrison Ford traits and mannerisms but not descending into imitation, and playing a naive, slightly more pensive version of the character . . . and less brash than expected.

Ultimately despite his best efforts in his first outing as the beloved space pirate, Ehrenreich just isn’t blessed with the sheer charisma, screen magnetism and earthiness that Ford had to spare. Time will tell if this greener Han Solo develops into the cynical but charming character the world fell in love with, and if the planned Solo origin trilogy actually materialises, where he’ll have the experiences to justify the transformation—but as it stands there are many who understandably just won’t accept Ehrenreich as the iconic spice-smuggler. Yet that’s a small and fair price to pay for an Anthology film which potentially launches a new trilogy for Lucasfilm, and could prove quite the lucrative gamble . . . although it might become the first Disney-era ‘Star Wars’ flop if it doesn’t.

The Bottom Line…

Perhaps it was a film we didn’t need and a prequel few really wanted, yet despite its troubled gestation and the fact that it won’t exactly set the ‘Star Wars’ universe alight, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ benefits from the steady hand of a master director and is expectedly crafted enough to make for a thoroughly entertaining, legend-building standalone space adventure—although time will tell how good a trilogy-starter it really is.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

The first of the Disney era Star Wars ‘Anthology’ films and a spinoff/prequel to the beloved series in a galaxy far, far away; set before the events of ‘A New Hope’ where a talented young trouble-maker joins the rebellion against the Empire on a mission to steal the blueprints for the first ‘Death Star’.

Directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna and Ben Mendelsohn among others.

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