A Reel Review - SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

When STAR WARS arrived in 1977, the character of Han Solo upstaged every hero and villain in the galactic space opera. The gunslinging, reluctant hero who found himself tangled in a civil war appealed to the masses more than any other character; he was a rebel within a rebellion, and even when he did the right thing, he did it his own way. The character, as originally portrayed by Harrison Ford in STAR WARS and three sequels, became the face of the franchise, and after 41 years his hidden backstory and past comes to light in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.

Ten years before the first Death Star becomes fully operational, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) and his girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), are scratching out a living on their ruined home-world of Corellia. Han falls into league with thief and smuggler Beckett (Woody Harrelson), who takes him under his wing with the promise of a huge pay-out after a heist…overseen by gangster Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany). To pull the heist off, Solo and Beckett get muscle from the enslaved Wookie Chewbacca, and slick gambler Lando Carlissian (Donald Glover), who owns a fast ship.

SOLO begins as one of the most unique entries in the ongoing STAR WARS saga. The Empire is in full operation but in the background, the stakes are low and don’t involve saving the galaxy, familiar terms such as Jedi and Force are never uttered, and the opening sequence is done in a new way…different even for these new spin-off films. SOLO, directed by Ron Howard, offers a space adventure with elements of a Western and a heist-film, with more than enough familiar STAR WARS pieces and parts to remind us where in the galaxy we are. The story is simple for Han and his new friends; pull off the caper without getting killed or captured, and pay off the gangster before he sends a legion of bounty hunters and assassins after them. The plot is light and easy, but it works as the looming threat is hanging on the heads of the characters rather than the entire galaxy.

The word “prequel” may cause a groan among STAR WARS fans, and SOLO does have that task to fulfill. The film runs down a checklist of things for Han to acquire; his gun, his ship, and his faithful companion. They’re building a character block by block here, and by movie’s end the pieces come together nicely. Ron Howard and his screenwriting team of Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan play it safe (although the bold choices they do take are really bold), and are simply focused on making Han familiar to us again; there’s enough to make the experience of watching the original films a bit richer, but it feels like there could have been more. The character itself doesn’t have much of an arc; he doesn’t seem to evolve much from the opening to the close, but a moral decision Han finds himself in towards the end goes a long way in making the Han Solo we know and love. Han also has an early trait which adds depth to the way the character reacts to future acquaintances in a wonderful and brilliant touch.

Ron Howard goes full-throttle for most of the film. Pacing is brisk and the editing has a great sense of energy; there aren’t a lot of quiet moments and the film has the zip and brevity of a STAR WARS film of old. The cinematography is a bit muddy and there’s a need for color in a lot of places, although it seems to match the seedy undergrounds and backwater planets the characters are in. The new planets and shady gambling establishments are awesome to see on the screen, although the design of some of the new alien species are way over the top; but to their credit, are done with some excellent practical-effects work. The action scenes are an absolute blast; full of tension and fun and edge-of-the-seat big-wow moments. Howard was having fun here, and it shows. The score by John Powell, with contributions from John Williams, is excellent. The film is also a gold mine of references and hints of old STAR WARS lore, including one whopper of a cameo that no one will see coming.

Alden Ehrenreich fills the mighty boots of Han Solo very well. He doesn’t try to mimic Harrison Ford’s performance (it is a younger version of the character), but he does capture the swagger and cockiness that makes Solo. Emilia Clarke is excellent as always, as is Paul Bettany and Woody Harrelson. The film is nearly upstaged (ironically) by Donald Glover’s young Lando, who is every bit as charming as we’d want.

There is a lot to enjoy in SOLO, and enough work is done in the early goings that by the time Han and Chewie take their seats at the controls of the Millennium Falcon, it is a satisfying and smile-generating moment because it is earned and earned well. Much like the character we first saw in 1977, SOLO has flaws, but the good inside overcomes that and does the right thing.

BOTTOM LINE: See it