Solo: A Star Wars Story – Film Review

To put it lightly this film has had a bit of turbulence over the course of its production. Though that there has been a lot of effort into making sure this film is completed by its release date it does feel like a finished film. Ron Howard did a hell of a job putting together a film that was in disaster into a coherent film. He deserves a lot of praise for doing what he had to do and making everything work in the film. I would say the direction and shot angles that were done with this film were executed well, in tandem with the cinematography. There were a lot of shots that felt smoky and original that played with lighting.

I did feel the first have suffered in energy where the second half felt more action packed and interesting than the first. There are some clunky things in the film that could be pandering towards children. There were moments in the film where I did feel a bit bored and not connecting to the story on the screen. Since we know what happens to the character, these developments in his history felt better to be read than seen on screen. I would say the main culprit in why this film doesn’t work is the Kasdan’s script. It’s too generic and not very fresh. I would have liked to see something more complex and interesting. If they want to go into doing heist/western type of stories with this character, make it innovative.

I thought we were in trouble there for a second, but it’s fine. We’re fine.

I did enjoy the chemistry between Emilia Clarke and Alden Ehrenreich. Qi’ra was an interesting character, and thought I was glad that we didn’t get every answer to what happened to her, she has more to offer. I did enjoy Ehrenreich’s performance, though it wasn’t Harrison Ford delivering it, he had a lot to live up to. He does try to make the character his own while also having strong chemistry with Chewbacca. Beckett, Val, L3-37, and Rio felt a bit underdeveloped. I would have liked more from them and they felt too onenote.

Donald Glover did bring the energy to the screen, especially when he was playing off Alden in scenes. It felt like classic Han and Lando, funny but engaging. There isn’t a whole lot here that isn’t already known about the character of Han. If you were curious about what happened to the character before “A New Hope” during the prequel era, this film will answer that and leave with questions wanting more. There is a great cameo that can seem a bit pandering but I actually was intrigued by, hoping that it pays off to something more.

It isn’t a movie that needs to be seen with urgency. If you want a summer film to see this is fine, but there are better options out or are coming along quickly.
6.5/10

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