Solo: A Star Wars Story Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

Space opera meets western. The second Star Wars Story instalment revisits Han’s origins. But can it hold up with the rest of the franchise?

Genre: Action / Fantasy / Sci-Fi

Director: Ron Howard

Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thandie Newton, Joonas Suotamo, Erin Kellyman, Paul Bettany & Ray Park.

Run Time: 135 min.

US Release: 25 May 2018

UK Release: 24 May 2018

German Release: 24 May 2018

The Star Wars universe keeps expanding, and if you read any of my previous reviews of the other films, you will know what this franchise means to me. It was a major part of my childhood and is still my favourite cinematic series to date, which is why I was troubled when this new instalment was announced, as I couldn’t feel excited about it. Then there was talk about behind-the-scenes drama, studio interference and changes in directors. Nothing about the production sounded good. Then came the first trailer… and it looked worse than I could have imagined.

But is Solo really that bad? Or was the trailer simply mismarketing? Read below why, though not the dumpster fire that was the first two prequels, this one is simply slightly above average.

Shedding some unnecessary light on everyone’s favourite smuggler’s past, this picture follows a young Han (Ehrenreich) fleeing the industrial world of Corellia with his partner Qi'ra (Clarke) when the latter gets caught by a crime syndicate. He joins a smuggler crew, led by Tobias Beckett (Harrelson), and meets fellow Wookie scoundrel Chewbacca (Suotamo). As the crew is tasked by a dangerous criminal to pull off a high-stakes heist, they obtain help from the charming Lando Calrissian (Glover) and his ship, the Millennium Falcon.

The script is a mixed bag of a mess, presumably due to heavy interference from studio boss Kathleen Kennedy. So, let’s start with the positives, as there are only a few: I do like how the first meeting between Han plus Chewie is presented here. It feels organic, and the duo need to work on their partnership before reaching the level of trust we see in earlier works. Then there is the moulding of the titular character into the scoundrel we are introduced to in Episode IV. We learn that his sheer “luck” is actually a talent for improvisation,  based on decision-making with incomplete information. The plot also focuses on the motif of betrayal, which by the end explains Han’s cynicism.

Having said that, the screenplay also has a lot of issues! Suffering from tonal whiplash, the narrative keeps jumping from industrial crime thriller to space western, while also forcing a crime-syndicate story down the audience’s throat. Then there is the glaring pacing issue, because even though the blockbuster finds its footing around the middle mark, it severely drags during its first half, even with the constant time jumps.

Finally, my biggest gripe is that the story doesn’t offer anything new; it scraps away at the mystery that surrounds this larger-than-life character. The Kasdans’ treatment plays it safe; thus, instead of showing something that we didn’t know about the character, the plot just rehashes things we heard about him in other instalments, making it a pointless movie.

While the quick banter between Han and Lando does sound genuine to the original trilogy, there is way too much verbal, on-the-nose explanation concerning origin aspects of the character, as well as (again) some shoehorned-in message this time about the slave trade. 

Alden Ehrenreich gives a good enough portrayal of Han Solo, though I wish they would have added some sort of prosthetics to make him look more like a young Harrison Ford - like in Looper.  Interestingly, even though the flick shows us how Solo got from point A to B, there was no effort made to give him real character development. Ehrenreich has solid chemistry with Emilia Clarke, who plays his romantic counterpart Qi’ra. Sadly, Qi’ra is nothing more than a plot device to push Han into the person we know. The character itself is paper-thin. 

Woody Harrelson might be the biggest disappointment here. While he does the best he is given, his character of Tobias Beckett is simply too one-dimensional and bleeds into the background without making a big enough impact.  Then there is the standout of the flick: Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. He stole every scene he was in by giving a magnificent mimicry of Billy Dee Williams as Landon. He looks, sounds and feels like a young Lando, and I do believe that Glover gave the best performance of the entire cast. 

One of the bigger issues is that there is no real villain in this adventure. Yes, Paul Bettany’s Dryden Vos feels threatening when he is on screen; the issue is that he barely makes an appearance. His first appearance is in the second half; from there he simply disappears, reappearing again at the end. The same goes for the Cloud Raiders, a band of space pirates, who come and go.

The technical elements are this blockbuster's greatest assets. Director of photography Bradford Young did its best to distinguish Solo visually from the rest of the franchise and succeeded. Inspired by the grimy western look, this Star Wars story is grittier, darker and makes use of naturalistic colours and lighting. Unfortunately, it can become too dark at times, making it hard to follow action sequences. The effects seamlessly merge practical, props, as well as effects, with CGI. Alien and droid characters feel as if they are physically on set, interacting with the actors. 

While the music by John Powell does mix classic Star Wars notes with fresh beats, it simply isn’t memorable enough. Most of the score is forgotten by the time one leaves the cinema. 

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Verdict: I am a huge Star Wars fan! It is the franchise that got me hooked on movies as a small child. It is therefore painful to admit that Solo is an utter waste of time, as it doesn't really add anything new to the overall saga. It chips away at the mystery that is this iconic character, feels rushed, lazy, as well as outright cheesy at times, and this is mostly due to the disastrous “behind-the-scenes” production that saw massive reshoots, director changes and studio interference. The western motif is intriguing, it has interesting side characters; however, some side arcs are rushed or feel forced. The production value, just like the cinematography, is solid. That said, it seems like this is less Star Wars and more filler content without a soul. As such, I am saddened that I can’t give Solo: A Star Wars Story more than a 6.0 out of 10.

What did you experience while watching this new Star Wars chapter on the big screen? Do you agree with my evaluation? Leave a comment below to let me know. Thank you for reading!