Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | 2h 15min | 25 May 2018 (USA)
Full text transcript of Solo: Star Wars film review
Well, it never quite justifies its existence, Solo: Star Wars movie offers enough poppy fun and galaxy far, far away entertainment value to diminish any bad feeling one may have had about it heading into release. So both the movie and the new iteration of Harrison Ford’s classic character, now played by Alden Reich, skates by on charm, breezy irreverence in just the right degree of Star Wars fan service. But while it gets the trappings and appearances right, so never delivers on the promise of finding out why he became who he was in a new hope, it just explains how he got his stuff. One of the most memorable aspects of the character from the original trilogy was the way in which he evolved from an out for himself scoundrel to a hero of the Rebel Alliance. This Oreja movie delivers no such arc of redemption or fall from grace and story holds precious few surprises. And the title character ends the film pretty much the same person as he was at the beginning, without quite becoming the hand that Luke and Obi Wan found on Tatoulis or.
Well, what do you know, it’s a good thing, then that the movie remains at least entertaining enough to keep you engaged through all the beats of learning how Hansell acquired the Millennium Falcon or met Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian. It’s amazing how much just playing Star’s music can make almost any scene work on a visceral and emotional level, and so seems to know that relying on a sentimentality and a shorthand understanding of this universe to cover up its narrative defects. So we get it. Oh, Hellbender.
The new characters introduced here are inconsistent from the trope riddled crew of crooks John Falzon with to the gangster who runs afoul of and the love interest he finds after the one who truly shines brightest as the fiercely independent droid Elfriede three, whose acerbic personality and cutting which is even sharper than rogue ones Kate youso ultimately Sillu a Star Wars story depends on its legacy characters. Alden Ehrenreich overcomes a lot of skepticism to make this incarnation of Consolo both recognizable and also his own. He captures the wry wit and gunslinger swagger, mirroring enough of Ford’s mannerisms to be familiar. Yet he also manages to not be a mere mimic by letting the character a dopey sweetness and vulnerability not always evident in Ford’s version. Likewise, Donald Glover Charms is exploring Gambir Lando Calrissian, delivering on the promise his casting held for so many fans. Glover captures the duplicity and bravado of the best dressed rogue in the franchise, while also revealing a surprisingly tender side at one key point in the film.
I heard a story about you. I was wondering if it’s true.
Everything you’ve heard about me is true. And finally, Chewbacca might get his biggest and best role yet in the franchise. Now a true supporting character in his own right rather than just on sidekick solo features some ably executed action scenes, with the key one being a train heist about midway through. The film also continues. The franchise has renewed interest in practical effects, making this once again feel like I lived in a world populated by real creatures and working vehicles and droids. If you come with us, you’re in this life for good. Solo, a story, a story commits to being a charming and fun exercise in repackaging nostalgia and iconic characters, it’s just too bad its script never fully committed to seeing Handlock through to its preordained end. Thanks for watching. For more on iconic franchises getting reimagined on the big screen this year, be sure to check out our breakdowns of the latest trailers for Venom and the Predator. As always, don’t forget to follow and subscribe to ICN and all your favorite platforms and may the force be with you.//
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