Solo: A Star Wars Story came out this past weekend and it really got me thinking; I'm wondering if anyone else on the forum has thoughts or reviews on the film...
I saw it opening night and the theatre was really empty. I bought my tickets pretty in advance as usual because often times opening night here sells out quickly.
There was a lot of drama around the film: Whether the story warranted a film, director drama (Ron Howard came onto the project 10 months ago long after production had started), casting drama (Alden Ehrenreich as Han?), should the film come out Memorial Day weekend (it's often seen as a dumping ground for films with low expectations) and the inevitable Star Wars fatigue that people are feeling with four films being released in four years.
So...
Have you seen Solo: A Star Wars Story?
Do you plan on it?
Did you think it was wrong to ever make this into a film?
Any other thoughts and comments? Do you feel they should make this many films? What others would you like to see made?
** Spoilers tag contains my full review and anything that may ruin movie for others **
Personally, I was a huge cynic going into the film. I got tickets because I am Star Wars trash and even if I was going to hate it, I had to see it - unspoiled. I thought that the film did NOT need to be made, a HUGE part of Han Solo lure for me is his mystery... his dice, the story of the Kessel run, how he got the Millenium Falcon from Lando...
Coming out of the film, I was pleasantly surprised. I had some things that I was not super impressed by (in the spoilers) BUT overall I thought it was really enjoyable and I think I'm going to go again this week to really solidify my thoughts on it. It was not perfect, you could see a lot of things coming if you've seen the other films but it had a lot of merit to it.
The cast was diverse, the soundtrack was well done (what Star Wars film isn't though?), the visuals were really great and the humour was typical.
I'd give it a solid 75-80/100. I'll likely cement my score after another viewing.
Now onto the nitty gritty:
Spoiler
Alden Ehrenreich - I still don't like him. He tried, I will give him that and his acting isn't as heinous as I thought it may be... but and this is a big one, his voice just kills me. You can see him try to make it his own while also portraying the Han we all know but it is a little too nasally and not gruff enough for my liking. Perhaps this is due to his path of character growth and after being scorned multiple times he'll harden. We'll see. He was the weakest point of the movie for me though and since the story revolves around him, it's a very weak spot.
Donald Glover - I think the internet exploded when he was announced to play the beloved Lando. He did NOT disappoint, capes and all. In some scenes thought it appeared he put on a strange accent which took me out of it somewhat. He made Lando his own without making him unrecognizable which definitely gave it a true Star Wars feel.
Emilia Clarke - Wow. She nailed this role, she obviously didn't have the big shoes to fill that others did playing roles we are familiar with BUT holy S**t, she made them big shoes. Her cadence, demeanour, facial expressions and general acting were superb. Emilia made this character an icon to me. I felt that I knew so much of what she alluded to when she was talking to Han about what happened since the last time they had seen one another. I hope to see her again as her character was very complex and would be so interested in seeing where she goes.
I won't go into every performance but Woody Harrelson & Thandie Newton (who I did not know was in the film) were also spot on. They're tenured actors and very reliable in roles they are given.
The plot line still left a good amount of mystery with Han Solo but showed the relationship form between he and Chewbacca, how he got his name and became who he is. It showed the beginnings of his tie to the rebellion, why he became jaded and of course the infamous Kessel run.
I still don't think this movie was necessary but I enjoyed it and am interested to see if it will fit in further down the road. Especially with the Darth Maul cameo in it, unexpected and piques my curiosity.
It was no Rogue One to me (which I adored) however it isn't the s**t show I expected
I saw it today and really enjoyed it, although I had actively tried to avoid watching trailers and reading about it so I had no expectations going in. I also feel the story did not need telling but Disney's gotta milk that Star Wars cow somehow before it runs dry.
Spoiler
I loved Emilia Clarke in it as well, I thought she was brilliant (I also noticed the facial expressions, especially during the scene after she had spoken to Darth Maul; I got goosebumps from the fear on her face)
I saw it today and really enjoyed it, although I had actively tried to avoid watching trailers and reading about it so I had no expectations going in. I also feel the story did not need telling but Disney's gotta milk that Star Wars cow somehow before it runs dry.
Spoiler
I loved Emilia Clarke in it as well, I thought she was brilliant (I also noticed the facial expressions, especially during the scene after she had spoken to Darth Maul; I got goosebumps from the fear on her face)
HER EYEBROWS ARE SO INCREDIBLE from GoT to this, ugh.
