NOSTALGIC: Director Ron Howard delivers a fun, fast-paced film that successfully captures the wit and charm of a classic Star Wars character.
By Micah Pierce, Staff Writer
Solo: A Star Wars Story documents the origins and journey of a young Han Solo, and his growth into the roguish outlaw fans have come to love. We first meet Han, played by Alden Ehrenreich, on his home planet of Corellia, where he lives with his love interest, Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) for the rest of the film. After a job goes south for Han, he and Qi’ra are forced to flee Corellia, but in the getaway they are separated when Han escapes and is forced to leave Qi’ra behind. He vows to return to Qi’ra. After three years in the imperial army, Han deserts and joins a crew led by captain Tobias Beckett, (Woody Harrelson) who has a big heist planned. When this job is botched, Han is forced to stay with Beckett and help repay his debt to the interstellar crime syndicate, the Crimson Dawn. It is here that Han is reunited with Qi’ra, and plans the most dangerous heist of his life to repay the Crimson Dawn and buy a life with the woman he loves.
Solo: A Star Wars Story opened to mixed critical reviews, being praised for its exciting action scenes and criticized for the storyline’s general lack of depth. With the only previous Star Wars spin off, Rogue One, having been such a huge success topping one billion dollars at the global box office, Solo had very large shoes to fill. Solo is projected to earn anywhere from 400 to 450 million dollars at the box office, which is a horrendous profit, as the film cost approximately 250 million to produce and 150 million to promote. The majority of the criticism that Solo has received has been directed at the lack of depth and importance the film held. Indeed, Solo wasn’t a truly necessary addition to the Star Wars universe the way Rogue One was, but that isn’t always a bad thing. The light-heartedness of Solo is a welcome change compared to the generally heavy atmosphere of the main Star Wars films. Solo was a fun romp in the grass and a breath of fresh air into the Star Wars franchise.
The greatest strength of Solo lies in the cast and their excellent portrayal of new characters and old fan favorites. Ehrenreich did a wonderful job at channeling the smugness and charm that Harrison Ford originally played the character with. Another returning character beloved by the fans was Lando Calrissian, played by scene stealing Donald Glover, whose swagger and confidence truly capture the essence of his character. Solo’s issues with its storyline are overshadowed by a great performance by the entire cast and a new, lighter approach to the Star Wars Universe.