Solo: A Star Wars Story - Review

Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters on May 25, 2018.

If you’re reading this review I think it’s safe to assume you know who Han Solo is. If you don’t - well stop here and catch up...I mean, if you haven’t seen Star Wars are you really living your best life? This review is spoiler free so read on my friends!

Alden Ehrenreich plays Han Solo, a smuggler who is “one of the good guys”. We also have Emilia Clark playing Kira - Han Solos friend and former girlfriend. Donald Glover gives an amazing performance As Lando Calrissian and rounding out the cast is Woody Harrelson as Beckett.

It takes a while for the movie to get rolling, lots of action in the first couple sequences but it still felt long. It was hard to get used to someone else playing Han - such an iconic character... I honestly think the only person who could play that role to perfection is Harrison Ford. No matter how good Alden did, those are very big shoes to fill. I think he did an excellent job and I really enjoyed his take on the character.

My favorite character was Lando Calrissian, played by Donald Glover. Danny did so good there was no doubt in my mind about who his character was. He was Lando, period. From the voice to the mannerisms everything was spot on - perfection.

It has all of the elements we love, from alien creatures, seeing new planets, and of course battles in outer space. There are emotional moments and fun ones. The humor was quippy but not over the top. It was really cool to see Hans backstory, some parts were simple while others took more time to develop.

I know a lot of people are nervous about this movie, I’ll admit I was - but have no fear! It’s a fun adventure through space. I feel like a lot of people take the Star Wars franchise very seriously - I think if you just go into this with an open mind you’ll really enjoy it.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Ashley K. (Contributor) is a frequent traveler currently living in San Diego. She's a super nerd who enjoys all kinds of movies and doesn't always think the book was better.
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This review will contain NO SPOILERS whatsoever, you are safe with me.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the first true standalone film in this universe to not have giant ramifications and connections to the saga films. It’s also the most forgettable Star Wars film since Disney bought Lucasfilm, and you might understand why.

Solo is a fun adventure set in the Star Wars universe. We learn how Han met Chewbacca and Lando, as well as other characters that never show up again. The performances in this film are solid. Alden Ehrenreich plays Han Solo, and does a great job with his performance and own interpretation of the character. Donald Glover plays Lando brilliantly but wasn’t the standout I was expecting. Woody Harrelson also plays himself in the movie, or Beckett, which isn’t a bad thing. He’s very charismatic and I enjoyed his character a lot.

The story of Solo is basically a snapshot into the past. We follow Han on one of his first real scoundrel type of adventures and it’s an entertaining ride. Although it is entertaining, the film can be very predictable throughout its runtime. Obviously, we know Han, Chewie and Lando survive, but it goes much further than that. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a smart script, I’d say it’s more of a fun adventure that’s made to be seen while stuffing popcorn in your face. Not my favorite type of film but it’s hard to not enjoy it.

I think Solo will be a lesson to many fans and movie goers, and it’ll also somewhat hurt the box office monster that is Star Wars, but EVERY film is not going to be life changing. Rogue One hurt this film because of how important the story was to the Star Wars that we all know and love. Solo is a film you could easily skip and never know you missed a beat. Solo is also to be quite honest, forgettable. With films like Infinity War, Deadpool 2 and Jurassic World 2 releasing this summer, I honestly doubt anyone will be talking about Solo by the time August rolls around.

I’m always critical, but I enjoyed the movie a lot! It’s very fun and the Star Wars world is always nice to be in, but this is the least Star Wars feeling movie yet. It’s just another action movie with characters that you like. I would definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you’re a fan, but if you somehow miss it, you shouldn’t lose any sleep. It’s basically the Iron Man 2 of Star Wars.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Logan (Contributor) is a Texas native and a massive fan of all genres of film. You can find him talking about movies on YouTube as half of the CraZCouple or in line for the latest Star Wars/Comic Book film.
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