Solo: a Star Wars story review
Oh, trust me, I was there on opening night thursday to see this movie, and this review would've been out the same night but I had work and other responsibilites to get to, but now I'm here! Not even a year after the last Star Wars released we are already blessed with another Star Wars movie on the big screen. This one has not been as hotly anticipated by fans as some of the other recent movies, but for me, Solo was a movie I was really looking forward too and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed by the film! Spoilers going forward are painted in red
Just to start things off, I'll say that I realize I ramble on a lot in my reviews, so I'll try and keep this more compact and less rambly. And to also start off, I'll say that I disagree with a lot of reviewers and other professional opinions that are being said about this movie, I didn't think this movie was forgettable, and I definitely did not find the characters underwhelming. I will go out and say that I love this movie and all of the characters that it introduced, as well as the world building it added by giving us our first Star Wars movie truly not centered around the Empire or the Sith. This is a heist movie, in the vein of Rogue One, but instead of being focused on war and the grand scheme, its a small movie telling a small story about a big character. These side stories are what I want from the Star Wars world, not every movie can be about saving the galaxy, and when we get these small character films it is when we truly get to dive into the world of Star Wars. From droid fight rings to the criminal world of Dryden Vos, Solo delves into many great concepts that give us a taste of the criminal underbelly of Star Wars that's been hinted at so many other times. I will say though, the small portion of Empire related content is great too, getting an inside look at the Imperial army by virtue of Han's time in said army was great, and each new Stormtrooper variation was great too. That said, 15 minutes into the movie and the Empire is virtually non-existent besides one tiny space fight near the end of the film, and that doesn't hurt the film.
Plot wise, Han gets caught up with Woody Harrelson's character, Tobias Beckett, in needing to repay the gangster Dryden Vos. That's it, pretty much, small but shining and a very fun ride from start to finish. The opening scenes on Correlia were fun, introduced a fun group with the followers of Lady Proxima and her enforcer Moloch, as well as giving us the character of Qi'ra. The movie doesn't play a will they wont they with Han and Qi'ra, as the first moment they have together they kiss, and I felt it didn't do anything to the Han and Leia dynamic in the original movies. It's believable that someone like Han would have at least one other girl in his life, and Qi'ra was a pretty great girl.
As non-linear as my reviews are, I wanted to stay somewhat plot based but I have to talk about the characters in this movie because they are all great. The new actor for Han delighted me and I had a lot of fun watching him, seeing how he got the name Solo (very cool), how he met Chewie and Lando, and see him become the criminal we all know. Chewie himself was funny, emotionally touching even, and got to do a lot more than any of the previous movies. Qi'ra was great, as I said, and gets to be one of the strongest females in the Star Wars saga; hopefully her story continues. Lando was as smooth and suave as everyone is talking about, and his droid partner, L3-37, was a great addition to the cast of robots these movies introduce. Three of my favorite characters ended up being Tobias Beckett and his two partners who sadly don't get to be in much of the film. Beckett himself was very much a crook and a criminal and everything Han wanted to be, and comes across as a less smooth, darker version of Harrison Ford's smuggler. I also loved the shout out to Aurra Sing with the reveal that Beckett had killed her. Val and Rio made up the rest of the trio, and both of them were very charismatic and charming on screen. Val's tight attitude and un-trusting towards Han were fun to watch, and Rio was simply a delight in his being. Villain-wise, Dryden Vos is terrifying and tense whenever he is on screen, and feels like a genuine threat to the characters. Enfys Nest provided a great new character, being totally awesome in the suit, and out of it a possible spark for the rebellion we see in later films.
Creature design, may I say, was also at its best in this movie than it has been in any of the Disney movies so far. The Sabacc card table was only one instance of perfect Star Wars design; the entire movie oozed with Star Wars, just like Rogue One, and as much as I adore Rogue One I would have to say that Solo does references better. The movie is never stopped to point something out to you, it is also a passing phrase and a moment that happens and is gone. My favorites were the ones referencing the prequels, as I believe the prequels are seriously under-valued and hearing the newer movies (this and the one mention Last Jedi gave them) give nods to them gives me hope that one day we may have a spinoff centering around the prequels or that time period: Mace Windu, Grevious, Maul, Dooku, The Jedi Order like Aayla Secura and Kit Fisto, give me any of them!
The spinoff we have right now though is Solo, and I do not think it is a waste of a Star Wars movie. I don't know what else I can say about it besides just telling you the entire plot! This movie centered on the characters more than anything, and I loved the characters (Rio is one of my favorite Disney Star Wars characters). The alleged Lando spinoff will be very well welcomed by me, and I sure hope that a Solo sequel happens eventually if only for that moment in the end in which MAJOR SPOILERS, THIS IS A HUGE SPOILER Qi'ra kills Dryden, seemingly takes over his criminal organization, and calls Dryden's associate which turns out to be none other than Darth Maul with robot legs! If a sequel isn't made that explores this, it will be a very weird and out of place scene. Plus, Qi'ra is alive, gotta explain what happened to her afterwards and why she never returned for Han, or why Han never went after her after joining the criminal world. END OF THE SUPER SPOILER ZONE
I also loved the scenes in which Enfys tells Han that he could help them with starting a rebellion in the galaxy, be the good guy, and Han says that'll never be him, but it's completely what happens. LOL. And the fact that the movie ends with Han and Chewie seeking out a "big gangster" on Tatooine that Beckett told them about, someone that they think they can get their big break with, even though we all know how everything with Jabba turns out.
Out of the four Disney movies right now, Solo would have to be second behind Rogue One. I had a lot of fun watching the movie, and I don't think I will be forgetting it soon like most professional reviewers have. the characters to me were great, lovable, and well developed despite no real backstory being given to any of them. Solo gave us another view of the galaxy, one of criminals, smugglers, and gangsters that the others movie never had time for between their galaxy saving plots. So I am glad we have these spin-off movies to tell the smaller stories of the galaxy, because the interesting stuff obviously isn't only the big moments, but the small moments, the smaller characters, and events that other characters in the galaxy may not know about or remember, but already these have proven to be some of the biggest moments in terms of heart and story. Solo is a great entry to the Star Wars saga, and I almost managed to write a review that wasn't rambling (almost had it!).
Just to start things off, I'll say that I realize I ramble on a lot in my reviews, so I'll try and keep this more compact and less rambly. And to also start off, I'll say that I disagree with a lot of reviewers and other professional opinions that are being said about this movie, I didn't think this movie was forgettable, and I definitely did not find the characters underwhelming. I will go out and say that I love this movie and all of the characters that it introduced, as well as the world building it added by giving us our first Star Wars movie truly not centered around the Empire or the Sith. This is a heist movie, in the vein of Rogue One, but instead of being focused on war and the grand scheme, its a small movie telling a small story about a big character. These side stories are what I want from the Star Wars world, not every movie can be about saving the galaxy, and when we get these small character films it is when we truly get to dive into the world of Star Wars. From droid fight rings to the criminal world of Dryden Vos, Solo delves into many great concepts that give us a taste of the criminal underbelly of Star Wars that's been hinted at so many other times. I will say though, the small portion of Empire related content is great too, getting an inside look at the Imperial army by virtue of Han's time in said army was great, and each new Stormtrooper variation was great too. That said, 15 minutes into the movie and the Empire is virtually non-existent besides one tiny space fight near the end of the film, and that doesn't hurt the film.
Plot wise, Han gets caught up with Woody Harrelson's character, Tobias Beckett, in needing to repay the gangster Dryden Vos. That's it, pretty much, small but shining and a very fun ride from start to finish. The opening scenes on Correlia were fun, introduced a fun group with the followers of Lady Proxima and her enforcer Moloch, as well as giving us the character of Qi'ra. The movie doesn't play a will they wont they with Han and Qi'ra, as the first moment they have together they kiss, and I felt it didn't do anything to the Han and Leia dynamic in the original movies. It's believable that someone like Han would have at least one other girl in his life, and Qi'ra was a pretty great girl.
As non-linear as my reviews are, I wanted to stay somewhat plot based but I have to talk about the characters in this movie because they are all great. The new actor for Han delighted me and I had a lot of fun watching him, seeing how he got the name Solo (very cool), how he met Chewie and Lando, and see him become the criminal we all know. Chewie himself was funny, emotionally touching even, and got to do a lot more than any of the previous movies. Qi'ra was great, as I said, and gets to be one of the strongest females in the Star Wars saga; hopefully her story continues. Lando was as smooth and suave as everyone is talking about, and his droid partner, L3-37, was a great addition to the cast of robots these movies introduce. Three of my favorite characters ended up being Tobias Beckett and his two partners who sadly don't get to be in much of the film. Beckett himself was very much a crook and a criminal and everything Han wanted to be, and comes across as a less smooth, darker version of Harrison Ford's smuggler. I also loved the shout out to Aurra Sing with the reveal that Beckett had killed her. Val and Rio made up the rest of the trio, and both of them were very charismatic and charming on screen. Val's tight attitude and un-trusting towards Han were fun to watch, and Rio was simply a delight in his being. Villain-wise, Dryden Vos is terrifying and tense whenever he is on screen, and feels like a genuine threat to the characters. Enfys Nest provided a great new character, being totally awesome in the suit, and out of it a possible spark for the rebellion we see in later films.
Creature design, may I say, was also at its best in this movie than it has been in any of the Disney movies so far. The Sabacc card table was only one instance of perfect Star Wars design; the entire movie oozed with Star Wars, just like Rogue One, and as much as I adore Rogue One I would have to say that Solo does references better. The movie is never stopped to point something out to you, it is also a passing phrase and a moment that happens and is gone. My favorites were the ones referencing the prequels, as I believe the prequels are seriously under-valued and hearing the newer movies (this and the one mention Last Jedi gave them) give nods to them gives me hope that one day we may have a spinoff centering around the prequels or that time period: Mace Windu, Grevious, Maul, Dooku, The Jedi Order like Aayla Secura and Kit Fisto, give me any of them!
The spinoff we have right now though is Solo, and I do not think it is a waste of a Star Wars movie. I don't know what else I can say about it besides just telling you the entire plot! This movie centered on the characters more than anything, and I loved the characters (Rio is one of my favorite Disney Star Wars characters). The alleged Lando spinoff will be very well welcomed by me, and I sure hope that a Solo sequel happens eventually if only for that moment in the end in which MAJOR SPOILERS, THIS IS A HUGE SPOILER Qi'ra kills Dryden, seemingly takes over his criminal organization, and calls Dryden's associate which turns out to be none other than Darth Maul with robot legs! If a sequel isn't made that explores this, it will be a very weird and out of place scene. Plus, Qi'ra is alive, gotta explain what happened to her afterwards and why she never returned for Han, or why Han never went after her after joining the criminal world. END OF THE SUPER SPOILER ZONE
I also loved the scenes in which Enfys tells Han that he could help them with starting a rebellion in the galaxy, be the good guy, and Han says that'll never be him, but it's completely what happens. LOL. And the fact that the movie ends with Han and Chewie seeking out a "big gangster" on Tatooine that Beckett told them about, someone that they think they can get their big break with, even though we all know how everything with Jabba turns out.
Out of the four Disney movies right now, Solo would have to be second behind Rogue One. I had a lot of fun watching the movie, and I don't think I will be forgetting it soon like most professional reviewers have. the characters to me were great, lovable, and well developed despite no real backstory being given to any of them. Solo gave us another view of the galaxy, one of criminals, smugglers, and gangsters that the others movie never had time for between their galaxy saving plots. So I am glad we have these spin-off movies to tell the smaller stories of the galaxy, because the interesting stuff obviously isn't only the big moments, but the small moments, the smaller characters, and events that other characters in the galaxy may not know about or remember, but already these have proven to be some of the biggest moments in terms of heart and story. Solo is a great entry to the Star Wars saga, and I almost managed to write a review that wasn't rambling (almost had it!).
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