Film Review - "Solo: A Star Wars Story"

Solo: A Star Wars Story
Directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller Ron Howard
Starring Alden Ehreneich, Emilia Clarke, and Donald Glover

The untold origins of Han Solo finally came to theaters last Memorial Day weekend, and after months of production troubles and rumors of it being a s**show, it turned out…okay. Not great. Not bad. Okay…kinda good maybe.

This story begins on the planet Corellia, where young Han (Ehreneich) and his love Qi'ra (Clarke) scheme to get out of town and start a life of adventure. Unfortunately things go south and Han is separated from Qi'ra.  Making it his life mission to return for her, he joins up with the Imperial Army, and shortly after that joins up with a band of criminals led by Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). A job to steal a large amount of the rare mineral coaxium for the crime lord Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) sets off a chain of events that will shape his future and transform him into the Han Solo we all know and love.

Oddly this film does not tell us much about the early life of Han Solo. It's more of a glimpse into one chapter of his past. At the same time though, it does check off a lot of boxes on a metaphorical origin-story checklist. We see how he got his name (Quite stupidly if I might mention.), we see how he met Chewbacca and Lando, and other things that some might consider spoilers. The pacing of the film is a bit off. There are parts of the story rushed through in the beginning that I wish they explored more but that's just me. It isn't until the second act where things really start to pick up, and strangely the climax of the film is rather tame, which isn't something one would expect from a Star Wars film. This is one of the Star Wars Story spinoffs so liberties can be taken.

This next part is where I get a little subjective. The whole film feels very average. It's a standard adventure film. Sort of predictable, and paint by-the-numbers. It's still quite enjoyable though, and I have no regrets seeing it. Yet, I still can't help but wonder what the final product would have looked like if Lord & Miller weren't fired...

The film is elevated by the characters and the actors that play them. Alden Ehreneich makes a great Han. Never once does it feel like he's doing a Harrison Ford impression. He brings a lot of charm, wit, and passion to the table and makes the character his own. Donald Glover is fantastic as Lando Calrissian. He does slip into a Billy Dee Williams impression once in awhile but he's still so suave and so cool. Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra, is lovely and equally charming as Ehreneich and she has great chemistry with him. Woody Harrelson turns in another solid performance as Tobias Beckett. His personality melded into this type of character fits almost perfectly into this side of the Star Wars universe. Paul Bettany grabs all the spotlight he can as the stable but not stable Dryden Voss. Also, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as "woke" droid L3-37 is an incredible scene-stealer. There I said it.

Solo is a fine Star Wars film, but it adds very little to the lore and universe. It's a harmless good time and I can easily recommend it to any Star Wars fan or adventure film fans, but you will not miss out on much if you don't see it. Considering all the production troubles, it could have turned out a lot worse. As it stands though Solo turned out to be an alright ride...for about twelve or so parsecs.

Film Review- "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Directed by Gareth Edwards
Starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Ben Mendelson

We are now living in a reality where there will be a new Star Wars film every year. What a time to be alive. Though instead of just an "Episode" every year and plowing through trilogies, Disney and Lucasfilm are planning to sprinkle spin-off films or "Star Wars Stories" throughout the calendar. The first of these being Rogue One, and it has indeed set the bar for future Star Wars spin-offs.

Set many years after Revenge of the Sith, and shortly before A New Hope ("Ahhh! Prequel territory, run!!" Quiet you.) Rogue One centers on Jyn Erso (Jones), an anti-Empire street criminal who is rescued and recruited by the Rebels. It is revealed her father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen), who was taken to work for the Empire against his will when she was a child, has sent a holographic message to Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera (Forrest Whitaker). Due to her family ties, Jyn is sent with Captain Cassain Andor (Luna) and reprogrammed Imperial droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) to retrieve the message. What's in the message? A way to defeat the Empire's unfinished super weapon, the Death Star…

What follows are Jyn and the Rebels' attempts to steal the plans for the Death Star and gain a much needed edge over the Empire, personified here by Death Star Project Director (That's probably not his actual title but I'm calling him that) Orson Krennic (Mendelson) and the ever-looming presence of Darth Vader (James Earl Jones).

 Rogue One manages to craft a compelling and exciting story around a piece of the Star Wars timeline not many probably gave a second thought to. Most of that is credited to its wonderful cast of characters. This is a uniquely diverse and delightfully entertaining ensemble and it's a treat to go on this adventure with them. While most of us can predict how this is all going to go, you still care about these characters and want to see them to succeed. The final act of the film is an amazing ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.

On the flip side of things, I did find the film's storyline lagged in parts. Some sequences were a little too slow and didn't get us very far. Additionally, as much as I loved these characters and I do feel we got just enough character development for them, I wanted so much more. I wanted to see them bond and interact more, because they're such wonderful characters. Hopefully by one way or another we will see these Rebels again.

Enough about the characters, how about the actors who play them? Felicity Jones as Jyn is obviously the center of the film, and she plays her perfectly with the right balance of gruff and heart. Diego Luna as Captain Andor does a fine job but is more often than not outshined by his co-stars. One of those co-stars being Alan Tudyk as K-2SO, who is a real scene stealer. Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen make a delightfully awesome pair as best friends/Rebel warriors Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus.

Ben Mendelson as our villain Director Krennic, is sadly a weak villain. Mendelson plays him well enough, but he's merely just an Empire officer desperate to rise through the ranks and please Darth Vader. Speaking of Darth Vader, this is the most terrifying he's ever been on film. He's used sparingly throughout the film, but when he's used it's incredibly effective.

Couple more notes. The film is beautiful. Stunning visuals and cutting-edge effects bring the Star Wars locations of old to life in a glorious new way, and the battle scenes are incredible to watch. There are plenty of cameos and Easter Eggs to please the fans out there so keep your eyes open. More on that, and being cryptic to avoid spoilers, two characters from the original trilogy are brought back for a significant amount of the film through the use of Industrial Light & Magic's digital technology. It's both eerie and amazing to see what they've done, and hard to talk about without seeing the film, but oh boy is it cool. Lastly, while Star Wars films usually have such iconic music, Michael Giacchino's score is somewhat forgettable, which is sad given his recent eargasmic work in Doctor Strange.

So Rogue One is not a perfect film, but it's incredibly well-made and incredibly entertaining. It's a film all Star Wars fans should love for years to come. If all Star Wars Stories are to be like this, then I think it's fair to say, it's a great time to be a Star Wars fan.

Also, if you'd like to see what some fans thought going into the film opening night, check out this piece I did for Burlington Cable Access TV (BCAT).