Director: Ron Howard
Main Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Joonas Suotamo, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau, Erin Kellyman
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Plot: This is essentially the story of how Han Solo gets his surname, becomes best friends with Chewie, and forms a lifelong rivalry with Lando Calrissian years before the events of the original Star Wars trilogy takes place.
My Thoughts: I just don’t see why this couldn’t have been released at Christmas, just like the other recent Star Wars movies. There would have been so much hype around it, and I think it would have helped it perform better at the box office too because I already see this being labelled a ‘flop’ when it really wasn’t a bad movie at all.
Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion, but I thought Alden Ehrenreich did a pretty good job as Han Solo. It can’t be easy trying to imitate another actor’s performance, especially when it’s such a widely-loved character. Can we take a moment though to appreciate the absolute legend that is Donald Glover as Lando? Hollywood, please cast this guy in everything, because he’s amazing!
I wasn’t a huge fan of Emilia Clarke’s character, although maybe I’m just not a fan of Emilia Clarke. She’s great in Game of Thrones but she seems a bit out of place here – and I feel like she did in the latest Terminator movie too.
Solo was a movie I really enjoyed watching, but it missed that spark that the others have, the whole ‘saving the galaxy’ vibe. The storytelling was great but I feel like it’s a movie that I just don’t need to ever see again if that makes sense?
Best Bit: Any bit that included Lando. But on a serious note, the scene when L3 starts a rebellion of her own. What is it about the Star Wars droids? They’re all hilarious!
Worst Bit: The opening. Why didn’t we have the scrolling introduction? Rogue One had it so why didn’t Solo? I’m confused!
Fun Trivia: While posing as slave traders, Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) wears the same helmet and uniform that Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) wore while posing as a bodyguard for Jabba the Hutt in Stars Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983).
My Rating: 3 and a half pairs of arms that Chewbacca tore off…ouch!
I’m glad someone here liked Alden Ehrenreich as I liked his performance. I agree that it should’ve been released during the Xmas season. I think SW films should come every 2 years or a year and a half. Just to give fans some breathing space.
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I’m with you about the breathing space. If they continue with a new movie every single year we’re all going to be burnt out!
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Exactly. It makes me appreciate filmmakers like Pedro Almodovar, Jim Jarmusch, and several others who don’t make films every year. Waiting for their new films actually makes it exciting and gives you the chance to see other things.
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I agree with you about Alden Ehrenreich- I really liked him which I was convinced I wouldn’t even through the trailers. Glover was great but I wish they had given him more to do here!
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Yessssss it needed so much more Lando! Perhaps Disney will throw him his own movie…
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