Solo: A Star Wars Story

Let's be honest. Nobody really asked for this.

But as the force has determined it so, "Solo: A Star Wars Story" is now a reality. Before George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, a development for a film about a young Han Solo was in the works. The script was being written by a veteran Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jonathan Kasdan. The Han Solo film that we see before our eyes is also written by the Kasdans, but of course, not directed by George Lucas. Would "Solo" have turned out differently, or at least better, if the creator of Star Wars himself brought his own imagination into fruition? That may be never answered, unfortunately. Nevertheless, this film has been taking some serious heat from fans over the past 2 months. There were doubts about the cast, doubts about the creativity, and doubts about Kathleen Kennedy. It is difficult to take sides before a film even comes out, especially since any preconceived notions can cloud anyone's impression of something. Consequently, I decided to hold zero expectations for "Solo". Was it going to be good? Or bad? The pressure was on Disney to revive the franchise and regain the trust of the audience.

To relive through Han Solo's origins and his backstory as an outlaw or fugitive is a likeable idea. Not the greatest idea, but good enough to draw some interest. Some. It starts as young orphaned Solo escaping a local criminal gang and becoming stranded just by himself. Temporarily joining the Imperial Army in order to pursue his dream as an elite pilot, Solo gets tangled up with a gang of galactic smugglers and a Wookie named Chewbacca. As the criminal Tobias Beckett says it best, "If you come with us, you are in this life for good", things gets complicated and tense as crime lord Dryden Vos demands a valuable shipment as payment for certain misdeeds. Requiring a fast ship, Solo tries to strike a deal with Lando Calrissian, the owner of the famed Millenium Falcon. Considering that this was written by a verteran Star Wars writer, the story is a huge disappointment. Basically, we have an immature fugitive who needs to retrieve an important cargo, with time as his main enemy. This is a template that is ubiquitous in many sci-fi or action films today, which makes "Solo" quite uninteresting in terms of story. In such case, it becomes incumbent upon the cast to add flavor for the entire duration of the film, and rightfully so because this is more about young Han Solo's identity rather than his history. Unfortunately, the cast falls in a similar situation as the plot, for reasons coming up soon.

Continuing on, the pacing is somewhat inconsistent and uneven, especially in the middle when the action feels simply too long and tedious. In such case, the audience is forced to annoyingly endure long stretch of meaningless sequences. On many instances, I said to myself, "Yeah, yeah. Just move on already." because the plot is so predictable. The betrayals are boring, moments of tension are not tense at all, and the comedic touches feel uncomfortably underwhelming. Nevertheless, what makes up for this shortcoming is all the references from the original trilogy. You get to see how Han Solo met his iconic partner, Chewbacca. You get to see how the Millenium Falcon was won from Lando, fair and square. You get to see how Han Solo and his ship "made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs" (Star Wars: A New Hope). For anybody who has watched the original trilogy in full, "Solo" definitely evokes a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction while experiencing the backstory and development of a smuggler/pilot who ultimately plays a key role in toppling the Empire.

The greatest doubt that "Solo" faced before release was arguably the cast, most notably Alden Ehrenreich who plays the titular character. Based on the trailers, people were not convinced that Ehrenreich could successfully replicate the flair and suaveness of Harrison Ford's performance, which is tall or near impossible task for any actor. Ehrenreich may have done his best, but to say he looks, talks and acts like the real Han Solo that we know is such an incorrect statement. Indeed, "Solo" is supposed to present an immature outlaw with a soft spot, which Ehrenreich conveys well at certain points in the film. However, the overall performance does not represent Han Solo at all. The other character that falls into that similar case is Lando Calrissian. Donald Glover was also given a difficult task to revive an iconic Star Wars character. Sadly, both Glover's and Ehrenreich's charm feels incredibly forced, whereas Ford and Billy Dee Williams were much more natural and refined (hence why Solo and Lando are still so influential today). However, the level of monotony in their dialogue was especially more jarring. This is a huge step-back of a performance because it entirely ruins Solo's and Lando's widely known charismatic and well-spoken personalities. Thus, while the main cast should be commended for their efforts and bravery to tackle two of the most difficult characters to re-embody today, the result is far from excellent.

In the midst of one criticism after another, "Solo" still achieves two crucial elements that makes it stand out better than "The Last Jedi" and "Rogue One". The first one is giving a behind-the-scene depiction of the Empire's operations. So far, every Star Wars film has only shown us what it is like to be part of the rebellion and the Jedi order. But what is it like to be part of the Empire? When Han Solo is recruited as a flight cadet, his adventure mainly takes us into some gruesome trench warfare and boots on the ground style combat, a nice touch to add in sci-fi film. Moreover, the same stormtroopers that mercilessly subjugate planets and speak robotically to each other act no differently as normal human beings. No matter how omnipotent the Empire has looked throughout the Star Wars franchise, "Solo" is channeled through a different and unique perspective, revealing to us that taking over the galaxy is not pretty at all. The other element that this film does better is the action. If one characteristic of Han Solo is conveyed correctly here, it would be his intense prowess for piloting. On several occasions, Solo takes the wheel to escape desperate situation be it during a heist, chase or space battle. When these types of scenes are coupled with steady pacing, the classic Star Wars soundtrack and the finest visuals to date, "Solo" is automatically in a league of its own in the Star Wars franchise. Although the action is still fairly predictable and follows a strict arrangement as seen in many other films, to finally watch the precarious and epic Kessel run unfold on the big screen is any fan's dream. If any Star Wars magic was revitalize in "Solo", those moments would be it.

At the end of the day, "Solo" is an ordinary sci-fi film of the 21st century that just takes place in the Star Wars universe. Other than summoning the nostalgia for original trilogy, there is almost nothing new or magical. Furthermore, I have never witnessed so much developmental disarray and disgruntled reactions for a renowned and accomplished blockbuster title like Star Wars. All the discord about firing the directors, Ehrenreich needing acting coaches and reshooting 70% of the film is quite concerning, especially because it shows how loosely the Star Wars brand has been treated and is not hyping the audience up as it used to. And to even entertain the idea that a Star Wars film might turn into a box office bomb is a huge step back for one of the greatest franchise in the history of entertainment. However, the release of "Solo" is undoubtedly set up for more anthology sequels to come, a Kathleen Kennedy take on Star Wars if you will. A Boba Fett film is already in the productions and rumors are that Lando and Obi-Wan Kenobi (!) might get their own spotlight one day. I will say that "Solo" ends on a solid note in that regard. Personally, my level of excitement went through the roof during the last few minutes when my favorite character (favorite for many others, in fact) in Star Wars made an unexpected return. It is very apparent that this popular character will emerge once again in years to come, and that is what I am so invigorated about. Even though my optimism does not absolve "Solo" from its disappointing blunders in writing, acting and creativity, I will keep my eyes out for future Star Wars productions, for my fandom's sake. But don't take my word for it, for I am a victim. A victim of Disney's gluttony.

Verdict: Agreeable 6

Release Date: May 25, 2017

Box Office: $273.9 million

Rewatchable: No

If a teaser trailer doesn't make us want more, there is a big problem.