So, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a perfectly fine crime/heist flick that happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. Which, technically makes it one of the most different Star Wars flicks, even though it plays things pretty safe. Yeah, the movie doesn’t have an epic scope and isn’t about saving the galaxy… it’s about robbing a train, getting paid, and staying one step ahead of the gangsters.
And the movie is…. perfectly fine. Yeah… it’s alright. It’s good even. See me hopping up and down with excitement? No? Good reason for that… the movie starts and I’m grinning ear to ear… not that it’s funny (a lot of the jokes don’t land) but because it’s got a sense of fun and adventure. And it hangs on to that for quite some time… until the plot gets too involved and by the time the crosses, double-crosses, and triple-crosses start piling up, the movie gets a little flabby. I just wanted them to hurry it up already. That’s not good for a crime caper which should be snappy and crisp… and that’s where the movie does sag. Not too badly, but saggy nonetheless.
Plot is Han Solo is young(ish), wants to get some cash to get a ship to go save a friend he left behind on Corellia. He falls in with some gangsters, con artists, and train robbers. He meets Chewbacca, hangs out with Woody Harrelson, meets Lando, and the Falcon. For what this film is, it does have a decent amount of fan service stuff but it’s not too bad and its not too obviously doing a ‘You remember this, right?’ In fact, some of the fan service was pretty Inside Baseball at times… only the fans will get it and casuals will not. You don’t have to get it though… the movie is perfectly fine as a stand-alone flick.
Alden Ehrenreich does a pretty good job of playing Han Solo. He doesn’t do Harrison Ford impersonation in terms of his voice but he does manage his swagger, his movements, the way he holds a blaster. You won’t forget Ford did it better, but the new kid does a fine job. No problem there.
Donald Glover does a fine job as Lando Calrissian… but some have noted he’s not a very good guy in the film. But Lando isn’t always a good guy so I thought he did fine. He probably could have used more screen time, I suppose.
Aaaaand…. not much else to say. It’s a sci-fi heist flick starring recast characters in a familiar universe that uses a lot of practical effects. It’s not gonna set the world on fire but, on the other hand, a lot of people were nervous or outright uninterested in seeing this Star Wars movie. I think those people will be mildly surprised if, for no other reason, than low expectations. It doesn’t face-plant, it doesn’t embarrass itself.
It’s fine. We’re all fine here now, thank you. How are you?
Score: 83