Last night, my fiancée and I went along to our local theatre to catch the first screening of Disney's fourth contribution to the saga - Solo: A Star Wars Story. When it was first announced, I was less-than-enthusiastic about the idea of a Han-centred origin film. While he's my favourite character in the saga, I felt that there were far more interesting stories to be told in that galaxy far, far away. Nevertheless, my anticipation for the film had been steadily growing over recent months, and I went into last night's screening with a cautious sense of optimism. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised.
This might just be the Star Wars movie I've been hoping for ever since Disney took over the franchise: a fun-filled romp through the galaxy that - while still having high stakes - isn't yoked with the burden of having to further the story of the main episodic saga (which, despite being a standalone film, Rogue One was still tasked with doing). Sure, this story might not matter. Skipping it certainly won't leave you bereft of plot information that's vital to understanding the rest of the saga. But if that's all you're focused on, then I daresay you've missed the point of these standalone films - and the Star Wars franchise more generally. I'm a veteran of the Expanded Universe, and I learned a long time ago that a Star Wars story doesn't need to "matter" in order to be important. This franchise has always been about world-building - about fleshing out characters and filling in little unexplored nooks and crannies of the universe. That's one of the things I love most about this franchise. And this is something that Solo gets absolutely right.
This might just be the Star Wars movie I've been hoping for ever since Disney took over the franchise: a fun-filled romp through the galaxy that - while still having high stakes - isn't yoked with the burden of having to further the story of the main episodic saga (which, despite being a standalone film, Rogue One was still tasked with doing). Sure, this story might not matter. Skipping it certainly won't leave you bereft of plot information that's vital to understanding the rest of the saga. But if that's all you're focused on, then I daresay you've missed the point of these standalone films - and the Star Wars franchise more generally. I'm a veteran of the Expanded Universe, and I learned a long time ago that a Star Wars story doesn't need to "matter" in order to be important. This franchise has always been about world-building - about fleshing out characters and filling in little unexplored nooks and crannies of the universe. That's one of the things I love most about this franchise. And this is something that Solo gets absolutely right.
Alden Ehrenreich nails it. I'd harboured some deep scepticism about any actor's ability to step into such an iconic role. But less than five minutes in, I'd bought it. This was Han Solo. I recognised the character, and the actor playing him was largely immaterial. In fact, Ehrenreich's portrayal of the famous smuggler is only eclipsed by Donald Glover's Lando - a masterclass in inhabiting a hugely familiar character without falling into the trap of imitation. Glover's delivery was so good that there were a few moments where I even questioned whether Billy Dee Williams might have dubbed some of Lando's lines. The rest of the ensemble cast shine, too, though the real highlight is L3-37 - a droid unlike any we've seen before. Emilia Clarke inhabits the role of Qi'ra completely, and Woody Harrelson and Thandie Newton give us a phenomenal pair of swashbucklers who steal many scenes. Even Jon Favreau's CGI character Rio Durant - who for the most part acts as comic relief - manages to bring a surprising amount of poignancy to his performance.
There's one other character who really takes centre-stage in this film, however - but to whom not a lot of people will pay due credit: the Millennium Falcon. In fact, I joked with my fiancée that this movie could just as easily have been titled "Falcon: A Star Wars Story", as it's just as much her origin tale as it is Han's.
How about you? What are your thoughts on Solo: A Star Wars Story? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!
There's one other character who really takes centre-stage in this film, however - but to whom not a lot of people will pay due credit: the Millennium Falcon. In fact, I joked with my fiancée that this movie could just as easily have been titled "Falcon: A Star Wars Story", as it's just as much her origin tale as it is Han's.
How about you? What are your thoughts on Solo: A Star Wars Story? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!
