Directed by Ron Howard
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel
Screenplay by Jonathan Kasdan, Lawrence Kasdan
Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, Paul Bettany
“I don’t like it. I don’t agree with it. But I accept it.” – Lando Calrissian
Premised on providing a backstory for one of the original trilogy’s most enigmatic and beloved characters, and plagued by behind-the-scenes troubles that involved a switch in directors mid-shoot, Solo: A Star Wars Story faced an uphill battle from the get-go. (And was it just me, or was the cinematography a little too dark? And I could have sworn there were a couple of cuts here and there that felt a bit “off”—the fruit of reshoots perhaps?) This film thus faced the challenge of not just living up to the rest of the canon, but also justifying its own existence.
The result is a mostly fun ride rife with twists and turns, buoyed by up-and-comers Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover, who do a great job of channeling characters created decades ago. Woody Harrelson’s Tobias Beckett, Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “woke” droid L3-37, meanwhile, are much-welcomed additions into this already-sprawling fictional universe.
Overall, Solo is a suitable entry, though far from a standout, into the greater Star Wars mythos. It’s also without a doubt the blandest Star Wars movie since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm (though it’s still slightly better than 1999’s The Phantom Menace, which is a pretty low bar), and a mediocre spinoff of the main saga. It won’t win any new fans, but will definitely elicit cheers and smiles from audience members familiar with the lore.
Score: 5.5/10
About the Reviewer
Charles SanCheese is an avid reader, student of literature, and pop-culture vulture. He works as a copy editor in Mandaue City and has lived in Cebu his whole life.
He has authored several essays, short stories, and lengthier works of fiction, all of which can be found in the grand annals of his personal hard drive. Follow him on Twitter at @charlesancheese.
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