Solo: A Star Wars Story

How best to describe this film? It definitely makes more sense than the two sequel trilogy films I've reviewed so far, but I don't think it's quite on the level on Rogue One or the original trilogy. Like it had potential, but it felt like a very safe film.

The story focuses on a young Han Solo, played by Alden Ehrenreich, who, after meeting Chewbacca and joining a group of smugglers led by Tobias Beckett, played by Woody Harrelson, he ends up having to smuggle a rare element called coaxium for Dryden Vos, played by Paul Bettany, an enforcer for a crime syndicate known as Crimson Dawn. Joining these three are Han's childhood friend and love interest, Qi'Ra, played by Emilia Clarke, a young Lando Calrissian, played by Donald Glover, and his droid copilot L3-37, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

While this is definitely a fun movie, if you have watched the original Star Wars trilogy and are hoping to find out some new information about your favorite scoundrel, well, you'll be disappointed. Most of this film is just explaining stuff that Han talks about in his backstory in the original trilogy. It's cool to see, but ultimately, it's very safe. For a movie about a snarky and unpredictable smuggler, this one feels like it is going through the motions.

Also, this is a rare exception in the Disney Star Wars films, but this is probably the ugliest Star Wars movies I have seen. The majority of the visuals are very dull and grungy, even for a used future aesthetic like Star Wars. Like, you watch Force Awakens, Rogue One, or Last Jedi, and the visuals are beautiful, crisp, and make you feel like you've traveled to a galaxy far, far away. Here, it just feels like someone put a dirty filter over the camera and it really takes you out of the story, and where the story isn't anything special, that makes this movie extremely subpar.

Overall, this is a fine distraction if you're not looking for anything amazing or groundbreaking. As an expansion to the Star Wars franchise, though, it does very little. I never thought I would say it, but the Han Solo movie just isn't all that fun.

Next time, we journey back to the Wizarding World to join Newt Scamander on a new adventure, this time in 1920s Paris, as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald begins to gather forces. How will our heroes be able to hold him at bay? Find out when I review Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

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