About that Han Solo Movie

I tried my best to go into "Solo: A Star Wars Story" not thinking about all of its production troubles or the raging debates going on about its box office performance, the toxic fandom, and the lingering aftershocks of "The Last Jedi." I didn't really succeed, but I don't think it affected my enjoyment of the movie much. "Solo" is exactly what I expected it to be: a slick, noisy action romp leaning heavily on nostalgia for the original "Star Wars" trilogy.

The young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) is introduced as a street kid from a rough planet, who escapes into the Imperial navy, but is forced to leave his girlfriend Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) behind. Trying to go back for her, he eventually deserts and joins up with a group of thieves under Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). He has his first meetings with Chewbacca the Wookie (Joonas Suotamo) and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), and gets himself tangled up in the dealings of the Empire, the nascent Rebellion, and a variety of criminal gangs and syndicates.

There are many more characters and quite a lot more plot, which is a big part of the problems I had with "Solo." The movie suffers for trying to do too much. The writers felt the need to jam pretty much every momentous event of Han Solo's past into this movie, and find more ways to connect him to the larger conflicts in the "Star Wars" universe. There's enough material in here for a full trilogy of Han Solo movies, and then it goes ahead and sets up a sequel anyway. As you might expect, not everything gets the attention it deserves. At two and a half hours, "Solo" is about average length for a "Star Wars" movie, but the episodic structure makes it feel much longer. I really enjoyed parts of the film, especially the first hour, but found myself losing patience with it by the end.

I spent a lot of time wondering what the original directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, would have done differently. We'll never know, but I think it's pretty clear why they were removed - they were trying to make a freewheeling comedy and "Solo" definitely isn't one. The movie is pretty lighthearted and has funny moments, but the densely plotted story takes some very dramatic turns, and has sober, even tragic moments. Taking place mostly in the Star Wars universe's criminal underworld, nearly every character is some variation of crook or con-man. There are also several deaths, plenty of violence, and a melancholy ending. Bradford Young's gloomy, desaturated visuals give "Solo" a distinctly scroungier feel than the other "Star Wars" movies, which is perfect for a story full of double-crosses and shady dealings. There's a little starry-eyed idealism too, of course. It wouldn't be "Star Wars" without it.

Ron Howard did a perfectly fine clean-up job with the production. "Solo" never feels like a rushed or compromised project, though it has some tonal inconsistencies and odd bits of editing. Alden Ehrenreich also delivers a strong performance as the title character. He doesn't look or sound much like Harrison Ford, but he nails the cocky demeanor. Ditto Glover's charming Lando, who is the highlight of the film. Unfortunately, I didn't think much of Woody Harrelson's Beckett, who is supposed to be Han's mentor figure, or Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra. The actors aren't the problem here - it's the film's unwillingness to develop the characters beyond very familiar cliches. Qi'ra in particular seems like she'd be a much more sympathetic figure if the writers would just give us a little bit more of her perspective.

Still, if you want a diverting summer flick, "Solo" should fit the bill just fine. It boasts plenty of good action scenes and space opera eye candy. It's also certainly worth a look for "Star Wars" fans, with its loving throwbacks and references to the earliest parts of the franchise. I'm also heartened that "Solo" toys with some darker directions, even if the material ultimately stays very safe and predictable. So while I didn't come out impressed, I wasn't disappointed either. And I'm a little sad this may be the last time we see Ehrenreich and Glover as Han and Lando.


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