Taking a hiatus from the movie scene can be very refreshing.
About half a year ago now I decided to step away from all the criticism, speculation, and controversy that the media dishes out about films these days. It was a really nice break… and then, of course, Solo: A Star Wars Story came to theaters.
Because I was relatively out of the loop when the movie came out, I didn’t know much about people’s complaints or concerns for the movie (or the media’s representation thereof). Personally, I wasn’t too thrilled about ANOTHER Star Wars film coming out so soon—The Last Jedi being one big reason for my film hiatus—but I wouldn’t say I was totally turned off of the franchise (unlike other people).
About a week or so after the movie hit theaters, I got the urge to see a movie again, and since Solo seemed as good a film as any, my wife and I decided to go to check it out, not having any expectations as to how good it would be. And boy, let me tell you… I was pleasantly surprised.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is Good Movie
It’s a tragedy that Solo has not done well at the box office. Since its release on May 25th, the movie has only made $151 million domestically ($267 million internationally). And saying as the film apparently took about $250 million to produce and $150 million to promote, it’s looking like Solo is Star Wars’ first ever big flop.
And it’s too bad, because when you boil the movie down and look at it for what it really is—casting aside all the whiney fanboy pretenses and media drama—Solo: A Star Wars Story really is a good movie.
In fact, Solo has received some pretty favorable reviews from critics. It currently has a score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, which hey, isn’t that bad. That’s because when it comes down to it, when looked at without the lens of Star Wars fandom, the movie really does a lot of things right.
A Good Cast with a Good Story in a Good Universe
For one, Solo has a great cast. Despite many of the actors already being established in the film and entertainment industry, they all pulled off pretty realistic and likeable Star Wars characters. Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, and Donald Glover all gave wonderful performances—and yes, even Alden Ehrenreich did a great job as young Han in a performance which not only respected the character’s legacy but was also reasonable and entertaining to watch.
The story is also well executed. Sure, it’s not very original, but it’s done well. It’s nice and fast-paced when the action is hot but also has slower moments to balance the movie out. The director, Ron Howard, did an admirable job filling the film’s two hours with exciting and interesting scenes without it seeming forced or crammed, and the scenes feel natural in the story—like how Han and Chewbacca meet for the first time.
I also think it’s important to point out that there were no glaring plot holes or irrelevant plotlines, which is more than other movies in the franchise can say (I’m looking at you, The Last Jedi). Not only that, the movie manages to feel authentically Star Wars, with locations, events, and music that helps the audience sink into the fantasy world that has awed them for generations.
Overall, Solo delivers a pretty solid film. Not perfect, but really enjoyable. And as one critic said, “Solo is at its best when it’s uncoupled from all that heavy lifting, just crammed in a cockpit with its likeable cast and shooting for the stars.” Which brings me to my next point.
Fans and the Star Wars Franchise
Don’t get me wrong when I say this, because Disney and the creators of the new Star Wars movies really have some things they need to straighten out, too, but one of the biggest bits of controversy with the Star Wars franchise, at least recently, is its relationship with its fan base.
Fans have been super critical of Star Wars movies, especially recent ones—and you can’t blame them. Since its creation, Star Wars has transcended into one of the biggest pop culture phenomena in the past several decades. For many people, Star Wars isn’t just movies, it’s a way of life. So when fans speak up, it’s usually in defense of that product that has so thoroughly influenced them.
That’s not necessarily bad, but with each movie, fans’ criticisms seem more extreme. Given some of Disney’s decisions with recent movies, a lot of the criticism and disillusionment is understandable, but sometimes it goes too far.
Does it really make a difference how Han Solo got his name? Is it really important how he got his iconic blaster pistol? Is a movie that shows how these things happened really THAT much of a disgrace to the original trilogy and its characters?
Maybe it’s not my place to say whether it is or isn’t, but personally I don’t think those details in Solo made that big of a difference in the overall quality of the film.
Of course the Star Wars fan base is not wholly responsible for Solo’s failure–a lot of that comes from Disney and Lucasfilm producing a movie that was viewed as unnecessary and unwanted from the beginning (no matter how good it ended up). But I think fans are at least partially responsible for the current situation the franchise is in now. But hey, that’s just my opinion.
Go Watch Solo: A Star Wars Story
At the end of the day, Solo: A Star Wars Story provides the audience with a fast-paced, action-packed adventure in a galaxy far far away. Is it without its faults? Of course not. Will it go down the annals of film history as a truly great movie? Probably not. But it is worth the watch. And if you go see it without any pretenses or overly high expectations, you may just find yourself as pleasantly surprised with the movie as I found myself when I watched it.
In fact, my only complaint is that based on how it’s currently doing at the box office we probably won’t get a second Solo movie, which really is too bad because I for one would go see it. But at least we can enjoy the one movie we do have. I mean, I’ll probably go see it again before it leaves theaters—and for me that’s really saying something.
If you disagree with anything I’ve reviewed about Solo: A Star Wars Story, then I dare you to tell me about it in the comment section below.
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