It seemed as if fans wanted “Solo: A Star Wars Story” to flop from the moment it was announced by Lucasfilm. Much of the “Star Wars” fandom was wary of an origin story that dealt with one of the most beloved characters of all time, Han Solo.
When the official teaser came out for “Solo,” it was met with pretty strong backlash, mostly relating to the lead actor, Alden Ehrenreich. People were adamant on establishing that Harrison Ford isHan Solo, and no one else could portray the character.
But, it’s not Ehrenreich’s fault that “Solo” turned out the way it did. Ehrenreich is fairly good in this second installment of the anthology series, and he certainly has demonstrated his acting chops in the past (see the Coen brothers’ comedy “Hail, Caesar!”).
He’s convincing enough as Solo, and this origin story is set several years before Luke and Leia meet the cynical, smoldering Han we have come to know and love. In this film, young Han is earnest and just beginning to come into his own.
We meet the young Han on the shipbuilding world of Corellia, a pretty hellish looking place. Han plans to escape with his girlfriend, Qi’ra (played by Emilia Clarke from “Game of Thrones”), but let’s just say the escape doesn’t go as planned and Qi’ra doesn’t make it off the planet.
Jump ahead three years and we find Han in the midst of a war zone as a pilot for the Imperial Army, still fantasizing about getting Qi’ra off Corellia. He essentially deserts the army but meets Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) on his way.
Han and Chewbacca team up with a crew of thieves consisting of Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), Val (Thandie Newton from “Westworld”) and Rio (Jon Favreau). The ragtag team attempts to steal a large amount of coaxium, an expensive hyperfuel in high demand, during an epic train-heist sequence that goes awry.
When the crew doesn’t pull off the heist, they must answer to their employer Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), the gangster leader of a crime syndicate. While meeting Vos, Han finally reunites with Qi’ra in the midst of a love triangle.
Vos decides to give them another chance and sends Qi’ra along to oversee their next heist. The crew is in need of a ship and goes to Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino) for help.
If you think that’s enough plot for one film, you’d be right, but writers Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jonathan, seem to disagree. The film drags on and on with a total running time of two hours and fifteen minutes. The long running time would be fine if “Solo” actually added anything to the “Star Wars” universe.
When Phil Lord and Chris Miller, known for “The Lego Movie” and “21 Jump Street,” were brought on to direct the film, it was an auspicious sign that “Solo” could have the same success as “Rogue One.” The comedic duo might have been able to justify the need for a Solo origin story by creating something that had never been seen before in the “Star Wars” cinematic universe.
But, months into filming, Lord and Miller were fired by Disney and Lucasfilm due to “creative differences.” Soon thereafter, Ron Howard was brought on to complete filming and ended up having to do extensive reshoots that added months to the production schedule.
It’s rumored Lord and Miller were straying too far from the script as they experimented and allowed a lot of improvisation on set.
Han Solo is known as a roguish, rule-breaker who paves his own path, but this film does exactly the opposite. In fact, it’s difficult to remember most of it as soon as you step out of the theater.
Despite all the behind-the-scenes drama, “Solo” is still an enjoyable popcorn flick that answers questions you may have never thought to ask. The film is well-casted, particularly Glover as Billy Dee Williams’ Lando, but the characters that audiences want to spend more time with get brushed aside.
“Solo” might have been more successful at the box office had it not been released only five months after the polarizing “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” “Star Wars” is not like the Marvel Comics cinematic universe where blockbuster after blockbuster can be released with positive results.
