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| Scene from Solo |
There is a scene that comes towards the end of the first act of director Ron Howard's Solo. Having joined a rogue group of bandits, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) must help to steal cargo from a train. If it's starting to sound like a western, it's because the movie is at its heart painting the mythos of one of cinema's most iconic sidekicks into the lone cowboy, a Clint Eastwood type but with swagger and an ability to talk his way out of anything. In this set piece, so much is conveyed that establishes the world of Solo and gives a sense of how things will be done in a world that trades horses for spaceships. It's kinetic and Star Wars at its best. However, the film's biggest issue isn't its problematic history with directors or that Ehrenreich isn't quite aping Harrison Ford right, but that it needs to connect to a bigger story. It's what keeps it from being a flat out amazing and refreshing ride through space.
The Star Wars franchise has always generally been about western iconography. If one wanted to, they could make an argument for how the original in 1977 was just that. However, Solo is the first that shamelessly adopts the imagery for its own, and does so from the opening frame where Han performs a getaway drive with his damsel in all the ways akin to the westerns of John Ford. The only difference here is that there's a lot of industrial settings and the aliens are shooting lasers. He is a fugitive in a sense, fighting with his wits at every turn in a manner that makes it compelling. Even composer John Powell's score updates John Williams' familiar motifs in a way that captures a new and youthful intensity. You buy Han as a cowboy in space not only for how he rides into sunsets, but also in how the story is, as the title alludes to, about the journey of one man.
It's the story of longing to be part of a group, or specifically one that will get him his happiness: his beloved Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), of whom he is separated for in the opening minutes. It's a familiar struggle, but one that services the film's themes of loneliness and desperation. What exactly will he do for love? It's a journey that takes him through space, performing train robberies and blowing up mines - like all good westerns do. His supporting team may be largely forgettable, but the way he holds his own with a blaster makes for kinetic cinema. You wonder how he'll survive this chaos, never really doubting that he has the will power to do so. It's maybe a bit underwhelming from a directorial standpoint - none of the action shots play too heavily with stylized or extended cuts - but it works if viewed as a B-Movie to this universe. It is, after all, an origin story about a character that doesn't show when he cares.
In some ways the film can't help but introduce some elements. There needs to be his furry sidekick Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), of whom he has immediate chemistry with. It's all so much fun to see this world have a starting place and to have it so rooted in ways that evoke westerns. True, some of it is clear fan service that adds nothing to the experience. But then there are moments, such as the famous Kessel Run, which evolved from improv over 40 years ago into the film's daring update of flying through the dangerous, murky limits of space. Even the presence of Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) gives the film a playful sense of geography as their relationship tinkers on being too affectionate. If viewed alone from the other films, there's a good chance that this film has some power to it.
However, it's still a Star Wars movie and has contractual commitments to the world it's surrounded by. It's the 10th official film in the franchise, and it falls between the prequels and the original films, meaning it has to pull from both in ways that take away some credibility. Knowing that Han survives chronologically for another four movies removes certain stakes from the film. Also, planting seeds for how various ideas gained origins feel pointless and take away from the film's general inconsequential nature. This is a film that maybe could've been better had a cinematic universe not been so daunting. Had it been allowed to just play with western tropes and be about a man on a mission, it could be a powerful, unique entry. Instead, it joins Rogue One as an odd filler movie that's fun but inevitably can't always survive on its own appeal.
Which makes Solo an odd film to judge. If taken away from other contexts, there's something that's downright charming about it. For a staid director of mostly Hollywood biopics, Ron Howard somehow brings a lot of life to the film and makes the action beats shine. It's got solid performances and is easy to enjoy. The only thing that could've made everything easier to accept was if it played more like the B-Movie it clearly is. Had it fit under two hours, it would be a masterpiece. Instead, it's a bit meandering at points and asks too much of its characters at others. Still, Solo is a film that expands the universe nicely while also showing the limitations of what having to serve other movies look like. If you can look past how it ties to everything, it's actually a fun ride. If nothing else, it's worth watching just for that train robbery scene, which mixes action and emotion so well that it reflects the type of better movie that this could've been.
In some ways the film can't help but introduce some elements. There needs to be his furry sidekick Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), of whom he has immediate chemistry with. It's all so much fun to see this world have a starting place and to have it so rooted in ways that evoke westerns. True, some of it is clear fan service that adds nothing to the experience. But then there are moments, such as the famous Kessel Run, which evolved from improv over 40 years ago into the film's daring update of flying through the dangerous, murky limits of space. Even the presence of Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) gives the film a playful sense of geography as their relationship tinkers on being too affectionate. If viewed alone from the other films, there's a good chance that this film has some power to it.
However, it's still a Star Wars movie and has contractual commitments to the world it's surrounded by. It's the 10th official film in the franchise, and it falls between the prequels and the original films, meaning it has to pull from both in ways that take away some credibility. Knowing that Han survives chronologically for another four movies removes certain stakes from the film. Also, planting seeds for how various ideas gained origins feel pointless and take away from the film's general inconsequential nature. This is a film that maybe could've been better had a cinematic universe not been so daunting. Had it been allowed to just play with western tropes and be about a man on a mission, it could be a powerful, unique entry. Instead, it joins Rogue One as an odd filler movie that's fun but inevitably can't always survive on its own appeal.
Which makes Solo an odd film to judge. If taken away from other contexts, there's something that's downright charming about it. For a staid director of mostly Hollywood biopics, Ron Howard somehow brings a lot of life to the film and makes the action beats shine. It's got solid performances and is easy to enjoy. The only thing that could've made everything easier to accept was if it played more like the B-Movie it clearly is. Had it fit under two hours, it would be a masterpiece. Instead, it's a bit meandering at points and asks too much of its characters at others. Still, Solo is a film that expands the universe nicely while also showing the limitations of what having to serve other movies look like. If you can look past how it ties to everything, it's actually a fun ride. If nothing else, it's worth watching just for that train robbery scene, which mixes action and emotion so well that it reflects the type of better movie that this could've been.
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