3.5 stars out of 5
Richie Cunningham directing a Star Wars movie? My inner 8-year-old was doing backflips. And for the early going, he was the only one who was truly happy, as this film felt like it was made for little kids. (Which wouldn’t be the worst thing, would it?) Star Alden Ehrenreich, so great in Hail, Caesar!, wasn’t helping matters. Though he bears a passing resemblance to Harrison Ford, and even more so to Brad Pitt—not too shabby a combination, actually—Ehrenreich’s Han Solo lacked the swagger of either of those actors. The dialogue, such as with evil Lady Proxima, was corny, and smaller sets, such as on a battlefield, looked cheap. The most exciting early action has our heroes waiting at airport security–cue John Williams’ “Imperial March of the TSA.” And the story, in which out heroes seek vibranium, uh, I mean, coaxium, in a lawless Fury Road world, felt overly familiar.
But things slowly pick up. Woody Harrelson adds some grown-up heft to the proceedings. Donald Glover is legitimately cool as Lando Calrissian; one can imagine him doing a Colt 45 commercial. An extended “train robbery” sequence is thrilling, as is a later Millennium Falcon chase. And Ehrenreich eventually finds his footing. By the end I did buy him as young Han Solo.
On that character-development front, I should give some credit to father/son screenwriters Lawrence and John Kasdan. The elder Mr. K wrote the definitive Star Wars flick, The Empire Strikes Back, so, much respect. (“I am your father!” indeed.) And Ron Howard, decades removed from Grand Theft Auto, proves himself still adept at directing action. Keep eyes open for a few nice references that long-time Star Wars and Howard fans will appreciate.
I’m realizing that the Star Wars “stories” aren’t given quite the backing or budget of the official Episodes. Hell, they don’t even use the classic scroll intro. But this is a pleasant diversion, and if you love Star Wars, why wouldn’t you see it? So go to Solo.
Jack Silbert, curator