It’s hard to believe it’s been half a decade since the second anthology film in the Star Wars saga graced our screens but boy, this film has aged well. Let’s dive past the Kessel Run and take a look.
In order to really appreciate this film we need to go back to the time it was released. For the original and prequel trilogies we were used to a film every three years. These release dates always worked so well albeit we were in a different time, not only for the world but for how we consumed media. Flashforward to the modern era under Disney and it was time for an annual Christmas release strategy. The Force Awakens, Rogue One and The Last Jedi all adhered to this, but Solo was the first film to be released in May since 2005’s Revenge of the Sith.
It’s safe to say that when Solo was released it was a deeply complicated time in fandom. We were just five short months out from the release of The Last Jedi. For obvious reasons I won’t be treading over old ground here, but to put it fairly and simply….wherever you stand on that film it was clearly…disruptive, shall we say, to the fandom. For some, it was the greatest film since Empire; for others it was an absolute disaster. And then we have poor Solo, caught in the crossfire. I admit, I was one person who kept thinking – ‘Do we really need Solo? No one else can be Harrison Ford!’ and then the night before Solo came out I read online that Rian Johnson loved the film. ‘Oh no,’ I cried. ‘If he loves it and thinks it’s funny then we’re in trouble.’ There were all the behind the scenes production woes that had played out so very publicly. There was so much against this film from the start. ‘Good luck, Solo. You’re gonna need it.’
Cut to opening night. Midnight. I’m seated with popcorn and for some reason the nerves about this film washed away. I let myself be excited. Cut to around 2.30am and I couldn’t have been happier. The magic was back. The spirit of Star Wars was alive. The fun of Star Wars which was so drastically absent in The Last Jedi was here to feel onscreen. The audience laughed and cheered, and I was grinning ear to ear. Ron Howard had delivered something really joyful.
Alden Ehrenreich did exactly what he needed to do. Took on the role of Han Solo without doing an impression of Harrison Ford, but keeping enough of Ford’s quirks to allow us to feel that this was a young Solo. There was some wonderful writing in this film, and the real stand-out story point for me was the relationship between Han and Chewbacca. In the stories of the old EU, the roles were more master/servant with this idea of the ‘life debt’ having to be paid by Chewie to Han. This could have been interpreted that this was an obligation of sorts, but what happened in Solo spoke much more of a balanced relationship. They helped each other escape and Chewie chose to come with Han, and then he chose to stay. They were two lost souls who found each other in the midst of a broken history. Brothers in (detatched) arms.
Now, here is when I come out and sing it to the rooftops. This film is my favourite of the new era. Why? Because, I believe, it’s the film that feels most like a George Lucas film. It’s funny, has adventure, sticks to the hero’s journey, is a little clunky in places and slightly weird at times. (Lady Proxima, I’m looking at you), but it also has great innocence. It reminds us that while we all love great drama and high-stakes, Star Wars delivers knockout entertainment when its trying to be nothing but pure fun.
I think the fact that Lawrence Kasdan co-wrote the script here is its secret weapon. This film won’t change your life – it’s not designed that way. The score is delightful in every way, and seeing Han lay his eyes on the Falcon for the first time still gives me goosebumps. The ground battle on Kessel is an absolute belter from start to finish and executed superbly. Donald Glover is Lando Calrissian. He had all the charm and smoothness of Billy Dee from the get go. The third act has a few pacing issues, but at the end we’re left with a Han Solo who is already too cynical for his years due to all his has seen and fought for. There was so much potential here for sequels or television shows, and its a shame that the narrative that has been pushed for the film’s box office woes was because of casting. The ensemble delivered fantastic performances all round and it’s encouraging to here that many of them, including Alden, have started to come out and say they’d up for a second go. A Lando series has been announced, but that was way back in 2020 now and nothing seems to have come to fruition, so it looks like its another potential Lucasfilm casualty.
At this year’s Celebration I spoke to Joonas Suotamo himself and complimented him on what he’d done with the character of Chewbacca since he took over from the late Peter Mayhew. I mentioned how Solo was as much his film’s as Han’s and he spoke with genuine passion for the project and said quite happily – ‘Yes, we need Solo 2. We need it!’
So, Happy fifth birthday to Solo: A Star Wars Story, I love you!
And somewhere I hope Alden Ehrenreich has got a lopsided smile on his face and saying to himself:
“I know.”
- ICONIC VEHICLE: Race through BEGGAR’S CANYON with THE MANDALORIAN’S N-1 STARFIGHTER
- AUTHENTIC SCALE: 5-inch vehicle features incredible details and authentic scaling
- FULL LOADOUT: Includes opening cockpit, retractable landing gear, and GROGU
- ICONIC CREW: Pack contains 1-inch DIN DJARIN (BESKAR) micro figure accessory
- OFFICIAL PRODUCT: Officially licensed STAR WARS product from Jazwares