«Solo: A Star Wars Story»

Cinema Wednesdays - Loris S. Musumeci

«Qi'Ra, I'll be back, I'll be back!»

The planet Corellia is dirty, industrial, dark and serious. It inspires neither confidence nor well-being. Life is sad and difficult. Han is still very young. He lives on this planet, in the service of a sordid mafia that stupidly does the bidding of the monster Lady Proxima. Qi'Ra, his companion, shares his miserable condition. But their hopes are not over. Han uses a spectacular ruse to kill Lady Proxima and flees her henchmen with Qi'Ra. Once they arrive at the port of embarkation, the two manage to obtain a ticket to leave the planet, thanks to a vial of the precious substance coaxium.

Han hurries through the gate, but Qi’Ra is suddenly seized by one of Lady Proxima’s agents. The gate slams shut. Drama. Screams. The young man promises his beloved he’ll return. He won’t forget her. He’ll come back for her. Fast-forward three years, and the story finds the Corellian escapee on a blood-soaked battlefield on the planet Mimban. Circumstances lead to him being thrown into the beast’s pit—where the beast is none other than his beloved Chewbacca, who is supposed to devour him. Speaking his language, Han manages to convince the one who will become his lifelong companion to escape. They team up with the smuggler Thomas Beckett to make some money and fulfill their respective dreams: for Chewbacca, to free his people from slavery; for Han, to find Qi’Ra. But nothing will go as planned.

The audience preferred Harrison Ford

And now Solo: A Star Wars Story adds another piece to the galactic puzzle of the Star Wars universe. The film is not part of the so-called «canonical» saga; rather, it’s part of the expanded universe of George Lucas’s films, designed to complement the saga. This time, the spotlight is on the hero Han Solo. A staple of Star Wars, the character was portrayed by Harrison Ford in the official episodes. Now, as the story returns to the legendary pilot’s younger days, the role is being taken on by the 28-year-old “heartthrob” actor Alden Ehrenreich. And this has fans of Harrison Ford’s Han Solo grinding their teeth.

While the young actor retains the old actor’s delightful arrogance and ambition, his performance is somewhat perplexing. Without being unpleasant or a complete failure, Alden Ehrenreich isn’t entirely convincing. The character is clever, to be sure, but the actor overplays the cleverness, unable to shake off his confident, beaming smile. Furthermore, he struggles to truly immerse himself in the story. All the events—even the most tragic ones—leave him virtually unmoved, as if nothing had happened. Nevertheless, some critics are too harsh on the actor, who, despite the flaws mentioned, doesn’t ultimately do all that badly.

In fact, he’s not the one ruining the movie. Ron Howard’s direction was chaotic, as we now know. He was brought on board in June 2017 to salvage the film, which, according to George Lucas, was going off the rails because of the original directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller. So, if the film is a bit uneven, there’s no need to blame the actors, since the filming conditions weren’t conducive to complete success.

Chewbacca's Encounter

Solo: A Star Wars Story It also gives the impression of a story that wasn’t fully developed. Numerous scenes unfold one after another, from the planet Corellia to the very end, yet few of them leave the viewer satisfied. Although the film runs for two hours and ten minutes, it all felt like too much—such is the intense desire to learn more about the legendary Han Solo. It’s undoubtedly this flaw that makes this installment rather lackluster. The exception is the encounter with Chewbacca, which, though brief, unfolds on screen with remarkable intensity. It will be remembered for a long time.

As for the cinematography, nothing exceptional. Needless to say, digital effects and explosive action are in full force. Yet they don’t completely dominate the screen. In keeping with the Star Wars cinematographic tradition, the imagery remains very grounded despite the inevitable abundance of special effects. One pleasant element that enhances the film’s appeal is its Western style. True to the spirit of the toughest cowboys, the duel scenes spice up sequences that would have been bland without the combat. Finally, while not a great film, this biopic of a young Han Solo has the merit of being interesting within the context of the saga and offering an entertaining evening at the movies.

«We're not marauders—we're allies. And the war has only just begun.»

Write to the author : loris.musumeci@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Lucasfilm