Cindy Prascik's Review of Solo: A Star Wars Story

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a trip back in time with Han Solo.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or that our leading man hasn't spoiled in an interview. (Non plot-related!)

 

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a cheeky kid from the wrong side of the universal tracks sets out for something better.

 

Dear reader(s), I must warn you that Memorial Day puts me in an odd frame of mind, so my experience with Solo: A Star Wars story will have been colored by that, as, undoubtedly, will this review. Please excuse if it's all a bit scattered.

 

I liked this movie. I didn't love it--I might have loved it on a different day--but I did like it a great deal. It's a perfectly fun outing that would be accepted as such if only it weren't part of this legendary franchise. BUT...it's a Star Wars movie, so the Internet has to beat the hell out of it because that's what the Internet does. Don't listen to the Internet, kids. 

 

Alden Ehrenreich is terrific, and the world owes him an apology for the bashing he took upon being cast in this iconic role. I know it can be hard for die-hard fans to accept a new face on a favorite character, but all timeless characters ultimately are likely to be portrayed by someone who isn't the actor we grew up with, and we're just going to have to get over it. Ehrenreich has charisma to spare, and fills Harrison Ford's boots quite admirably. For whatever it's worth, I also think he has just the right status to take on a role like this; he's done enough that people will have an idea what he can do (if they've been paying attention), but he isn't saddled with a past role or career that would have brought too much baggage with it. Emilia Clarke further cements her genre legacy, joining yet another franchise that guarantees her a convention living even if she never scores another acting role. As expected, though, the real scene-stealer is Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian. Glover is deservedly the current "it" performer across pretty much all media, and I think I speak for the majority when I say, if someone wants to make a Lando Calrissian movie with Glover, we are down with that.

 

A handful of negatives: Solo is too long by a good 20-30 minutes, most of which easily could have been rectified by trimming the inter-galactic chase scenes. It's like Fast & Furious in space, and, while those scenes are consequential, they seldom need to be as long as they are in ANY movie, out in space or here on good ol' planet Earth. The picture comes out of the gate running, but the first act still seems painfully dull. It also tries too hard to present any Han Solo-related incident that's been referenced in any Star Wars movie, ever. New characters seem insistent on becoming memorable, but most of them are just very, very annoying. (Oh, that damnable droid!) Finally, a fair bit of Solo--maybe more than half--is so dark it's nearly impossible to see what's going on, likely a by-product of seeing a 3D production in 2D. Of course it's the ticket-buyer's choice to skip the 3D, but if a film is showing in 2D, it should be of an acceptable quality to be seen in 2D.

 

Now for the good news: As mentioned, Solo's cast is mostly terrific; it would have been very hard to go too wrong with this group. In addition to Ehrenreich, Glover, and Clarke, Solo boasts the talents of Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, and Paul Bettany, in a wicked turn that's almost enough to make a person forgive his annoying Vision. (*Almost.*) Both sound and visual effects are nicely done, and John Powell's score is sufficiently epic for this iconic origins tale. (If I had to pick someone to pick up John Williams' baton, it would certainly be Powell.) Once Solo gets rolling, it's great fun and moves along at a good clip, and it's easy to invest in these fresh-faced youngsters who will become the characters we know and love so well. Ehrenreich revealed in an interview that he is signed for three films, and it's not difficult for me to believe that Solo could be the launching pad for something very, very good.

 

Solo: A Star Wars Story clocks in at 135 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of sci-fi action and violence."

 

If there's backlash against Solo, I wish it were directed at the cash-grabbing Disney machine, rather than at the folks who worked long and hard on this bit of fun summer escapism. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Solo gets seven and a half.

 

This Memorial Day weekend, I post in memory of my friend Chris, who was killed in Iraq in 2004, and with gratitude to those who gave all for something that meant more to them than themselves. 

 

I am in your debt.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

Young Han Solo finds adventure when he joins a gang of galactic smugglers, including a 196-year-old Wookie named Chewbacca. Indebted to the gangster Dryden Vos, the crew devises a daring plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium. In need of a fast ship, Solo meets Lando Calrissian, the suave owner of the perfect vessel for the dangerous mission -- the Millennium Falcon.

Director: Ron Howard

Cast:  Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, Paul Bettany

Release Date: May 25, 2018

Genres:  Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action/violence

Runtime: 2h 15min 

Review:

Solo: A Star Ware Story went through some much publicized behind the scenes drama.  Directors were fired, Phil Lord and Chris Miller were let go and replaced by Ron Howard, and a large chunk of  the film was reshot.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story went through some similar trials and tribulations but that film ended up being a pleasant surprise.  Solo though ends up feeling decidedly safe but still solid.  Ultimately, the entire film feels like fan service.  After a rather thrilling heist on a train, it feels as if Ron Howard is checking off a list of Disney approved sequences that he needs to emulate with a fresh coat of paint.  Howard, to his credit, delivers a serviceable film that's as enjoyable as it is as non nondescript.  You can feel Howard trying to provide some iconic or memorable shots but none of them land the way you'd like them to.  It's hard to figure out why this film doesn't land the way it should but it's definitely not Alden Ehrenreich's fault.   Ehrenreich had the daunting task of taking over a legendary role and after a bit of an adjustment period he delivers solid work. Ehrenreich captures the swagger and charisma of Ford's Solo, for the most part.  Ford's work was so singular that'd it'd be impossible to duplicate it but Ehrenreich delivers an impressive performance.  The supporting cast is made up of familiar faces and you'd think they'd make a lasting impression but sadly they don't.  Stilted dialogue and undercooked supporting characters leave you wanting for more.  Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson are solid but their characters never pop the way you'd hope they would.  Donald Glover leaves a bigger impression as a younger Lando Calrissian.  Glover captures Billy Dee Williams tenor and smooth charm effortlessly, making him the most interesting thing on screen throughout the film.  You kind of wonder if this film would have worked better as buddy comedy with
Ehrenreich's Solo and Glover's  Calrissian as the central point.  As is, Solo is solid but incredibly safe entry into Star Wars cannon.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: GRINGO

Mild-mannered U.S. businessman Harold Soyinka finds himself at the mercy of backstabbing colleagues, local drug lords and a black ops mercenary after traveling to Mexico. Crossing the line from law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal, Harold fights to survive an increasingly dangerous situation that raises the question -- is he out of his depth or two steps ahead?

Director: Nash Edgerton

Cast: David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried, Thandie Newton, Sharlto Copley

Release Date: March 9, 2018

Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime

Rated R for language throughout, violence and sexual content

Runtime: 1h 50min

Review:

Gringo is a weird mismash of knock off Tarantino films that seemed to litter the cinematic landscape after Pulp Fiction hit in the late 90s.  Nash Edgerton film is overly busy and needlessly complex.  The characters themselves are interesting and eccentric enough but none of them have any tangible depth to them to make them overly interesting.  To its credit, the film boast a stellar cast who make the film far more watch able than it deserves to be.  David Oyelowo is the main attraction since he’s clearly having a great time playing against type.  Oyelowo who’s usually a dramatic actor has some solid comedic chops and provides of the films best moments.  Charlize Theron & Joel Edgerton are terribly underused especially in the second half of the film.  The same goes for Sharlto Copley’s character who’s interesting but he’s introduced late in the film leaving you wanting more.  Gringo as a whole feels like a missed opportunity, it’s not an unenjoyable film but you can’t help but feel like there is a much better film there.

C

Movie Review: 2012

Monday, November 15, 2009
Movie Reviews: 2012
IN THEATERS

 

2012

Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. 2012 is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.

Cast: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt

Director: Roland Emmerich

Opened November 13, 2009..

Runtime: 2 hr. 38 min.

Rated PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language

Genres: Sci-Fi Disaster Film, Science Fiction

Review:

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen was Michael Bay at his most excessive and bombastic; the film was an orgy of everything ever associated with the much maligned director. Equally, Roland Emmerich’s 2012 is a new high point for this apocalyptic auteur. By high point I mean its Emmerich unleashed and unchecked, destruction occurs on such a grand scale that it’s almost comical. It feels like watching an old Tex Avery cartoon, so much so that if a massive anvil were to fall on a major city of monument you’d hardly notice or care. Visually, it’s a technical marvel. A virtual highlight reel of what the best CGI in the business can do with nearly unlimited funds and imagination. The film’s massive set pieces are great fun and deliver the trill ride promised. Then there the story, much like his previous film, Emmerich populates this with a bevy of clichéd characters that always act and react the way you’d expect. John Cusack is pretty much just asked to scream a lot of painfully atrocious dialogue. Cusack is a fine actor but here there very little he can do to elevate a script that sounds like it was written on a Mad Libs book. Equally mired is Chiwetel Ejiofor who has the task of playing the world’s worse scientist. Everything he does and says are wrong but people continue to listen to him because he’s got a conscience unlike Oliver Platt’s stereotypical government chief. Amanda Peet isn’t given anything to do other than stand run and look worried from time to time. Thandie Newton, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson are collecting a paycheck here and don’t really add much to the proceedings. Harrelson even phones in a character which should have been a lot of fun. It’s all par for the course and should be expected since it’s Emmerich we’re talking about. While some of this films failings are expected one major one wasn’t, the films massive run time that’ll have you wishing the world would just end already! I’ve always thought of directors like Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich like candy bars, they give you a nice little rush but too much could make you sick. Excepting any depth or substance is foolish because like the candy bars they have no problem telling you what they are ahead of time.

C