So I am of the generation who got to experience Star Wars feom the beginning. Standing in a crazy ling line, literally wrapped around the local theater back in 1977 as a kid. Totally unaware I was about to see a movie that would become my central interest for all my childhood, early teens and once again as an adult. And all these years later, able to share this fandom with my own son.
I liked Solo. I wouldn't say it's my favorite but it was a fun ride and it evoked the feelings that I associate with Stat Wars. The world and characters felt right. It showed us some cool new things about life in that world, living under the Empire. The amazing cityscapes of Corellia... It felt similar to me to Rogue One. Modern filmmaking techniques yet convincingly evoking the vibes of the classic Star Wars world.
Anyway, I just wanted to put in some positive review for this movie to contrast this strange wave of hate feom "fans" on here. I don't really understand it. I have liked something about every Star Wars movie there has been. Some are better than others. There are weaker moments in every one to be sure. But none are worth the irrational seeming hate some people are putting out there.
Solo is good and worth your time if you like Star Wars. Just one fan's opinion.
2,180 Reviews
Let me give you some advice. Assume everyone will betray you. And you will never be disappointed.
hitchcockthelegend28 July 2019
So the latest in what is becoming a long running sci-fi franchise sees Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) get his prequel movie. Unsurprisingly, such is the ferocious core fan base of the Star Wars series, it has been met with a mixture of outright hatred to pats on the back appreciation. It really is a case here of jumping in to view it on its own terms to at least give it a chance. The truth is, is that if this was a stand alone movie being judged purely as a science fiction action movie, then it would be better appreciated. For this is cracker jack entertainment in that sphere, with superbly constructed worlds inhabited by delirious looking aliens species, feisty droids hold court, and the humans are daring, cheeky and even sexy. It is in short quality and fantastical sci-fi, even if in truth as per the Solo character trajectory it's safe film making.
We, as in the royal Star Wars fans we, all have our card carrying belief that our opinion on any Star Wars film is correct, but really the only advice I can honestly give here is that if you haven't seen it yet then at least give it a chance. Those that have seen it have their minds made up either way, so personally I can only say how much fun I had watching it - twice! All the dots are joined towards the Solo character I love so dear, from back when with childhood eyes in the late 70s I was transfixed on that big screen. How great to see how Han met Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and how their brilliant friendship begins. To witness the birth of the Han/Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover excellent) friendly rivalry - and all that that entails as regards our favourite spaceship - The Millennium Falcon. Yes, I like it well enough for sure, maybe you will as well? 7.5/10
We, as in the royal Star Wars fans we, all have our card carrying belief that our opinion on any Star Wars film is correct, but really the only advice I can honestly give here is that if you haven't seen it yet then at least give it a chance. Those that have seen it have their minds made up either way, so personally I can only say how much fun I had watching it - twice! All the dots are joined towards the Solo character I love so dear, from back when with childhood eyes in the late 70s I was transfixed on that big screen. How great to see how Han met Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and how their brilliant friendship begins. To witness the birth of the Han/Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover excellent) friendly rivalry - and all that that entails as regards our favourite spaceship - The Millennium Falcon. Yes, I like it well enough for sure, maybe you will as well? 7.5/10
There are already over 2000 reviews for this....
planktonrules11 November 2018
Because more than 2000 folks have already reviewed this film on IMDB, I'll keep my review very brief. After all...what's one more review among so many?!
The movie was a bit of a shock when I found it, as somehow I really didn't hear much about it and I wasn't even sure if it had yet debuted. Much of this is because after so many "Star Wars" films, I find that a sort of fatigue has set in...much like how I feel about all the super hero films. But, as I was on a 13+ hour flight, I wasn't in a position to be picky and decided to watch the movie.
I was surprised to read that the movie is only rated 7.0 (meaning it must have ticked off a lot of fans) and really made almost nothing at the box office. Much of this is because I actually enjoyed the picture...and more than I'd expected. The story about the young Han Solo is exciting throughout and I also appreciated its dark tone and willingness to kill off characters (much like the previous installment)...but perhaps this is why fans were not so impressed by this one. All I know is that I liked seeing a darker film and it kept my interest throughout.
The movie was a bit of a shock when I found it, as somehow I really didn't hear much about it and I wasn't even sure if it had yet debuted. Much of this is because after so many "Star Wars" films, I find that a sort of fatigue has set in...much like how I feel about all the super hero films. But, as I was on a 13+ hour flight, I wasn't in a position to be picky and decided to watch the movie.
I was surprised to read that the movie is only rated 7.0 (meaning it must have ticked off a lot of fans) and really made almost nothing at the box office. Much of this is because I actually enjoyed the picture...and more than I'd expected. The story about the young Han Solo is exciting throughout and I also appreciated its dark tone and willingness to kill off characters (much like the previous installment)...but perhaps this is why fans were not so impressed by this one. All I know is that I liked seeing a darker film and it kept my interest throughout.
Don't trust the bad reviews
waqassaleem-852016 October 2020
Doesn't deserve the hate
deruytterwolfgang18 August 2022
It doesn't deserve the hate. It's actually really good. It does exactly what it's supposed to do. I think it's revolutionary for star wars,let me explain. This is a very different movie than the rest of the star wars movies. There are no lightsabers (well except that one time) and there is no darth vader or Luke skywalker, there isn't a fight between good and evil, it's more of fight between thieves. That causes that this movie feels very different, it almost feels like this is not a star wars movie. And that's great. A great change of pace. It feels more like a cowboy space adventure, which is something the mandalorian got praised for, but that series came out after this movie, so I guess that makes it kinda revolutionary, in terms of star wars movies. This is really cool. I like it. It's better than rise of skywalker so... One thing though: that L3 robot. I hated her, she comes up with the lamest jokes and serves no purpose in the story other than some weird "love story"????
Better than TheLast Jedi
airsoftquartermaster29 May 2018
Better than I feared it would be, Solo is a different type of star wars film, which I welcome. No lightsabres, no mention of the force, and no big climactic battle.
Alden Ehrenreich is passable as Solo,I found myself warming to him towards the end. Emilia Clarke is completely wooden and the most memorable thing about Woody Harrelson is his bad wig.
Effects are excellent as you would expect, the set pieces (train heist, kessel run and the end fight with Paul Bettany are good. Only the middlesags because of Clarke's poor acting.
Worth a watch
Impressive!
Hallelujah2894 October 2020
Have so far been disappointed with the Star Wars revamp series. "Solo" is a refreshing exception. Stays true to characters, while introducing new ones that add to the Star Wars world, and genuinely enriches Han Solo's backstory. Well done! Also features a new score, and sets into motion important story events concerning the rebellion Han Solo would be a part of later. Recommended!
A criticism though: the woman who plays Q'ira is a bit too much like her role in Game of Thrones. At last though, there is a female in the new Disney revamp who isn't the typical Disney Princess heroine type. Kudos!
A criticism though: the woman who plays Q'ira is a bit too much like her role in Game of Thrones. At last though, there is a female in the new Disney revamp who isn't the typical Disney Princess heroine type. Kudos!
Was Better than I Thought...
trevir-5014723 June 2018
Finally went to see Solo in his first...solo. I had reservations going in (1) I had heard ticket sales were sub par. (2) I questioned the casting of the lead role (we'll get to that later). I tried to keep an open mind to let the film stand on its own merit. It was a pretty solid summer sci-fi action film that had some laughs with some likeable characters that reasonably fits in the Star Wars mythology. The movie was predictable in the sense that it's a prequel and many points of story progression are predetermined. That being said, these points are woven into a story that flowed well that I actually had fun watching. This movie is a solid 7. My biggest reservation was and is Alden Ehrenreich. His depiction of Han Solo is not terrible but is rather dry and lacks the charm and wit of his predecessor Harrison Ford. We can't help but make that comparison and those are tough shoes to fill. I was admittedly jaded going in as there is a Star Wars fan film on YouTube called Han Solo: A Smuggler's Trade where the actor is the personification of a young Harrison Ford. He captures all the nuances and mannerisms of Han Solo and his depiction is on point. If there are any sequels to this prequel, maybe Ehrenreich can grow into the role and own it.
For anyone who feels discouraged by the reviews
lastjosh31 May 2018
For anyone who feels discouraged by the reviews, I tell you this: They're not complaining about the movie, they're complaining because they feel abused by a continous stream of movies from a beloved franchise. It seems ironic, I know, but having nothing for so long and suddenly watching different posters every six months, has to be confusing and bound to raise some eyebrows.
However, we have to look at it as objectively and simple as possible: If you love movies, you want to watch as many movies as you can. And if you love Star Wars, you love to experience the Star Wars' story! So all of this backlash for having so much of the thing you love is simply a tantrum that I hate to see on so many of my fellow Star Wars' fans.
This a very well made film that anyone can enjoy. Plot, acting, FX, Photography, Cast, etc. They did a great job with everything. Taking into account the enourmous pressure of making a film from such a historical franchise, I take my hat off for anyone who has the bravery to do this.
So, go and watch it, not with skepticisim, but with that natural feeling of curiousity and love you have every time you sit at the movie theater. I promise, you'll be pleased.
This a very well made film that anyone can enjoy. Plot, acting, FX, Photography, Cast, etc. They did a great job with everything. Taking into account the enourmous pressure of making a film from such a historical franchise, I take my hat off for anyone who has the bravery to do this.
So, go and watch it, not with skepticisim, but with that natural feeling of curiousity and love you have every time you sit at the movie theater. I promise, you'll be pleased.
Expected to hate it (based off of adverts) LOVED IT
ryanmillson24 May 2018
Despite being a huge fan, I had lost faith in Star Wars and Disney after the abomination that was TLJ and then the adverts for Solo. THE ADVERTS DO NOT DO THIS FILM ANY JUSTICE. I fully expected to hate it and ended up leaving the cinema completely shook. The casting is perfect and all of the lore is spot on. No ridiculously over comedic parts (like the ones in TLJ) Please give this film a watch, you will not regret it. FAITH RESTORED
Eh.
jacobmeyerjkm6 February 2020
Solo: A Star Wars Story
allmoviesfan9 September 2023
Alden Ehrenreich was absolutely fine as young Han Solo in what I assume - based on the ending, which flawed me and sent me down a serious Google rabbit hole, it must be said - was supposed to be a trilogy of movies that perhaps takes Han Solo up to the moment he walks into the Mos Eisley Cantina to meet Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi?
My problem is that it's hard to see anyone other than Harrison Ford playing Han Solo, even a young one, even as good as Alden Ehrenreich was. Donald Glover also reminded me of a young Billy Dee Williams, so Lando was covered off well. And who doesn't like seeing Chewbacca?
Impressive set piece action sequences and visuals (as we've come to expect from Star Wars), a pretty good plot and that surprising finale. All good, but Solo just didn't do it for me like the three Skywalker trilogies and Rogue One did.
Not a bad film, but still my least favourite Star Wars one.
My problem is that it's hard to see anyone other than Harrison Ford playing Han Solo, even a young one, even as good as Alden Ehrenreich was. Donald Glover also reminded me of a young Billy Dee Williams, so Lando was covered off well. And who doesn't like seeing Chewbacca?
Impressive set piece action sequences and visuals (as we've come to expect from Star Wars), a pretty good plot and that surprising finale. All good, but Solo just didn't do it for me like the three Skywalker trilogies and Rogue One did.
Not a bad film, but still my least favourite Star Wars one.
It doesn't rank as high as other Star Wars stories
AlsExGal10 February 2023
Alden Ehrenreich as as a young, pre-Luke Skywalker Han Solo captures Harrison Ford's speech rhythms, and the character's anti-authority persona. We learn how friendships with Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian (an excellent Donald Glover) were formed, and how Solo came into acquiring his prize possession, the Millennium Falcon.
What I've always liked is how the character straddles the line between good and evil, while keeping his moral compass intact. Solo is no saint, but his false equivalency has limits. Emilia Clarke as his love interest is a woman of mystery, and the actress plays her like a femme fatale. The plot itself has a noir-type entanglement. Ron Howard's direction is dutiful to fan service, which is not necessarily bad. I found the production design a little uninspiring.
Standout performances include Woody Harrelson as a mercenary, and Thandie Newton as his partner. Also with Paul Bettany, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge voicing the scene-stealing droid L3-37, who is practically in love with Lando. Solo lacks the grandeur and emotional arc of Rogue One, but there's enough there to make it a decent viewing experience. This may sound like I'm damning it with faint praise. It just won't rank as high as other Star Wars stories.
What I've always liked is how the character straddles the line between good and evil, while keeping his moral compass intact. Solo is no saint, but his false equivalency has limits. Emilia Clarke as his love interest is a woman of mystery, and the actress plays her like a femme fatale. The plot itself has a noir-type entanglement. Ron Howard's direction is dutiful to fan service, which is not necessarily bad. I found the production design a little uninspiring.
Standout performances include Woody Harrelson as a mercenary, and Thandie Newton as his partner. Also with Paul Bettany, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge voicing the scene-stealing droid L3-37, who is practically in love with Lando. Solo lacks the grandeur and emotional arc of Rogue One, but there's enough there to make it a decent viewing experience. This may sound like I'm damning it with faint praise. It just won't rank as high as other Star Wars stories.
Solo: A "Skip This" Story
SpoodermanDerp23 May 2018
Gone is the time when an aloof and mysterious character like Han Solo can stand on his own. When the pure imagination of fans opened up countless debates on how the Kessel run really went down, or how Hans eventually won the Millennium Falcon and eventually became a staple of his character. The hard truth is, fans and casual viewers already knew these milestones in Han's story happened and will happen, so the only thing that mattered about this movie was, how was it going to happen?
For awhile, the magic of Star Wars was that of not knowing what to expect and getting to analyze an entire lived-in universe by yourself or with your friends throughout the years. With Solo, that magic is lost. You know you will be dealing with limited stakes since Solo and Chewie are pretty much okay and surely alive after this movie. You know that it will hit the basic story beats of how he becomes an outlaw, a rebel and eventually the iconic smuggler with a secret heart of gold we all know and love. You know he'll get the Falcon, you know he'll end up with Leia anyway. There's no mystery here, everyone knows the answer and we're all left with awkward suspicions about how things will play out.
Alden Ehrenreich does a, for the most part, fantastic job as Han Solo and he makes the role his own, probably one of the better parts of this movie. Lando (Donald Glover) and Chewie both get their moments, and also stand out in their roles. Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) weirdly fall flat as the new additions for Solo, aside from an obvious wisecracking droid to entertain us and give us some emotional moments, the two side characters that are meant to be the people that influence the title character are bland and uninteresting. Beckett seems to be just a ticket for Han to go follow him wherever he goes only to just ride backseat in the mission in the end. While Qi'ra plays the love interest of Han who we never get to know much about aside from pointless and explicit exposition. She also has a vague and messy arc that makes not just Han, but the audience confused as well. At one point, you're not sure where her allegiance lies, what her motivations are and what drives her to stick or stay away from Han.
Moreover, the story really doesn't aim to tell a properly structured narrative, instead it felt like a "Han's Biggest Hits Montage" all through out. Now this is not to say that it's hard and impossible to tell a proper movie about iconic persons/events we probably know about and/or have learned about and theorized ourselves. Rogue One (2016) was able to do it to an admittedly better extent, and quite masterfully in the James Bond reboot with Casino Royale back in 2006. To use Casino Royale as an example, it's a perfect story that shows how James Bond became THE James Bond we know and love, the commanding, suave and rough 007 agent. When the movie starts, he's not yet quite the Bond we're used to know yet, but what happens in that film contributes to why he changes. Then in the end, that's the only time we get the iconic line of James Bond introducing himself because that character has earned it through the context of the film. While Solo tried to achieve this same level of success, it falls hard on its knees really hard in the process. The definition of "context" the filmmakers had in mind with Solo was just throwing in fan service after fan service of what made Han Solo iconic, but we never really see why THIS character in THIS film in particular earned that iconic status. Han is basically the same person from the beginning till the end, compare this to James Bond in Casino Royale wherein his relationship with Vesper and how it ended changed his character forever, inevitably giving strong emotional and narrative context as to why he became how he is. This is never explored in the film and it instead becomes a by-the-numbers, monotone, and dull looking film.
Verdict: 6/10
For awhile, the magic of Star Wars was that of not knowing what to expect and getting to analyze an entire lived-in universe by yourself or with your friends throughout the years. With Solo, that magic is lost. You know you will be dealing with limited stakes since Solo and Chewie are pretty much okay and surely alive after this movie. You know that it will hit the basic story beats of how he becomes an outlaw, a rebel and eventually the iconic smuggler with a secret heart of gold we all know and love. You know he'll get the Falcon, you know he'll end up with Leia anyway. There's no mystery here, everyone knows the answer and we're all left with awkward suspicions about how things will play out.
Alden Ehrenreich does a, for the most part, fantastic job as Han Solo and he makes the role his own, probably one of the better parts of this movie. Lando (Donald Glover) and Chewie both get their moments, and also stand out in their roles. Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) weirdly fall flat as the new additions for Solo, aside from an obvious wisecracking droid to entertain us and give us some emotional moments, the two side characters that are meant to be the people that influence the title character are bland and uninteresting. Beckett seems to be just a ticket for Han to go follow him wherever he goes only to just ride backseat in the mission in the end. While Qi'ra plays the love interest of Han who we never get to know much about aside from pointless and explicit exposition. She also has a vague and messy arc that makes not just Han, but the audience confused as well. At one point, you're not sure where her allegiance lies, what her motivations are and what drives her to stick or stay away from Han.
Moreover, the story really doesn't aim to tell a properly structured narrative, instead it felt like a "Han's Biggest Hits Montage" all through out. Now this is not to say that it's hard and impossible to tell a proper movie about iconic persons/events we probably know about and/or have learned about and theorized ourselves. Rogue One (2016) was able to do it to an admittedly better extent, and quite masterfully in the James Bond reboot with Casino Royale back in 2006. To use Casino Royale as an example, it's a perfect story that shows how James Bond became THE James Bond we know and love, the commanding, suave and rough 007 agent. When the movie starts, he's not yet quite the Bond we're used to know yet, but what happens in that film contributes to why he changes. Then in the end, that's the only time we get the iconic line of James Bond introducing himself because that character has earned it through the context of the film. While Solo tried to achieve this same level of success, it falls hard on its knees really hard in the process. The definition of "context" the filmmakers had in mind with Solo was just throwing in fan service after fan service of what made Han Solo iconic, but we never really see why THIS character in THIS film in particular earned that iconic status. Han is basically the same person from the beginning till the end, compare this to James Bond in Casino Royale wherein his relationship with Vesper and how it ended changed his character forever, inevitably giving strong emotional and narrative context as to why he became how he is. This is never explored in the film and it instead becomes a by-the-numbers, monotone, and dull looking film.
Verdict: 6/10
whats happening to star wars ?
lehoucq23 May 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed the movie
steffanvarty31 May 2018
Good Origin story not just made up for fans, took my girlfriend to see it who has not seen any star wars films and she understood and enjoyed it. Defiantly a recommendation ( don't listen to the haters) and can't wait to the sequel for it.
Entertaining.
bernhardstrubel24 May 2018
The first one of the new Star Wars movies which was entertaining for me the whole time and makes me want to cruise through the galaxy again (since the original trilogy). Han and Chewie are really lovely. Also some other alien creatures. Alden is great. Woody Harrelson is good as always and the rest of the cast works as well. The film is not a Cinema Revolution for cinema for sure. But he doesn't want to be more than entertaining instead of creating a not working drama. And this time they wanted to give them fans something they wanted. But that's s surprise I won't tell.
Very enjoyable, why so negative everybody?
thatchermacdonald1 June 2018
Wow, some people are never pleased. This movie was enjoyable to the very end. How can anyone who is remotely interested in Star Wars not enjoy can entire movie dedicated to Han and Chewy??? And this wasn't a cheap production either. The best part is Disney kept their political agenda relatively at bay with this film, unlike the main saga films. So refreshing and rare these days. HAN IS THE MAN!! (and Chewy)
Spoiler Alert: This is a cash grab.
danielkelso-1026523 May 2018
Oh dear!! Never has a franchise been so abused for such a cynical cash grab. I'll give it to you straight. It wasn't teribble; but it wasn't good either. I tend to think that as the second stand alone Star Wars movie, they didn't need to deal with such an iconic character, unless the story was so compelling that it just needed to be told. And based on the evidence here, it wasn't and didn't.
The casting was clunky. Clearly aimed at luring a few more bums on seats by appealing to the fan bases of TV pop culture juggernauts Game Of Thrones and Westworld with their respective leads showing up here. I'd pay little attention to this gripe if the movie was fantastic, but it fell far short of that.
The attempts at humour are hit and miss, and whatever character development there was left me uninvested in their fates; No emotional engagement as I had in Rogue One.
All in all it was underwhelming and disappointing and as I'm well into my middle age years, I see this as purely an exercise at gaining box office dollars rather than delivering a worthy chapter in the epic Star Wars universe.
Better than I expected.
13Funbags2 June 2018
For some reason people always compare new Star Wars movies to the originals and that's ridiculous. This movie was pretty much what I expected. If you're annoyed by lots of foreshadowing(is that what it's called in a prequel?) you'll hate this but at least you know that no one will say the title in the movie. It was nice to hear all the Solo quips but they evened it out by doing things like trying to make us think Lando is a danger to Han. And it was lame that Lando immediately mispronounces Han's name. When I heard Dong Lover was playing Lando I was worried but he was way better than the elderly Woody Harrelson trying to be an action hero.
No happiness or anger - Just an average feeling in between
paulijcalderon24 May 2018
"I have a really good feeling about this!" That's the line that Han says in the trailer that's playing in the cinema before the movies. And I remember my friend leaning over to me and saying: "I hate that he says that so much". There's no denying that all of my friends felt that this movie was not needed, me included. But we got it nonetheless and I always wanna give every movie a chance. "Star Wars" has been a very meaningful and inspirational saga for me and my family since ever before I can even remember. When Disney took over I held out hope that the new adventures would give me some joy of revisiting these characters in this world that I love. Unfortunately, I have been feeling more and more let down about the whole situation. I'm not gonna get into it here because there's too much to discuss. And there's already plenty of people who have voiced their displeasure of the mishandling of this property. The fear of us getting a new SW film every year is that the specialness will fade away. That they no longer feel like the events they were and that SW becomes over-saturated. It's been talked to death on other platforms, I know. I'm gonna get to what I thought, since that's why you are reading. Well, I did my best to go in with no expectations. Just to be open with the whole "expect the worst and hope for the best" type thing. And yes, you feel the "Star Warsy"-ness, but I couldn't help but to leave the cinema less happy than you should watching a SW movie. The action set-pieces, the references and the practical effects are appreciated. But the core of the story needed more.
Every beat of what you sort of expect to happen happens. Chewbacca and Han's friendship was what I bought the most. It honestly felt pure and sympathetic. They got that right. Of course, the heist stuff is fun, but the care for the people and story? Other than the fact that you already know some of them based on previous films, you don't feel the importance of why this needed to be told. It becomes an un-eventful film in the series that really adds nothing new to what you already know about our main characters. It's nice to see Lando because you know him, but in the end he is just there in surface-level form. Nothing against Donald Glover, he was a great casting choice. But if this was your introduction to him or Han, then I'm not sure how much you would care. The reason I felt I could care a little was based on knowing who Han or Lando are in the other movies. I will again say that I enjoyed when the sense of urgency kicked in. You know, when a mission or quest is presented and you go: "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go on an adventure". It's unfortunate that the adventure leads to no special impact. Creature effects and designs felt organic to the world, so that was nice to see. I bought the underground gambling places a lot more here than I did in "The Last Jedi". Here they blended in to the world and didn't distract. Everything looked and felt like it belonged in the SW universe. Although I would be happy if they didn't over-relay on everything that's nostalgia. Some new element would be nice to introduce. But this movie lands in a safe zone where no big leaps of risks are taken. The problem is that it failed to engage me in the actual story.
The movie didn't make me feel happy or angry, it's a feeling in between. It's probably just fine, but you won't remember most if it. An average sci-fi movie that doesn't do much more than to be mildly entertaining. I have nothing against Ron Howard. I feel more bad for him because he had to take over mid-production and fix what he could. I respect the commitment in his effort, but I think I would have done some changes to make sure it got a warmer reaction. How about Alden "Would that it were so simple" / "The rules don't apply to you" Ehrenreich? Well, he's not a bad actor, kids. Leave him alone. The issue is that I just couldn't buy him as Solo. I'm sorry, Alden. You did your best, but you seemed more like another character. There's glimmers towards the end that remind you that it's supposed to be Han, but again, it's surface level. Not to say that I didn't think his character was like-able. No, he has charisma and humanity about him. But it's sad that it's never to the point where he earns the role and you go; "That's Solo!". I'm gonna end the review by saying that I'm conflicted about it. There are fun scenes to enjoy, but the the bigger picture is... kind of ..uninteresting. I hate to say it, and the worst part is that I'm starting to feel ready to let go of the new SW. If "Episode IX" doesn't give me the motivation to see what happens next, then... What's the point?
PS: There's a cameo at the end and it was actually the most unexpected and exciting part of the movie. But it's also a little bit like: "Oh, I'm happy to see you.. But, what.. Why again?"
Every beat of what you sort of expect to happen happens. Chewbacca and Han's friendship was what I bought the most. It honestly felt pure and sympathetic. They got that right. Of course, the heist stuff is fun, but the care for the people and story? Other than the fact that you already know some of them based on previous films, you don't feel the importance of why this needed to be told. It becomes an un-eventful film in the series that really adds nothing new to what you already know about our main characters. It's nice to see Lando because you know him, but in the end he is just there in surface-level form. Nothing against Donald Glover, he was a great casting choice. But if this was your introduction to him or Han, then I'm not sure how much you would care. The reason I felt I could care a little was based on knowing who Han or Lando are in the other movies. I will again say that I enjoyed when the sense of urgency kicked in. You know, when a mission or quest is presented and you go: "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go on an adventure". It's unfortunate that the adventure leads to no special impact. Creature effects and designs felt organic to the world, so that was nice to see. I bought the underground gambling places a lot more here than I did in "The Last Jedi". Here they blended in to the world and didn't distract. Everything looked and felt like it belonged in the SW universe. Although I would be happy if they didn't over-relay on everything that's nostalgia. Some new element would be nice to introduce. But this movie lands in a safe zone where no big leaps of risks are taken. The problem is that it failed to engage me in the actual story.
The movie didn't make me feel happy or angry, it's a feeling in between. It's probably just fine, but you won't remember most if it. An average sci-fi movie that doesn't do much more than to be mildly entertaining. I have nothing against Ron Howard. I feel more bad for him because he had to take over mid-production and fix what he could. I respect the commitment in his effort, but I think I would have done some changes to make sure it got a warmer reaction. How about Alden "Would that it were so simple" / "The rules don't apply to you" Ehrenreich? Well, he's not a bad actor, kids. Leave him alone. The issue is that I just couldn't buy him as Solo. I'm sorry, Alden. You did your best, but you seemed more like another character. There's glimmers towards the end that remind you that it's supposed to be Han, but again, it's surface level. Not to say that I didn't think his character was like-able. No, he has charisma and humanity about him. But it's sad that it's never to the point where he earns the role and you go; "That's Solo!". I'm gonna end the review by saying that I'm conflicted about it. There are fun scenes to enjoy, but the the bigger picture is... kind of ..uninteresting. I hate to say it, and the worst part is that I'm starting to feel ready to let go of the new SW. If "Episode IX" doesn't give me the motivation to see what happens next, then... What's the point?
PS: There's a cameo at the end and it was actually the most unexpected and exciting part of the movie. But it's also a little bit like: "Oh, I'm happy to see you.. But, what.. Why again?"
Keep your expectations low and you'll leave satisfied
Jared_Andrews3 June 2018
I went in with low expectations and walked out satisfied. Solo is pretty good. Is that a high enough standard for any Star Wars movie? That's a worthwhile discussion for another time. For now, let's focus on this movie.
All my concerns, all my worries about why the movie might bomb, melted away as I watched. Alden Ehrenreich is a good young Han Solo. He's not Harrison Ford, which was my concern, but no one is. It's an unreachable bar. Give the guy a fair shot to play this cool, funny, confident and somewhat naïve version of Han. He won't blow you away, but he won't greatly disappoint either.
Ehrenreich's performance is a microcosm of the entire movie-pretty good, not incredible. I'm okay with that.
Donald Glover as Lando is even better than pretty good. He owns each scene in which he appears. The movie was off to a slow and clunky start until he showed up and infused the story with some much needed suave and energy. Ehrenreich seemed to feed off his presence. Glover made him better.
The plot is a bit light. That may have been intentional, so there is more to explore in future Solo and Lando movies. But this movie did enough to keep me interested. When those movies come out, you can bet I'll buy my ticket.
All my concerns, all my worries about why the movie might bomb, melted away as I watched. Alden Ehrenreich is a good young Han Solo. He's not Harrison Ford, which was my concern, but no one is. It's an unreachable bar. Give the guy a fair shot to play this cool, funny, confident and somewhat naïve version of Han. He won't blow you away, but he won't greatly disappoint either.
Ehrenreich's performance is a microcosm of the entire movie-pretty good, not incredible. I'm okay with that.
Donald Glover as Lando is even better than pretty good. He owns each scene in which he appears. The movie was off to a slow and clunky start until he showed up and infused the story with some much needed suave and energy. Ehrenreich seemed to feed off his presence. Glover made him better.
The plot is a bit light. That may have been intentional, so there is more to explore in future Solo and Lando movies. But this movie did enough to keep me interested. When those movies come out, you can bet I'll buy my ticket.
It's the same as every other generic CGI-fest movie that comes out of Hollywood every week
daemonxhun19 May 2018
Really, there's nothing special here. Solo: A Star Wars Story is just another movie in the ocean of bad ones that tries to aim for the lowest common denominator in order to bring some bucks for the studio behind it, while it also shamelessly tries to capitalize on the Star Wars name that seen better days.
It doesn't have a clear vision - hell, it doesn't have any at all. The pacing of it is all over the place. The story is cliched, weak, it lacks a strong direction. The jokes most of the time fall flat - most of the time they do not work or feel inappropriate and forced. Also the movie's tone is quite inconsistent, while the actors don't really do a convincing job portraying their characters either.
This movie sums up perfectly what Star Wars has become. What once was the holy grail of pop-culture and a shining beacon of hope that showed how mass-appealing movies can carry just as important messages as art-house movies and dramas, turned into something that's anything but reminiscent of Star Wars. It feels like a 4 days old dry burger from a fast-food restaurant that was halfly chewed and spitted out.
There's only one good thing in this movie that leads to my two star rating: as much as it tried through it's entire runtime, it wasn't able to spin SW in the mud the way The Last Jedi did. This movie just wasn't able to be as disrespectful to the world and characters of Star Wars and to it's fans as The Last Jedi was. Because making such an unbelievably bad and insulting movie takes true talent - that the 'masterminds' behind Solo (fortunately) did not have. Or maybe it just wasn't able to make things worse, because Rian Johnson already killed the Star Wars movies, at least in my eyes.
It doesn't have a clear vision - hell, it doesn't have any at all. The pacing of it is all over the place. The story is cliched, weak, it lacks a strong direction. The jokes most of the time fall flat - most of the time they do not work or feel inappropriate and forced. Also the movie's tone is quite inconsistent, while the actors don't really do a convincing job portraying their characters either.
This movie sums up perfectly what Star Wars has become. What once was the holy grail of pop-culture and a shining beacon of hope that showed how mass-appealing movies can carry just as important messages as art-house movies and dramas, turned into something that's anything but reminiscent of Star Wars. It feels like a 4 days old dry burger from a fast-food restaurant that was halfly chewed and spitted out.
There's only one good thing in this movie that leads to my two star rating: as much as it tried through it's entire runtime, it wasn't able to spin SW in the mud the way The Last Jedi did. This movie just wasn't able to be as disrespectful to the world and characters of Star Wars and to it's fans as The Last Jedi was. Because making such an unbelievably bad and insulting movie takes true talent - that the 'masterminds' behind Solo (fortunately) did not have. Or maybe it just wasn't able to make things worse, because Rian Johnson already killed the Star Wars movies, at least in my eyes.
The best Starwars movie from Disney
skidrow6816 September 2018
The best Starwars movie from Disney so its the 4 best starwars movie as i see it.
Hope they come with a 2 movie in this series, they have 3 books that was written along time ago to work from.
Rank system i use is it can only be ONE movie that is the best and then get 10, to get a 9 it have to be something extraordinarily like Alien and so, a 5 is a ok movie nothing more nothing less its simple a mainstream movie.
A solid adventure movie
cogollo1974-612-15717324 May 2018
I'm a big Star Wars fan (watched Empire Strikes Back in the cinema when I was 8 years old) and I loved this movie. With Empire Strikes Back and Rogue One, my favorite in the series.
As for the movie itself, my opinion is that it's a solid adventure movie, in the style of the great Indiana Jones movies, with lots of fun and intense action, witty dialogues, great humor and solid acting from all actors.
Yes, Han must meet a certain Wookie, obtain a certain spaceship and meet a certain curly hair character to maintain coherence with past movies, but the "necessary" scenes, even if expected are still brilliantly developed. On top of these scenes, there are several surprising scenes that run the gamut of the best of what the Star Wars universe offers: chases, spacecraft battles, shootouts, aliens galore and lots lots of anti laws of physics split-second solutions.
Still, my favorite take from this movie is that they finally managed to shoot an amazing movie that is far from the epic good-evil battles of previous Star Wars movies, and this is completely in tune with the Han Solo character (and, btw, I think Alden Ehrenreich is a perfect match for the role).
In summary, if you think the movie is "unnecessary" and not needed, it will indeed disappoint you and I would advice you not to watch it, but if you go to watch it with a no-expectations open mind, I think you'll be greatly pleased and much entertained.
(and my excuses for any English mistakes; my mother tongue is Spanish)
As for the movie itself, my opinion is that it's a solid adventure movie, in the style of the great Indiana Jones movies, with lots of fun and intense action, witty dialogues, great humor and solid acting from all actors.
Yes, Han must meet a certain Wookie, obtain a certain spaceship and meet a certain curly hair character to maintain coherence with past movies, but the "necessary" scenes, even if expected are still brilliantly developed. On top of these scenes, there are several surprising scenes that run the gamut of the best of what the Star Wars universe offers: chases, spacecraft battles, shootouts, aliens galore and lots lots of anti laws of physics split-second solutions.
Still, my favorite take from this movie is that they finally managed to shoot an amazing movie that is far from the epic good-evil battles of previous Star Wars movies, and this is completely in tune with the Han Solo character (and, btw, I think Alden Ehrenreich is a perfect match for the role).
In summary, if you think the movie is "unnecessary" and not needed, it will indeed disappoint you and I would advice you not to watch it, but if you go to watch it with a no-expectations open mind, I think you'll be greatly pleased and much entertained.
(and my excuses for any English mistakes; my mother tongue is Spanish)
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