When it comes to Disney’s latest foray into the Star Wars universe, it seems to conjure up that phrase, everything old is new again. Director Ron Howard’s Han Solo spinoff certainly aims to please die hard Star Wars fanatics with a whopping dose of fanservice, but does the movie hit the mark? Let’s take a closer look at the high’s and low’s of the newest addition to the Star Wars franchise. 

Overall, the film is surprisingly fun, and hints at possible future directions for the next era of Star Wars spinoffs. Directed by Ron Howard, the film stars young Alden Ehrenreich as the leading scoundrel and Joonas Suotamo as his lovable partner in crime, Chewbacca. Actor Woody Harrelson leaves a solid impression as Tobias Beckett, and Thandie Newton delivered a strong performance alongside him as Val. Sadly enough, Newton’s character was severely underused, and was definitely deserving of some more screen time. Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke shined as the alluring Qi'ra, while Donald Glover was equally charismatic in the titular role of young Lando Calrissian. In several scenes, actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge steals the show as the opinionated yet amusing droid, L3-37. Actor Paul Bettany, who we just recently spotted in Avengers: Infinity War as Vision, starred as the lead antagonist, Dryden Vos. Throughout the film, Solo is packed with references for those well-versed in Star Wars lore, and even has its fair share of easter eggs for casual enthusiasts to pick up on. Fans will certainly appreciate a brief exploration of Chewbacca’s origins, and the Wookiee’s determination to reconnect with his lost tribe.

In 2016, Director Gareth Edwards explored the darker elements of the Star Wars saga with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The premise was solely based off of how the rebels managed to get the plans for the Empire’s Death Star, and some critics wondered if the film was really necessary at all—a sentiment shared by critics of Solo. However, many fans embraced Rogue One for the film’s expansion of the Star Wars universe. Rogue One introduced a fresh, diverse cast, including Diego Luna, Donnie Yen and Forest Whitaker, and the story focused on strong themes of sacrifice and hope. In a similar vein, Solo is one of those films which relies on a premise from the past. Interestingly enough, Solo is the first Star Wars film that doesn’t feature a lightsaber, or anything resembling the Jedi order, for that matter. Ultimately, going into the film, we knew that Solo was going to be predominately an origin story for a certain scruffy looking Nerf herder. 

In the months leading up to the film’s release, the production of Solo certainly has had it’s fair share of controversy. Originally, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were set to direct Solo. The pair is known for their comedic work with films like The Lego Movie and 22 Jump Street. With only a few weeks of shooting left, they later parted ways with Disney due to "creative differences". Then, producer Kathleen Kennedy lined up director Ron Howard to step in, and he subsequently did about 70% of the movie's reshoots.

According to Variety, other team members like screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan felt that Lord and Miller were aiming for a drastically different tone. In the article, actress Emilia Clarke said, “I think they were figuring it out. We were all still very much in a collaborative place of ‘Where does this want to go?’ This is a movie that has an enormous amount of pressure on its shoulders, therefore everybody making it feels some of that pressure. So when Ron came on, for me it felt amazing to be able to have a second set of eyes come in at this point in making the movie. How often do you get that chance to go back and try different things?” 

Without diving into too many specific spoilers, we’ll take a brief look at some of the things that worked, and a few things that didn’t. The film starts off slow, with a bit of some bumpy pacing issues right off the bat. As a viewer, it seemed a bit off-putting to not have much context. Sure, every fan has their own assumptions about young Han Solo, but who is Qi’ra? The question seems to linger throughout the film, and her role continues to be mysterious even after the credits start to roll. Naturally, after things on Corellia go south, and an abrupt flash forward time leap, we’re able to get more into the mesh of things. Some parts definitely seem to plod along at times, with one wishing that things would gloss over some of the unnecessary details, and just skip ahead in time again.

The introduction of Woody Harrelson’s character Tobias Beckett was interesting, to say the least. However, his love interest, Val, was definitely underdeveloped. It was a shame, really, because Thandie Newton certainly nailed the role, and we would have loved to see her in action, beyond just taking down a few probe droids. Sad face. When the film (finally) introduced Donald Glover as Lando on screen, things definitely started changing pace and the gears of the film seemed to finally be in motion. Outside of Star Wars, Glover has been on fire lately with the release of his powerfully charged music video and poignant single, “This is America”. Oozing charisma, Glover is the star of the show, and many fans have been clamoring for a possible Lando spinoff in the near future. When it comes to Star Wars, anything is possible, so let’s add that to the list of dream solo films we’d like to see—following a Boba Fett or an Obi-Wan Kenobi spin off. 

Some of the film’s most intriguing moments were left towards the end, including a jaw-dropping cameo that literally had our entire theater shocked! While we won’t ruin the surprise, it certainly will have Star Wars fans buzzing with speculation and theories. In another scene, when the leader of the enigmatic marauders known as Enfys Nest, strips off their helmet, the person beneath the mask is not who you might think. Actually, the character is played by 19-year-old actress Erin Kellyman, and her character seems to play a pivotal role in setting up the future foundation for the Rebellion. In short, Solo might not be the film that every fan dreamed of, but it’s certainly not one to write off entirely. Next up, we’ll be taking a look at some of the key easter eggs spotted in the film, so stay tuned for more updates here on our blog at Nerd Kung Fu!

Written by Jade Nicolette

Twitter: @nicolette_style