Item: Graeme's Review on SOLO: A Star Wars Story
Rating: 4.7
Author: Graeme D. Blyth

I won’t lie, after hearing about all the strife during production, I went into SOLO: A Star Wars Story with a very bad feeling about it.

With Phil Lord and Chris Miller – the hilarious duo behind Clone High, 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie – originally on board to direct and then being replaced with Ron Howard – who isn’t really known for his fun movies – I didn’t think I’d like this movie at all.

But turns out, it was much like I imagine a light speed journey on the Millennium Falcon would be – fast, thrilling and so, so fun!

From the very first moments, SOLO takes you right into the action and it doesn’t let up. There’s humour, incredibly intriguing characters and some of the most incredible action sequences in any Star Wars movie to date.

It was a also a pretty dark (for a Star Wars movie); there’s gangsters, crime syndicates, slavery and even a pretty intense trench war scene – nothing as dark as slaughtering younglings, but this is definitely not some Ewok dance party. It’s really refreshing that Disney is not afraid to show the darkness of the Star Wars universe in its new films.

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The only part of the film I didn’t love was the recasting of Han Solo. I know, I get it, you can’t get 20-year-old Harrison Ford to play young Han Solo so you have to recast, but growing up watching basically only Star Wars and Indiana Jones, I know young Harrison Ford intimately (okay, maybe I just wish I knew him intimately, but I am very familiar with him) and Alden Ehrenreich is simply not him.

He’s got the swagger, he’s got the cockiness and the script definitely helped give him Han Solo’s dialogue, but I couldn’t help think ‘that’s not Han’ for most of the film. However, by the end, I stopped thinking that as much and got used to him – plus everyone I talk to loved him as Han, so maybe I’m just being picky.

The rest of the cast was amazing! Donald Glover was everything I wanted young Lando Calrissian to be, Woody Harrelson was a great addition to the Star Wars universe, and Thandie Newton was by far my favourite character in the movie. And while I find Emilia Clarke can only really play Daenerys Targaryen, that’s essentially who Qi’ra is, so it worked out well.

…Punch it, Chewie!

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Graeme's Review on SOLO: A Star Wars Story

Entertainment Value
Humour
Casting
Adventure
Star Wars Super Nerd Satisfaction Level

4.7

Summary

Solo: A Star Wars Story proves that Disney really knows what they’re doing with the Star Wars universe. With the Kasdans writing, the Lord/Miller influence shining through, Kathleen Kennedy’s oversight, and a ton of Easter eggs for the super-nerds (like me!), this movie is a super fun adventure into a whole new side of the Star Wars universe, so plot a course to the nearest theatre and prepare to jump to light speed on my mark…

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#DisneyPlus #donald glover #hans solo #Harrison Ford

Posted By

Graeme D. Blyth

Graeme D. Blyth is a writer, producer, and production manager. He is also the co-host of CLOCKIN’ IN, a podcast about work, life and the journey to finding that perfect job. He’s also an event producer, an avid dodgeballer and might be slightly obsessed with Jurassic Park.