Film Review: Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story had its work cut out for it from the very start. Aside from fans reeling at the idea of watching anyone other than Harrison Ford play Han Solo, there was also turmoil behind the scenes, with original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller being replaced with Ron Howard months into shooting. So had Solo merely turned out to be cohesive, it would have been an achievement – but then, Howard has always been an over-achiever.

Set long-before his dealings with Luke and Leia, Han (Alden Ehrenreich) is a charmingly arrogant thief and aspiring pilot who has just escaped the filthy planet of Corellia – but he had to leave behind his love, fellow thief Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke).

After a sluggish opening, Han gets his chance to return and rescue her when he meets fast-talking smuggler Beckett (Woody Harrelson), foppish brat Landon Calrissian (a slightly too self-aware Donald Glover), and a friendly Wookie named Chewbacca (I have a good feeling about him). Together they plan to steal some valuable coaxium and sell it to a fearsome playboy gangster, Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) – a man whose various criminal dealings have also brought him into close contact with Qi’ra.

The plot machinations are repetitive and far too long, but the numerous action sequences on train tops, through deserts and across galaxies are fun and kinetic. Embracing multiple genres, Solo has all the near-misses of a heist flick, the showdowns of a Western, and the humour of a family-friendly screwball comedy.

Some of the establishing moments do feel awkward, particularly between Chewie and Han, but Alderich captures Ford’s swagger and charm, and there are new relationships to invest in, such as between Lando and his droid L3-37 (Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge), whose activist spirit gives her real charisma.

Fun, energetic but in desperate need of room for the writing and characters to breathe, Solo is entertaining but never compelling. Given the troubled production history, though, that still counts as a win.