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| Picture Description: Solo: A Star Wars Story poster. (From the top) Young Han Solo is the largest character on the poster with Qi'ra, and Chewbacca in descending size - which is odd, because Chewie is a massive character in many ways here, right? The other characters flank them on both sides, so there's a suave, shrewd-looking Lando wearing yellow and a dark cape, and his second-mate, L3-37 on the left. Beckett leans out on the right next to Chewie, so I guess he's not that important to the plot (how ironic). The background is red and yellow like a sunset with the film's title and release date in white and the film credits at the bottom in yellow. All in all, a very cool poster! The first time I saw 'Solo', it was an unexpected challenge to see it in its entirety. After missing it at the cinema, it came as no surprise when my dad (a fellow 'Star Wars' fan) put it on his Christmas list last year. Everything was fine until it came to watching the film. The run-time of 'Solo' is two hours and fifteen minutes, but this particular DVD rendered it far longer simply because the movie kept - On - Freezing. Another copy of the film arrived a month after lockdown began, and I couldn't help wondering - would it be worth the wait? The Director: Ron Howard The Cast: Alden Ehrenreich – Han Solo Emilia Clarke – Qi’ra Donald Glover – Lando Calrissian Woody Harrelson – Beckett Thandie Newton – Val Paul Bettany – Dryden Vos Jon Favreau – Rio Durant Phoebe Waller-Bridge – L3-37 Joonas Suotamo – Chewbacca Warwick Davis - Weazel Erin Kellyman – Enfys Nest Certificate: 12A Released in UK cinemas: 24th May 2018 The Plot: In the wake of a growing demand for hyper-fuel, a young Han Solo (Ehrenreich, 'Beautiful Creatures') is caught up in a daring heist. Along the way, we find out how he met his best friend, Chewbacca, and how he won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian (Glover, 'Spiderman: Homecoming'). The Review: WARNING: Contains some mild spoilers! If there’s one thing that really shone in the film is the overall atmosphere. There are no angsty Jedis to be found, no complicated family stuff – because, hey, Han has none – because it’s about him trying to make his way in the world, as he always has. And there are heists in space, which is great fun on its own merit. We are introduced to Han as he hotwires a ship for a quick getaway, which is a perfect way to start in a film about our favourite space-outlaw. Though Ehrenreich doesn’t have the same charisma we associate with Solo (or, indeed, Harrison Ford), it’s unsurprising to watch young Han snatch any opportunity to make a name for himself, while often flying by the seat of his pants. Oh, and we also learn the origin of his name – you know, Solo – but it is so ridiculous, it makes me irrationally angry whenever I remind myself of it. I love 'Star Wars', but I never wanted to know precisely how Han met Chewbacca, or how they won the Millennium Falcon off Calrissian, but that’s what 'Solo' does, and it is as unsatisfying as expected. I preferred it when my imagination could fill in the gaps, thanks. That said, Donald Glover steals the show as Lando Calrissian, fleshing him out when the original trilogy didn’t. The man has a closet on the Falcon dedicated to his capes. What’s more, he posts what I can only describe as a regular vlog. It begs the questions whether other space-bandits do this and if there’s a channel in space, like YouTube. With Calrissian as the exception, I found the secondary characters more intriguing than the familiar chracters. Calrissian’s first mate is a droid named L3-37, voiced by the indomitable Phoebe Waller-Bridge (of 'Fleabag' and executive producer of 'Killing Eve'). She is by far my favourite character in the film by the amount of sass she brings. You get the impression Waller-Bridge was let loose with a motion-capture suit, not unlike Robin Williams as the Genie in 'Aladdin', and the animators did the rest.The stakes are almost non-existent here, but you see where Han
learnt some of his more ruthless acts of self-preservation from mentors,
Beckett, Val (the excellent Woody Harrelson and Thandie Newton), and Rio. One
of the things I love most about the 'Star Wars' universe is the many types
of planets and people, and Rio is no exception. Voiced by Jon Favreau (who
would go onto direct the Disney+ drama, 'The Mandalorian'), Rio is
disguised as an ordinary when Han meets on a battlefield, only to reveal
himself as a many-limbed chimp alien.
Making multitasking look easy… Picture description: Rio is a small, chimp-like alien with goggles on his head. He has two hands on a spaceship steering wheel. His other four other arms surround him as he concentrates on steering.
Just don’t get too attached to him, eh?
As aforementioned, Bettany plays Vos, a character I initially believed was meant to be a Jedi until someone thought it would rob Han's limelight, so they changed it₁. Vos is a high-ranking crime boss with all the hallmarks of an unstable Sith Lord, even if he doesn't have a lightsabre. He has a facial scar, wears black, and when the audience meets him, he's killing someone with laser-bladed knuckle-dusters.
Mondays, eh? Picture description: Dryden Vos is sat, leaning against a table near a window. He clutches his laser weapons in both hands. His weary face is covered in dark, vertical scars down his forehead.
Nevertheless, Bettany doesn’t get enough screen time for us to see Vos as anything but a bad guy in desperate need of anger management therapy. As far as the audience is aware, his weapons are the most appealing part of him. Where did he get them from? Qi’ra (that’s Keira in space), played by the ever-wonderful Emilia Clarke with what little she is given, is Han’s love-interest and his primary motivation for most of the film. They are separated early on but are reunited just as quickly despite a three-year gap to keep the plot flowing. Never mind Han, I want a film about Qi’ra’s ascension from scrap-planet orphan to working for the big bad organisation, Crimson Dawn or, better still, a Bonnie and Clyde-style romp with Beckett, Val, and Rio. Throughout my first uninterrupted viewing of Solo, I puzzled over when the story was set within the timeline – only for the big reveal to completely knock me for six, while making Qi’ra’s journey that more mysterious. At the start of this review I asked if Solo was worth the wait, and my answer is a dubious yes. I enjoyed the more light-hearted tone compared to previous Star Wars films, and the general lack of Skywalker baggage. New characters like L3-37 and Qi’ra are short-changed, whereas, despite his best efforts, Ehrenreich struggles to carry the film. Meanwhile, Glover brings all the necessary swagger to play Calrissian, but I remain unsatisfied with how Han and Chewbacca met. Some things are better off left to one’s imagination. The Verdict: 3 STARS OUT OF 5 ₁While researching for this review, I discovered that Dryden Vos also features in the animated Star Wars show, 'The Clone Wars.' Before 'Solo' was filmed, he was going to be a motion-capture “half-human, half mountain-lion” character, played by Michael K. Williams from the 'Assassin Creed' film. The Sources: Solo: A Star Wars Story https://www.vintagemovieposters.co.uk/shop/solo-a-star-wars-story-movie-poster/
Rio picture Dryden Vos picture https://forums.galaxy-of-heroes.starwars.ea.com/discussion/195907/dryden-vos-kit-idea
Dryden Vos is in 'The Clone Wars.' Huh. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Dryden_Vos Dryden Vos, a work in progress https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Dryden_Vos |
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