By Omair Alavi Han Solo is to Star Wars what Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name was to Spaghetti Westerns – no matter how hard you try, you can’t disassociate one from the other. In Solo – A Star Wars Story, we get to know about the backstory of Han Solo who goes…
SAMAA | Omair Alavi – Posted: Jun 3, 2018 |
By Omair Alavi
Han Solo is to Star Wars what Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name was to Spaghetti Westerns – no matter how hard you try; you can’t disassociate one from the other. In Solo – A Star Wars Story, we get to know about the backstory of Han Solo who goes onto help the rebellion, save Princess Leia and father one of the most ruthless villains of all times. Was Han Solo always the kind of person he turned out to be; did something trigger him to become an outlaw and why doesn’t he trust anyone; those are the questions that will get answered in this Space Western saga that takes place in a Galaxy far far away.
The Plot
The film follows the life and times of Han (Alden Ehrenreich) who vows to return to Corellia to rescue Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), his love interest. Surprisingly, after spending time with the Imperial Forces, he finds himself nowhere in pursuit of his goals. He teams up with a bunch of criminals and a hairy friend to save Qi’ra but she doesn’t need saving; in fact, together they go on an impossible heist to make a heap of money and be free. Do they manage to pull off the heist or does their life end as slaves; Solo tells you all!
The Good
Solo has its soul in the right place – the moment you see the Millennium Falcon, the time when Han tells Chewbacca that he might have to invent a nickname for him, the second he takes control of the ‘ship’, make this movie a must watch. The fight sequences, the morality lessons and the twists and turns are enough to keep you engrossed in the film that takes place after the events of Star Wars III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars IV – A New Hope. How Han gets the surname Solo, how he and Chewie meet and why was he always suspicious towards Lando Calrissian is what makes this flick a must watch.
The Bad
This is the first Star Wars film that doesn’t lead you to Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi or Princess Leia; it’s like the guide to the galaxy’s greatest scoundrel Han Solo. That might be a turn-off for some of the Star Wars fans and why wouldn’t it be; there is only one Han Solo and it is played by Harrison Ford. The young Han (Alden Ehrenreich) is surprisingly shown to be a charmer which goes against everything Ford’s character stood against. Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra breaks the pace of the fast-paced film especially when he and Alden are sharing a romantic moment. Yes, the scene was necessary to spice the story but it could have been handled in a different manner. Also, Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian should have had more screen time as in the Star Wars Universe, he is second in popularity to Han Solo.
The Verdict 3.5/5
This Star Wars film takes you into another direction where you are steered forward by Han Solo who we know makes it big once he meets Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. It mixes the Space genre with Western and Science Fiction and caters to the fans of all three. One hopes to see Alden Ehrenreich more as Han Solo because he looks the part even if he resembles Jack Nicholson more than Harrison Ford. He is charismatic and gutsy and one hopes that it’s not the last time he flew Millennium Falcon and helped the Rebellion!
