REVIEW – Han Solo: A Star Wars Story gives Han an origin picture it deserves…

There’s always been two sides to the Star Wars story, and we are not talking about the dark and the light. With magic and spirituality in the greatest franchise off all time, will Han Solo be a Galactic hit or Wookiee error?

Punch it, Chewie!

Warning: spoilers ahead.

Of all the Star Wars movies since Disney bought the keys to George Lucas’s empire back in 2012, Solo has had the most challenging journey to the silver screen. Last June, original helmer’s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street) parted company. Lengendary, Ron Howard stepped in to the director’s chair, and the rest they say, “is history.”

Veteran Lawrence Kasdan, who has previously penned Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi and Force Awakens, makes a comeback with his son Jonathan Kasdan to helm this story. The best thing about the script is, it’s modern.

The era goes back explaining the early years of Han…

And growing up on the chaotic streets of Corellia which are filled with brutal masters, Han needs to get free from them. An aspiring pilot, he along with girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) plans to leave Corellia but fails to go together. Hence, he starts his journey outside Corellia solo, hence Han Solo.

Three years later, we see Han fighting for the Empire as a trooper, not a pilot (because he’s been kicked out of the academy for not following orders) amidst a chaotic war scene.

Han, with a solo mission in his mind of earning money and going back to Corellia, goes and befriends some mishaps. He also meets Chewbacca for the first time & initiates his never ending bond as we’ve seen in multiple Star Wars movies.

Han has been thrown by an angry army officer into a muddy pit, there to die at the hands of a chained “monster” – Chewie. Of course Han speaks the language: that extraordinary gargling groan, that bestial vocal fry that makes Chewie’s voice so unmistakable. Their wacky staged fight is a beguiling moment as Han fixes to break Chewie free to become his pal and wingman in so many senses.

Along with Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), Val (Thandie Newton) and Rio (Jon Favreau), Han plans to loot an air-train which contains the precious hyperfuel. This failed heist introduces us to Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) and leader of the thieve-pack Crimson Dawn. The story also brings together Han and his young love, Qi’ra, who know works for Crimson Dawn. Han and his new pals have to steal a bunch of highly combustible coaxium in order to pay off Beckett’s debt.

The film’s narrative focuses on showcasing tall tales in Star Wars lore — for example, how Han won the Millennium Falcon off Lando and that time Han made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs — rather than taking any big risks.

Howard is successful in creating a bunch of great character relationships that fuel Solo’s best scenes.

Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett is suave to say the least. He infuses his natural traits, of whatever we’ve seen in True Detective in this character. He’s a badass, a traitor, and no one to trust, either!

Emilia Clarke as Qi’Ra gets the tone right, she looks hot and fiery, and untrustworthy. Both are double-crosser’s and (can anyone be trusted in the galaxy that Han fly’s in?)

Now she’s a beautiful, formidable woman – and the kept girlfriend of Dryden. Can Han save her from this?

Can Han save her from this?

And Han also chances across a charismatic dandy-ish smuggler, gambler and flier called Lando Calrissian, a very funny performance from Donald Glover. It is Lando who is the owner of the Millennium Falcon, but sporting man that he is, Lando is willing to bet his beloved craft on a hand of cards with the wily Han.

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian is stylish, although he has a limited screen presence but he achieves what it was needed. He’s a cool smoothie very much in the mold of Billy Dee Williams. Glover has coolness to spare as Lando but adds an interesting bit of vulnerability when it comes to his droid sidekick, L3-37 (a fantastic Phoebe Waller-Bridge).

Paul Bettany as the bad guy Dryden is pretty ordinary, a wet touch compared to the – Albino monk – he played in another Ron Howard film, The Da Vinci Code. What this film required was a really bad guy but Dryden, at times, seems to be very soft for the character he’s playing.

But not all is lost, the closeness between Han and Chewie makes the movie a worthwhile bingeing glorious movie to behold.

ABOVE: Wearing nothing but his signature bandolier bag and going barefoot, Chewbacca defied the norms of Cannes Film Festival and joined (from left) director Ron Howard, Emilia Clarke, Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Paul Bettany, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and producer Kathleen Kennedy.

The process of how Chewbacca and Han Solo’s relationship gets build, Few outstanding air-action sequences and Solo’s commencing love for Millennium Falcon. The action sequences are slick relating to today’s times. The flying vehicles, chase sequences in the air, rotating air-trains; the movie has to offer a lot of new things. The puppets are great, the CGI looks fantastic.

Above: George Lucas, Ron Howard, and Alden Ehrenreich, stars in, “Hey, you’re that famous bloke, right!

But…

the proceedings get slow, and sometimes, unnecessarily. There’s too much of explanation happening on screen when Star Wars is known for its guilty pleasure sky combat.

It was well documented that the studio had on-set problems, with rumours of an acting coach being brought on to set. And Alden Ehrenreich tries his damn hardest to pull off Harrison Ford’s older and wise-cracking rogue, which audiences know and love, failing at times to adopt certain traits of Harrison Ford’s version of Han Solo.

But saying that, Alden has big galactic boots to fill and he plays the younger version, so we can give him some breathing space. He’s out there sketching his own version of Han Solo and succeeds in parts.

Best pilot in the galaxy. Famed for making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.

A wily smuggler. Quick on the draw with a blaster.

The arrogance is earned.

The film is enjoyable from the first stand-alone film in the franchise, with strong set-pieces, an awesome cast, and a great cameo by Warwick Davis. Ron Howard stages a number of spectacular set pieces, with a raid by Han and Beckett’s outlaw band on a speeding train through snowy mountains being a real nail-biter.

In a galaxy far, far away, Han Solo: A Star Wars story is a must see.

5/5 stars