***No spoilers!***
The Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca, and a 20-something Han Solo and Lando join forces in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, which I would more accurately call SOLO: A STAR WARS ADVENTURE STORY. This is the most action-packed STAR WARS movie to date, and is long, running at 135 minutes. At the end I was in a state of exhaustion but with a smile on my face – the many missions, battles, scene-changes, characters and details made for one heck of a movie that wasn’t a necessary addition to the STAR WARS world, but makes for a great excuse to go to the movie theater and get wowed this summer.
This is the story of how Han Solo, played by the charming Alden Ehrenreich, was transformed from surviving as a thief on the streets of Corellia to becoming a hero of the galaxy. It moves nonstop, introducing new characters like Tobias Beckett, a thief like Solo, Qi’ra, Solo’s young love, and L3-37, Lando’s droid and companion. It also shows us how Solo met Chewbacca, why Chewy is indebted to Solo for life, how Solo met Lando, and how the Millennium Falcon became Solo’s ship. And, importantly, it shows how Solo got his name.
I got to see the movie with my kids at an advance screening, four days before it hit theaters. As a result, I can share my kids’ opinions about the movie as well as my own.
I will admit first that I felt my kids, ages 10 and 7, were a bit too young for this one. There were numerous scenes of characters being killed, and more sensuality than other STAR WARS movies. Solo’s relationship with Qi’ra was romantic and passionate, which was inevitable since Qi’ra’s character exuded more sexual appeal than any other leading female STAR WARS character to date. Not surprising, since Qi’ra was played by Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke.
There was definite chemistry between the characters, and lots of kissing (which my kids complained about during the movie – “Not again!” – ha). There’s a reference to a romance between a person and a robot. And though my kids both liked the movie, there were a couple of intense scenes where I felt I needed to make sure my 7-year-old was ok, based on his expressions.
I asked my daughter how old she thought kids should be to see the movie, and she said 13 (perhaps because it’s rated PG-13, for sci-fi violence). And my kids have seen many of the other STAR WARS movies. Plus, there was no “cute” factor in this movie that kids will be drawn to. Therefore, for all of these reasons, I would say this movie was probably the least kid-friendly STAR WARS movie I’ve seen, though not by a lot. I doubt your kids will be traumatized by the movie, but I still wanted to give parents a little heads-up.
With that said, I think this movie makes for a perfect date night!
The movie is full of twists and turns, and I’m not just talking about the Millennium Falcon, which does some impressive (and almost hard-to-believe) action. Throughout the movie it’s unclear whether some characters will turn out good or evil. Both scenes and characters turn out differently than you expect them to. And both sides prove to be clever and tactical.
Thankfully there’s some good humor and fun in the movie. Lando and his droid L3-37 are a likeable team, and the friendship between Solo and Chewbacca is heartwarming to watch.
What I Liked
I liked the nonstop action – there’s never a dull moment. The effects are amazing, and the music is classic. The best moment is the familiar music played when Solo sees the Millennium Falcon for the first time. The story was well-written, and the movie explained a lot of things about Solo that helped me to understand him. STAR WARS fans will enjoy this one.
What I Didn’t Like
There were so many characters in this that it left the character development a bit lacking. And I wish it had a bit more of the STAR WARS mystery and innocence that I love about the other films (though to give it credit, the story pre-dated light sabers and “the force”).
But I was impressed with the movie, and the audience we sat with loved it as well. Overall I do recommend it and would see it again.
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY is in theatres now!
Watch the trailer:
A clip from the movie:
ABOUT THE MOVIE
Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo befriends his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and meets the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Paul Bettany.
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SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY opens in theatres everywhere on May 25th!
