Star Wars has mastered the markets. The franchise continuously does well by utilizing the same formula for each film, in which the same beloved characters with a few new ones here and there do the same thing each movie: fight the Empire, appear on the verge of losing, then somehow keep the Rebellion alive for another day.
Since the hype has decreased over the course of annual movies since the reintroduction of the series with The Force Awakens in 2015, Star Wars had to pull something new in order to keep the fans engaged. While I was expecting the same formula in Solo: A Star Wars Story, I was very pleasantly surprised.
Solo didn’t feel like another sequel following the events of every other Star Wars movie. While taking place in the same galaxy far, far away, Solo truly felt like a solo film, as in it could stand alone.
The movie, released May 25, starts off by setting the stage with the introduction of Han Solo and his thieving ways. Solo joins the Empire to become a pilot to save his love interest, and for the brief time he’s with the Empire, we are given an internal perspective into the Empire’s battles, a view not many Star Wars movies provide. The way he ends up meeting a close companion of his was a clever and humorous way to do so.
The movie provides action at every turn, whether it’s a droid rebellion or the sound of blasters marking another skirmish. By the end of the movie, a refreshing plot twist reveals that the protagonist in a Star Wars film isn’t always the good guy. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say Han fell in with the wrong people without realizing it. This chain of events explains how a seemingly neutral smuggler fell in with the Rebellion.
The final moments of the film also show the ultimate betrayal. However, as Beckett repeatedly says, “Assume everyone will betray you, and you will never be disappointed,” because everything is not as it seems..
While I was nervous about an actor who isn’t Harrison Ford playing the iconic Han Solo, this fear was easily dispelled. Alden Ehrenreich stays true to the image of Han Solo with his snarky comments and clever tactics perfectly delivered in Ford’s style.
With its new, interesting characters, the backstories of Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, Han Solo’s humble beginnings and a captivating love story, Solo is easily one of the top Star Wars films for me.
