Creating a film on a beloved anti-hero from one of the most revered movie franchises is a challenging task altogether. As the movie begins, audience get to meet Han as a roguish but essentially good-hearted young man trying to carve his own path in a galaxy. The film also shows us how Han got to be called Solo, but for the most part he isn’t alone.
Solo: A Star Wars Story sees Solo hopping from one action sequence to another, with any substantial development in the character. A few moments like Han meeting Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) for the first time, the glimpse of the Millenium Falcon, the entry of brandish gambler Lando Calrissian (Danny Glover) manage to spark some soul into the film.
After being pushed into a mud pit by an irate military man, Han manages to create a blossoming friendship with the furry Wookie rather quickly. Alden Ehrenreich portrays Han Solo pretty well even though it’s near impossible to replace the enigmatic Harrison Ford.
The characters played by Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton and Paul Bettany don’t do much to be remembered but serve their purpose within the story. Kira played by Emilia Clarke is conceivably the most tantalising addition to this tale as she keeps you guessing about her intentions the whole time.
Director Ron Howard manages to reclaim the rest of the production mess while playing it safe and losing out on some of the Star Wars glamour along the way but anyway he succeeds in creating a decent sci-fi action film for the fans. The father-son duo, Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan with their writing, take fans to places where they have not earlier visited.
The film is uplifted by outstanding VFX, superb production design and some delightfully inventive creature effects. One cannot miss the vast gallery of characters that are equally attractive and fascinating.
With the VFX and CG work taking the limelight in the entire sequence, the creative team must be applauded for putting together a visual nirvana; emulating the VFX standards of its earlier installments. Hybrid, Lola Visual Effects and Blind are the studios involved for the VFX with Rob Bredow and Patrick Tubach acting as the production VFX supervisors. Solo: A Star Wars Story has enough action; good star cast to take the story forward, twisted storyline and summons to satisfy both its old and new fans.
In this generation of remakes and inter-connected hits, Solo: A Star Wars Story can be proclaimed as an essentially independent film. The film may not be overly breathtaking but has the strength to draw the fans to the multiplexes.