It seems that Solo: A Star Wars Story movie had a lot of drama behind the scenes. This includes firing the original directors and hiring an acting coach for Alden Ehrenreich. In the second link, Alden does address the acting coach rumors and says, “It was blown way out of proportion.” Spontaneously my friend bought tickets for me and the boyfriend to attend the showing yesterday. I must admit, it’s not my favorite Star Wars movie, but it’s much better than I was anticipating.

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT 😀

 

Han Solo’s story begins on the planet of Corellia which is a horrendous planet. Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich) is attempting to leave with his lover Qi’ra (played by Emilia Clarke) when he escapes and unfortunately, Qi’ra does not. Flash forward three years and Han is kicked out of the Imperial Academy and is connected with Chewie, Tobias Beckett (played by Woody Harrelson), and Qi’ra who he hasn’t seen in years. Of course, Lando (played by Donald Glover) is introduced and basically, the group of them fly the Millennium Falcon completing a bounty for Dryden Vos (played by Paul Bettany) who leads the Crimson Dawn criminal syndicate.

As far as Alden’s portrayal of Han Solo, I personally didn’t mind it. I thought Alden was dominant, feisty, and sarcastic which makes up Han Solo. I think with all of the hype for this movie, I believe Alden delivered.

I was skeptical about the casting of Woody Harrelson. He’s not a bad actor, but usually, the Star Wars franchise doesn’t include “huge actors”. I was afraid by watching the movie I would get distracted by Woody because of his notable roles. That wasn’t the case. I enjoyed his character and he teaches Han the crucial lesson of “Don’t Trust Anyone”.

If you’re still reading, there will be a MAJOR spoiler in the following paragraphs. Please stop reading if you haven’t seen the movie.

One of the biggest reactions to this movie is a surprise cameo. Qi’ra has just killed Vos and you see her steal his ring. She plugs it into this desk and is talking to Vos’s boss. I’m assuming this is going to be Supreme Leader Snoke maybe? It would help with developing his backstory as a villain. Instead, the cameo is none other than. . . Darth Maul!!!!

Darth Maul is a terrifying villain and it’s a shame he was killed so early on in The Phantom Menace. I know that Maul exists in Star Wars comics, I even read a Darth Maul book in the extended universe. I just wasn’t expecting him to appear in the movie. Literally, my mouth dropped and was open for his entire scene. I’m still shocked.

My biggest complaint thus far with the film is that Thandiwe Newton’s character dies in the first 20 minutes. What’s the point of even bringing her on board for the movie if you kill her so quickly? Seems silly to me.

Solo: A Star Wars Story was not a train wreck which is a nice surprise. The movie may have its flaws, but it’s ultimately a fun movie to see in the theater. I’m interested to see how things pan out in future movies, especially with the fun cameo I mentioned a couple paragraphs above. I’m always interested to hear what readers have to say, so leave a comment below. Please also be respectful of spoilers as it is the opening weekend for the movie.