Solo: A Star Wars Story — A Review

17th September, 2018.

Yes … 

I know I’ve possibly mentioned Japan — the band — before now.

In fact, I know I have.

But I’ll be frank, I like what I’ve heard of them: even those I’m listening to the seminal albums, including Quiet Life, some time after they were released.

What CAN I tell you … ?

Apart from “Enjoy ’em if you got ’em” … !

~≈§≈~

At ANY rate … ?

At ANY rate … 

I’ve had a night off.

One mostly spent laundering … laundering and making videos for the blog.

Pointless info, here: 30th September of this year marks Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar’s tenth birthday.

No, really: it wasn’t much of a post much of a post, but it went up on 30th September, 2008.

Which is ALSO something I wasn’t planning to mention.

No.

I was planning to tell you I’d seen a movie.

You’re right.

I’ve watched the Ron Howard* directed … Solo: A Star Wars Story.

I know it’s had some flack: but I liked it.

~≈§≈~

Set roughly ten years before Star Wars†, Solo sees a young Han (Alden Ehrenreich) and lover, Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke, the mother of dragons, herself‡) fleeing from slavery on Corellia: with enough coaxial to act as a very substantial bribe.

The pair are separated: with Han eventually working which way into the Imperial Naval Academy.

Only to be cashiered into the infantry for insubordination.

And, in an attempt to join the team of disguised crooks led by Tobias Becket (Woody Harrelson), ends up being punished for desertion.

By being locked in a pit with … the Beast.

One that looks suspiciously Wookie …

It’s only when the pair escape … ?

That things starts to move.

Beckett?

Has plains for the pair: he’s got a job that’s going to need muscle …

~≈§≈~

Now … 

I know that Solo: A Star Wars Story had both a certain amount of troubles — the original directors were replaced by Ron Howard — and that it’s received a certain amount of flak from fans.

That … ?

Isn’t something I saw reflected in the final film.

Whilst I don’t think Solo is on a par with Rogue One, the only other Star Wars Anthology story released to date, it IS a fun little heist film: with enough twists, turns and jumps to make a corkscrew look straight.

All that … ?

All that and a surprise appearance from Darth Maul^ at the end of the thing?

Well …

Go watch …

Solo: A Star Wars Story

★★★☆

*        Sayint that, the Wikipedia entry tell us it was directed by Ron Howard, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

†        I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably say it again, in the future.   I grew up knowing the original Star Wars film as Star Wars: not even the opening crawl mentioned your A New Hope malarkey.

‡         She has a throwaway line about dragons in Solo.

^        Like many, I always feel ambiguous about the prequel films.   Whoever?   I ALSO felt Darth Maul had a lot of potential: potential that was never expanded on.