When the end credits hit for Solo, I had a huge grin on my face because this movie is such a fun ride. The story hits all the right cues for a Han Solo adventure. There’s speed, racing, and flying. There’s thieves trying to one-up each other. There’s twists and turns, romance, quirky, lovable characters, and high stakes. From the writing, to the directing, to the acting, and even the music…they nailed it. And boy do they leave you wanting more in such a good way.
The biggest obstacle for this movie was Harrison Ford. How could anyone ever hope to recast him and pull off a young Han story. When it was first tossed around, I didn’t think it was possible. But Jon and Lawrence Kasdan thought it could be done. Kathleen Kennedy thought it could be done, and with Ron Howard hitting it out of the park, Alden Ehrenreich did the impossible – he made me forget about Harrison Ford. The person on screen was Han Solo. He made me believe it, and it was so. With that key ingredient secured, everything else fell into place.
When a Star Wars movie ends, you can be left with a lot of different feelings. Rogue One ended in despair with a spark for hope. The Last Jedi left you reeling trying to comprehend everything that just happened. But with Solo, there’s just one feeling: fun. There’s just so much of it in this movie. It’s like a drug and you just want more as the story and the acting meld into this great adventure. Along the way, they answer questions, they drop nods to other Star Wars stories, and they lay bread crumbs for future tales. At the end of the day, I find myself thinking Kathleen Kennedy would be crazy not to make more of these.
Without diving into the plot and spoiling anything, it’s enough to know that anyone who enjoys Star Wars should give this a try. Is it the greatest Star Wars movie ever? It is more fun than Guardians of the Galaxy? Does it top Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2? Will it break records and win awards? Does it even matter? The point is entertainment, and in that regard, this film succeeds. There’s no need to compare it to anything else, or worry about box office numbers and awards. You just need to ask yourself whether you were entertained. For me, that was a big hell yeah because I give Solo a five out of five metal bikinis.
