Poetato Dameron
Solo A Star Wars Story - Late review
So I saw this film back in early June and wasn't as eager to see it as soon as it was released after the extremely long and abysmal Last Jedi(Sorry TLJ fans)but this review is about Solo so I will move on.
Now onto the Pros & Cons
Pros:
The soundtrack was brilliant and miles better than TLJ(Oops sorry again LJ fans,you weird bunch;p) (jokes).
I loved the western style tone.
Tobias Beckett was fantastic after all he was played by the very charismatic Woody Harrelson. So I could have thought of no one better to play Han Solos mentor figure aside from maybe Jeff Bridges or Bruce Willis but I would probably have gone with Harrelson too. Infact I would have for sure if making Solo.
Jon Favreaus character Rio Durrant was amazing but far too short lived. Hopefully we will get to see him again in another spin off or series along with Beckett and Val.
Val:played by a brilliant actress and looked very cool but felt a little underdeveloped and yet again far too short lived for the story.
The design of the Mudtroopers,Mimbantroopers,the alien Mimbanese warriors and that whole epic battle sequence and planet which was different therefore memorable.
The planet Correlia was really envisioned well in the canon and felt very accurate to that of the EU.
Correlian Hounds
The white worms gang was cool as was their leader but the queen worm was poorly acted.
Drydon Vos:was a perfect villain if not henchmen with his cool,chilling,charismatic personality and creepy near human appearance though he could've been a little scarier.
Drden Vos's yacht/ship
The amazing costume design was SO SO AWESOME especially those done for the main characters,Enfy's Nest and those aboard Dryden Vos's yacht. I read somewhere that they made over 1000 costumes for this film,the most yet for a SW movie.
L3-37.
Lando :Donald Glovers acting was one of the best parts and his likeness in appearance and acting to Billy Dee Williams was superb along with Landos new costumes especially that white shirt with the picture printing at the end. I would love to see more of young Lando.
Alden Enreich was okay as Han though his acting felt wooden and cringe worthy at times especially seeming like he was trying too hard to perform like how Harrision Ford played him even though he said he wasnt trying to do that. I also didnt like Hans brown jacket costume for some reason as it looked boring and like something from a cosplay convention cheaply stitched together.He could of worn the leather jacket Han wore in TFA.
Enfy's Nest: Like Boba Fett and and Captain Phasma she defiently looked the part if not the best in the film going by that helmet, vambraces,coat and shoulder scarf thing but was underused and a weak villain that was revealed to be a very unscary child not like Kylo.
Tobiass Becketts blaster pistol especially the revolver one.
The white worm gangs costume design was really cool but Moloch looked too similar to TFA's Sarco Plank when he had his helmet hood thing up.
The Correlia car chase was very cool and felt very Grease,American Graffiti,Baby Driver,fast and furious what have you which I liked along with the new imperial patrol officers.Though what was the point of those patrol officers appearance when you've already got scout troopers,stormtroopers and those other scout/AT-DP style troopers in Rebels especially when it wasn't a different climate.
The Kessel run and the really cool giant headed spider octopus/squid style nebula monster.
The Kessel mines wookiee,droid and slave revolt.
It expanded the canon well and did service to the EU lore.
The train heist scene was absolutely superb and one of if not the films best moments. Its just a shame I drank too much beforehand and had to desperatly pop off to the toilet during the sequence only to miss Vals death when I had come back. :(
Viper droids.
Drydon Vos's alien security personel.
The sabacc game over the Falcon between Lando and Han but I thought it would take place in the casinos of cloud city or even on Canto Bight for greater movie connections.
Cons:
The character of Qi'ra/Emilia Clarkes acting was just damn right awful for me and so off so many times especially during that cloak room scene on the Falcon. She just couldnt seem to say her lines right with enough believabilty ,emotion or urgency like the others and she hardly seemed like a dangerous double crossing fem fatale. Its a real shame as I think Emilia Clarke is usually a great actress and I really like her but in this film she was just a pretty and unconvincing face. Mary Elizabeth Winstead or Lizzie Caplan would have been far far better choices and Emilia Clarke looks too similar to Leia in a way.
The film was way too fast paced at the beginning especially during the Corellia and Mimban scenes as it would've been great to of spent more time at those locations and see larger sequences.
Tobias Beckett being killed off. (Really wasnt expecting that so soon or Dryden Vos's death as I heard Solo was rumoured to be part of a trilogy.
No Kashyykk or sign of Tarful and Chewies family. Not even in the spice mines of Kessel.
The Pykes didnt look like the Pykes from CW which was disappointing.
The scene where Han freed Chewie on Mimban was a bit too rushed and underwhelming for me compared to how it plays out in the EU as it is much more importanat and emotional because Han Solo is ordered to execute him as an imperial TIE fighter cadet then doesn't which sets him apart from the Empire and shows that he actually has a heart and escspes witb Chewie before being courtmarshked hence the life debt. Why couldn't they have done this instead of making the scene a comedy plot point to just tick off the backstory list.
Now lastly onto that interesting Darth Maul cameo. I loved the idea about it but unfortunatly had it spoiled for me before going to the cinema. Im in two mind about this cameo. Firstly I love it and think its great to see Ray Park/Darth Maul back in live action canon again even if it may seem a little confusing for those who think hes dead and didnt watch Rebels or CW. I also heard strangely that CW Maul voice actor Sam Wittwer did the voice which seemed uneccesary considering Ray Park did the voice in Phantom Menace for just as much screentime. However we know now that before this that Maul has officially died for real this time in Rebels before Solo, so his return feels less powerful and more meh I know when and how you're going to die so Im no longer interested.
His death should have been left for a live action series after Solo IMO or and Obi wan film.
Final verdict 4/5
Solo A Star Wars Story - Late review
So I saw this film back in early June and wasn't as eager to see it as soon as it was released after the extremely long and abysmal Last Jedi(Sorry TLJ fans)but this review is about Solo so I will move on.
Now onto the Pros & Cons
Pros:
The soundtrack was brilliant and miles better than TLJ(Oops sorry again LJ fans,you weird bunch;p) (jokes).
I loved the western style tone.
Tobias Beckett was fantastic after all he was played by the very charismatic Woody Harrelson. So I could have thought of no one better to play Han Solos mentor figure aside from maybe Jeff Bridges or Bruce Willis but I would probably have gone with Harrelson too. Infact I would have for sure if making Solo.
Jon Favreaus character Rio Durrant was amazing but far too short lived. Hopefully we will get to see him again in another spin off or series along with Beckett and Val.
Val:played by a brilliant actress and looked very cool but felt a little underdeveloped and yet again far too short lived for the story.
The design of the Mudtroopers,Mimbantroopers,the alien Mimbanese warriors and that whole epic battle sequence and planet which was different therefore memorable.
The planet Correlia was really envisioned well in the canon and felt very accurate to that of the EU.
Correlian Hounds
The white worms gang was cool as was their leader but the queen worm was poorly acted.
Drydon Vos:was a perfect villain if not henchmen with his cool,chilling,charismatic personality and creepy near human appearance though he could've been a little scarier.
Drden Vos's yacht/ship
The amazing costume design was SO SO AWESOME especially those done for the main characters,Enfy's Nest and those aboard Dryden Vos's yacht. I read somewhere that they made over 1000 costumes for this film,the most yet for a SW movie.
L3-37.
Lando :Donald Glovers acting was one of the best parts and his likeness in appearance and acting to Billy Dee Williams was superb along with Landos new costumes especially that white shirt with the picture printing at the end. I would love to see more of young Lando.
Alden Enreich was okay as Han though his acting felt wooden and cringe worthy at times especially seeming like he was trying too hard to perform like how Harrision Ford played him even though he said he wasnt trying to do that. I also didnt like Hans brown jacket costume for some reason as it looked boring and like something from a cosplay convention cheaply stitched together.He could of worn the leather jacket Han wore in TFA.
Enfy's Nest: Like Boba Fett and and Captain Phasma she defiently looked the part if not the best in the film going by that helmet, vambraces,coat and shoulder scarf thing but was underused and a weak villain that was revealed to be a very unscary child not like Kylo.
Tobiass Becketts blaster pistol especially the revolver one.
The white worm gangs costume design was really cool but Moloch looked too similar to TFA's Sarco Plank when he had his helmet hood thing up.
The Correlia car chase was very cool and felt very Grease,American Graffiti,Baby Driver,fast and furious what have you which I liked along with the new imperial patrol officers.Though what was the point of those patrol officers appearance when you've already got scout troopers,stormtroopers and those other scout/AT-DP style troopers in Rebels especially when it wasn't a different climate.
The Kessel run and the really cool giant headed spider octopus/squid style nebula monster.
The Kessel mines wookiee,droid and slave revolt.
It expanded the canon well and did service to the EU lore.
The train heist scene was absolutely superb and one of if not the films best moments. Its just a shame I drank too much beforehand and had to desperatly pop off to the toilet during the sequence only to miss Vals death when I had come back. :(
Viper droids.
Drydon Vos's alien security personel.
The sabacc game over the Falcon between Lando and Han but I thought it would take place in the casinos of cloud city or even on Canto Bight for greater movie connections.
Cons:
The character of Qi'ra/Emilia Clarkes acting was just damn right awful for me and so off so many times especially during that cloak room scene on the Falcon. She just couldnt seem to say her lines right with enough believabilty ,emotion or urgency like the others and she hardly seemed like a dangerous double crossing fem fatale. Its a real shame as I think Emilia Clarke is usually a great actress and I really like her but in this film she was just a pretty and unconvincing face. Mary Elizabeth Winstead or Lizzie Caplan would have been far far better choices and Emilia Clarke looks too similar to Leia in a way.
The film was way too fast paced at the beginning especially during the Corellia and Mimban scenes as it would've been great to of spent more time at those locations and see larger sequences.
Tobias Beckett being killed off. (Really wasnt expecting that so soon or Dryden Vos's death as I heard Solo was rumoured to be part of a trilogy.
No Kashyykk or sign of Tarful and Chewies family. Not even in the spice mines of Kessel.
The Pykes didnt look like the Pykes from CW which was disappointing.
The scene where Han freed Chewie on Mimban was a bit too rushed and underwhelming for me compared to how it plays out in the EU as it is much more importanat and emotional because Han Solo is ordered to execute him as an imperial TIE fighter cadet then doesn't which sets him apart from the Empire and shows that he actually has a heart and escspes witb Chewie before being courtmarshked hence the life debt. Why couldn't they have done this instead of making the scene a comedy plot point to just tick off the backstory list.
Now lastly onto that interesting Darth Maul cameo. I loved the idea about it but unfortunatly had it spoiled for me before going to the cinema. Im in two mind about this cameo. Firstly I love it and think its great to see Ray Park/Darth Maul back in live action canon again even if it may seem a little confusing for those who think hes dead and didnt watch Rebels or CW. I also heard strangely that CW Maul voice actor Sam Wittwer did the voice which seemed uneccesary considering Ray Park did the voice in Phantom Menace for just as much screentime. However we know now that before this that Maul has officially died for real this time in Rebels before Solo, so his return feels less powerful and more meh I know when and how you're going to die so Im no longer interested.
His death should have been left for a live action series after Solo IMO or and Obi wan film.
Final verdict 4/5