By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Sept. 25, unless otherwise noted: Solo: A Star Wars Story (Blu-ray + digital) Details: 2018, Lucasfilms Rated: PG-13, science fiction action and violence The lowdown: In “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” we learn how a young Han Solo was given his name, became an outlaw, met Chewbacca, made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs and won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian. Thus, “Solo” isn’t so much a movie as an elongated episode of “This Is Your Life” for “Star Wars” geeks. “Solo” is fun and entertaining, and Alden Ehrenreich (“Hail, Caesar!”) as young Han spouts familiar lines said by Harrison Ford as the older Han in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Ehrenreich, with a twinkle in his eye and a crinkle in his smile, has the cocky and arrogant attitude that endeared Han Solo to fans. Watching Ehrenreich is one of the film’s greatest pleasures. His performance balances the weaknesses in a script filled with starts and stops and a movie whose pace stutters rather than flows. “Solo” introduces us to a young Han in circumstances that make the movie seem like a galactic “Oliver Twist.” His dream is to be the best pilot in the galaxy, and he will do anything to achieve that goal. He soon falls in with a band of thieves, led by Woody Harrelson, and has a variety of short adventures — most of which touch on episodes in Han’s young life before he became a hero in “Star Wars.” The studio’s changing of directors from Phil Lord and Chris Miller to Ron Howard more than halfway through the production did not benefit the production. Lord and Miller wanted a tongue-in-cheek attitude, while the LucasFilm executives desired something else. The conflict shows on screen, as a balance is lacking between sequences that are impish and those that are serious. The young cast, though, keeps the movie flying.
New to View: Sept. 25
New to View: Sept. 25
New to View: Sept. 25
By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Sept. 25, unless otherwise noted: Solo: A Star Wars Story (Blu-ray + digital) Details: 2018, Lucasfilms Rated: PG-13, science fiction action and violence The lowdown: In “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” we learn how a young Han Solo was given his name, became an outlaw, met Chewbacca, made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs and won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian. Thus, “Solo” isn’t so much a movie as an elongated episode of “This Is Your Life” for “Star Wars” geeks. “Solo” is fun and entertaining, and Alden Ehrenreich (“Hail, Caesar!”) as young Han spouts familiar lines said by Harrison Ford as the older Han in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Ehrenreich, with a twinkle in his eye and a crinkle in his smile, has the cocky and arrogant attitude that endeared Han Solo to fans. Watching Ehrenreich is one of the film’s greatest pleasures. His performance balances the weaknesses in a script filled with starts and stops and a movie whose pace stutters rather than flows. “Solo” introduces us to a young Han in circumstances that make the movie seem like a galactic “Oliver Twist.” His dream is to be the best pilot in the galaxy, and he will do anything to achieve that goal. He soon falls in with a band of thieves, led by Woody Harrelson, and has a variety of short adventures — most of which touch on episodes in Han’s young life before he became a hero in “Star Wars.” The studio’s changing of directors from Phil Lord and Chris Miller to Ron Howard more than halfway through the production did not benefit the production. Lord and Miller wanted a tongue-in-cheek attitude, while the LucasFilm executives desired something else. The conflict shows on screen, as a balance is lacking between sequences that are impish and those that are serious. The young cast, though, keeps the movie flying.