LAMORINDA WEEKLY


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I must admit I am not the biggest Star Wars fan in the galaxy. In 1977, I was 11 years old when the original Star Wars was released, and I fell asleep in the theater. I was intrigued by "Solo," not because it is another Star Wars movie but because of all the trouble the movie had in production. When the film started shooting it was directed by Phil Lord ("22 Jump Street") and Christopher Miller ("The Lego Movie"). The executives were not happy with the early footage and both gentlemen were fired. They were replaced with Oscar winning director Ron Howard ("A Beautiful Mind," "Frost/Nixon"). So, did Ron Howard save the day, as Han Solo does?

The answer is yes!

This movie is all about Han and Chewbacca. The story also tells how Han Solo got his name. How Solo and Chewbacca meet is a scene I really enjoyed because it has tension, humor and heart. You will be cheering for both of them. Solo is played by Alden Ehrenreich ("Hail Caesar!" "Beautiful Creatures") who does a fine job and is believable as a young Han Solo. In a few scenes I thought I was watching a young Harrison Ford, as Ehrenreich's mannerisms and body movements were spot on.

Solo has good character development and did not leave me wondering why he became an expert pilot. I also felt that Howard's direction and photography gave the movie a feeling of nostalgia that was not present in the previous sequels.

Lando Calrissian is played by the multi-talented actor, director, producer and composer Donald Glover, who steals the scenes he is in and is a joy to watch on the big screen. He is a dead ringer for a young Billy Dee Williams. In the movie we see how Lando and Solo meet. Plus, we learn how Solo gets the Millennium Falcon, which is another entertaining scene.

Overall, I found "Solo" a solid movie with excellent character development and direction. Thank you, Ron Howard for saving this film.