Let’s talk “Solo”

I have a tremendous amount of respect for the people involved in making “Solo.”

It was a thankless task. I mean, not literally, but let’s quickly break this down:

  1. Re-cast an iconic character associated with a beloved actor.
  2. Struggle through re-shoots, a changes in director, and a ton of bad press.
  3. Tell a smaller story that will be seen by the audience as not being essential to the overall narrative.
  4. Release the movie just 6 months after the “more essential” movie had sucked up the oxygen (and pissed off a small percentage of the audience).
  5. Attempt to release the movie on the heels of a pair of the biggest movies in history had, well, sucked up the oxygen.

I think the release date was a mistake.  Ceding the Christmas date that had been working so well seemed ill-advised at the time, and I have little doubt it has affected the box office to this point. And that’s a shame, because the people involved in piecing this movie together deserved so much better.

“Solo” will go down in history as a failure of some variety, though it’ll likely eke out a positive ledger over time. This is despite the film being a genuinely well-crafted adventure, with a tone good for families, a quality expansion of the lore, and even a really cool surprise or two.

I did not expect to be surprised or wowed by this film, but it managed the task anyway.

I genuinely loved the reveal at the end (which came completely out of left field). I adored Han and Chewie meeting (and pretty much any scene between the two), found the supporting characters interesting, and the overall thrill ride enjoyable.

I remarked to Cait in the immediate aftermath that the movie was making a play for my top 3, and while I’m not in the business of ranking these things anymore (my list changes hourly and The Last Jedi is impossible to slot anyway), that comment should still be telling: It’s good enough to rival any movie not named “A New Hope” or “Empire.”

I highly recommend this to anyone, Star Wars fan or not. Go see it before the theaters get tired of it under-performing.