Entertainment
Star Wars’ Explosive Heist Thriller Is So Good, You Can Rewatch It Multiple Times
After the recent mixed reception to The Mandalorian and Grogu, it’s clear that Star Wars isn’t the undisputed hit franchise it used to be. While Star Wars continues to thrive in the area of made-for-streaming animation, live-action endeavors have been largely hit or miss, with even the best outings failing to live up to their own hype. However, apart from Rogue One and its television prequel Andor, arguably the most rewatchable Star Wars project of the Disney era is the highly underrated Solo: A Star Wars Story.
‘Solo’ Recaptured the Fun of an Old Fashioned Space Western
From the very beginning, it seemed that Solo had a rough go of it. Between all the behind-the-scenes drama and the controversy surrounding Alden Ehrenreich‘s replacement of Harrison Ford, many were determined to write off this prequel before it ever had the chance to “punch it” to hyperspace. But despite all of these challenges, Solo — which was ultimately completed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by veteran franchise scribe Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jonathan Kasdan — offered an action-packed glimpse into the life of Han Solo long before we met him on Tatooine. Of course, what Solo does best (and what convinced this author to see it three times in theaters) is to recapture the excitement of a traditional space Western, echoing the genre that helped inspire George Lucas‘ original vision for the Star Wars franchise.
To say that Solo is anything less than a Western would be a blatant misreading of the film. This is a movie that follows a plucky on-the-run outlaw who gambles for his next ride, battles a small posse of warriors (who he later becomes sympathetic for), and opposes the encroaching armed forces in the midst of their campaign of “galactic westward expansion.” These genre elements don’t just undergird the entire picture, but they keep the whole plot moving as Han does all he can to earn enough to fly off with Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) into the sunset. It’s from this vantage point that Solo is most enjoyed. Not as just another Star Wars prequel or a simple sci-fi adventure, but as a pulp Western set among the stars that aims high despite its occasional flounders.
Of course, where the “space Western” branding becomes especially clear is in sequences such as its pulse-pounding train heist. At the end of the first act, Han and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) join Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and his crew to steal the shipment of coaxium right out from under the Empire’s nose. What should be a simple job becomes increasingly complicated when Enfys Nest (Erin Kellyman) arrives in search of the same cargo. The whole thing is explosive and anxiety-inducing and appropriately sets the stage for the rest of the picture — perhaps not unlike the series of train robberies at the beginning of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. More than anything, it comes across as being so downright space-and-horse operatic that we’re on the edge of our seat for whatever comes next.
‘Solo’ Deserves More Credit for Recapturing That Star Wars Magic
For as much as Solo works as a space Western, it is also unequivocally a heist movie — one that deserves a second look almost a decade later. Yet, it’s Ehrenreich’s performance as a young Solo that ties it all together. No doubt, Ehrenreich echoes the previous efforts of Ford, but he does so while offering his own unique spin better suited to a younger version of the character. It’s almost a shame we never got a sequel, because his casting alone solidifies the notion that recasting is always better than uneven CGI facial reconfigurations. His version of Han is a bit less cynical than in the years before A New Hope, but we can see how this latest job has jaded him when it comes to trusting others (well, except maybe Chewie).
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Admittedly, Solo struggles at times with its eye-rolling droid subplot, an overreliance on fan-service, and some half-baked franchise cameos. There’s no doubt about it. However, the film’s positively nostalgic tone and careful attention to character mix well with the Kasdans’ clear goal of unpacking what makes Han Solo tick. In short, unlike many of the Disney efforts that have since graced the big or small screens, Solo feels like Star Wars — even without the Jedi.
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