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| Smug stars crowd this retro-styled poster for Ron Howard's Solo: A Star Wars Story that seems like it wants to hide the fact that it promotes a hyper-commercial venture for one of the world's largest media giants |
As a young pilot rapscallion, Han Solo is a cocksure space adventurer, when he meets Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is written by father and son Jonathan Kasdan (Dawson's Creek (2000-02)) and Lawrence Kasdan (Mumford (1999)) and directed by great Oklahoman filmmaker Ron Howard (Grand Theft Auto (1977)). It is the 2nd Star Wars anthology film after Disney's acquisition of the franchise, following Rogue One (2016), and is a prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy (1977; 1980; 1983).
The film is catastrophically uninspired, empty and vapid, a character-focused outing for the Mouse House that's a complete misfire from Howard, likely his career's costliest fail.
Alden Ehrenreich (Stoker (2013)) is like a thorn in the eye for any one who remembers and appreciates Harrison Ford in the role as Han Solo, a reminder that inevitably comes up again and again when watching Solo: A Star Wars Story. Emilia Clarke (Me Before You (2016)) is another petite, female, British heroine in the popular universe, (following Daisy Ridley and Felicity Jones in the immediately preceding films); and Donald Glover (Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)) is awkward and vulgar in ways that don't seem like the original Lando as portrayed by Billy Dee Williams.
The plot is superficial, and we never come to care for a single part of the slick affair. There's handsome CGI effects, - but the gigantic budget is still wasted sorely here. Solo: A Star Wars Story is the worst Star Wars movie to date.
Related posts:
Star Wars franchise: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker/Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) - A solid saga ending
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) or, Ginny's Fate: A Star Wars Calculation
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - Abrams scores big time, makes beautiful space opera blockbuster
Ron Howard: Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) - Stapleton's Corman doc. is among the year's best films (interview subject)
2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
Frost/Nixon (2008) - Howard's political drama is gripping, superiorly acted
The Da Vinci Code (2006) - Howard's first Brown adaptation is a popcorn thriller hoot
2001 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
A Beautiful Mind (2001) - John Nash given the Epic Treatment
EDtv (1999) - Phenomenal cast shine in Howard's witty mega-flop
Far and Away (1992) - Howard, Hollywood's sweethearts visit the old West with dull result (co-writer/director)
Backdraft (1991) - Howard's giant, stupid Chicago-set firefighter movie
Grand Theft Auto (1977) or, Crash Bam Boom!
American Graffiti (1973) or, Cruisin' Modesto '62 (actor)
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 275 - 300 mil. $ (different sources)
Box office: 392.9 mil. $
= Big flop (returned 1.36 times its cost)
[Solo: A Star Wars Story premiered 10 May (Los Angeles) and runs 135 minutes. The film started production with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller at the helm. Ten days into production, 54.5 mil. $ had already been spent on the film, reportedly. Almost 4½ months later, the duo were fired from the project due to their comedic angle on the film, and Howard was instead hired for the job. He eventually reshot about 70 % of the film. Shooting took place from January - October 2017 in Italy, Spain and the UK. The film opened #1 to an 84.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another weekend at #1 and then 2 more in the top 5 (#2-#4), grossing 213.7 mil. $ (54.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 25.8 mil. $ (6.6 %) and Japan with 18.9 mil. $ (4.8 %). The film was nominated for the Best Visual Effects Oscar, lost to First Man. It is the first Star Wars movie to become a flop. The franchise continued with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Howard returned with Pavarotti (2019, documentary). Ehrenreich returned in Brave New World (2020, miniseries) and theatrically in Fair Play (2023); Clarke in Leading Lady Parts (2018, short), Game of Thrones (2011-19) and theatrically in Above Suspicion (2019); and Glover in 2 music videos and a video game prior to his theatrical return in Guava Island (2019). Solo: A Star Wars Story is fresh at 69 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Solo: A Star Wars Story?
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