Okay, so I took my son to see the new Star Wars movie. This one obviously featured Han Solo, one of the major characters from the first trilogy, and it also had some other major characters from the original trilogy - Chewbacca and Lando Calrissean. It would explain how Han and Lando met, as well as how Han and Chewie met, and it would feature everybody's favorite Star Wars spaceship, the Millennium Falcon. Also, this was also released in May, which is when the Star Wars movies used to be released back when they were still being done by George Lucas. This one was directed by Ron Howard, who I still think of as Richie from Happy Days, and it had Woody Harrelson, who I still think of as Woody from Cheers. I like them both quite a bit, as well. So, I hoped that this might make it really, really good.
The truth was that there were some aspects of this movie that worked, and some that did not work nearly as much.
I will try to make this a mostly spoiler free movie review, but there may be some aspects of the film that I mention which will serve as spoilers, so if you have not yet seen the movie, but intend to, you might want to stop reading here at this point.
Okay, you have been warned. Read on at your own risk!
So, right off the bat, some things that did not work so well. My son was really bothered by the lack of a conventional, signature Star Wars movie start. There was the black screen, with the words in blue about how this happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. But it did not then go into the famous John Williams score. I guess that makes sense, since this was the first Star Wars movie done without John Williams. Hey, it had to happen at some point.
Still, I would imagine that they could have worked it out that they could have used that score for the opening of the movie, but they did not. Another thing that bothered my son, who you can tell is a big Star Wars fan, was the lack of a silent ending. In almost every other Star Wars movie (with the possible exception of Rogue One, where I cannot even remember the ending, admittedly), the final scenes, and perhaps the final fifteen to twenty seconds or so, are done with no words, and with maybe some music playing over these final scenes. That was not the case at all in this movie, where they talked right up until the end.
Also, Alden Ehrenreich looks a bit like Star Wars, and pulls off some of the Solo-like humor. Yet, to me, he seemed to lack the easy charm of the character that Harrison Ford brought so effortlessly. I kept seeing him as another actor trying to play a legendary character, and that was distracting. I did not feel that way about Lando, or about Chewie. But whenever they showed Ehrenreich, I thought about this actor (who I admittedly was not familiar with at all before this particular film), and not Han Solo, who he was supposed to be playing. And that prevented me from simply getting into the movie and losing myself in it, which meant that I was all too aware of it actually being a movie that I had paid to see.
Another knock on this movie was the almost total absence of other iconic themes in Star Wars: the Force and lightsabers. It had just a little - a very little - of each, literally for maybe a few seconds. And there is a surprise return of a major Star Wars character in this movie that has something to do with the Force. However, it seemed to be added specifically for this reason, so that this would not be the first Star Wars movie with the dubious distinction of not having lightsabers or the Force.
Finally, the humor. I mentioned that humor and Star Wars seem to have a complicated history. The original trilogy strongly benefited from the humor, particularly the tense romance and banter between Leia and Solo, which helped to make the movies far more interesting, and added considerable charm to the overall story. The prequels, on the other hand, lacked much humor, and what attempts were made were often childish to the point of being distracting and taking away from the movie, particularly with Jar Jar Binks. They brought humor back in the newest trilogy, although even these have not always worked. This movie also has some humorous moments, although sometimes, it feels a bit forced. And again, Han Solo in this movie does not seem to have the same easy humor and quick wit that he showed in the original trilogy. Somehow, Ehrenreich does not seem to me comfortable in the skin of Han Solo, and this proved a bit distraction throughout the movie, at least for me.
Also, Alden Ehrenreich looks a bit like Star Wars, and pulls off some of the Solo-like humor. Yet, to me, he seemed to lack the easy charm of the character that Harrison Ford brought so effortlessly. I kept seeing him as another actor trying to play a legendary character, and that was distracting. I did not feel that way about Lando, or about Chewie. But whenever they showed Ehrenreich, I thought about this actor (who I admittedly was not familiar with at all before this particular film), and not Han Solo, who he was supposed to be playing. And that prevented me from simply getting into the movie and losing myself in it, which meant that I was all too aware of it actually being a movie that I had paid to see.
Another knock on this movie was the almost total absence of other iconic themes in Star Wars: the Force and lightsabers. It had just a little - a very little - of each, literally for maybe a few seconds. And there is a surprise return of a major Star Wars character in this movie that has something to do with the Force. However, it seemed to be added specifically for this reason, so that this would not be the first Star Wars movie with the dubious distinction of not having lightsabers or the Force.
Finally, the humor. I mentioned that humor and Star Wars seem to have a complicated history. The original trilogy strongly benefited from the humor, particularly the tense romance and banter between Leia and Solo, which helped to make the movies far more interesting, and added considerable charm to the overall story. The prequels, on the other hand, lacked much humor, and what attempts were made were often childish to the point of being distracting and taking away from the movie, particularly with Jar Jar Binks. They brought humor back in the newest trilogy, although even these have not always worked. This movie also has some humorous moments, although sometimes, it feels a bit forced. And again, Han Solo in this movie does not seem to have the same easy humor and quick wit that he showed in the original trilogy. Somehow, Ehrenreich does not seem to me comfortable in the skin of Han Solo, and this proved a bit distraction throughout the movie, at least for me.
That said, this movie does have some strengths. For Star Wars fans, it explains some things that will surely be fascinating to man, including how Han Solo got his name. It shows how he and Chewbacca first met, and became such close friends. Obviously, it also shows how Han and Lando met, and the rivalry/friendship that developed.
There is a romance, of course. Yet, this is complicated. We see a young Han on a very Earth-like planet, complete with slums and with an occupying police force of Stormtroopers - yes, Stormtroopers that clearly look and sound (and probably shoot) like those from the first trilogy. Han's love interest is Kira, and they get separated early on. They do meet up years later, but by then, there are some serious complications, which I cannot explain in more detail without seriously giving some things away.
So, there are some reminders of the old Star Wars magic. There are scenes that are reminiscent of earlier sagas, such as the ones that took place on Hoth or Tatooine. And there are different versions of older characters. This movie will be a must see for passionate and loyal Star Wars fans, and I am sure that there are Easter eggs, if you will, that I missed, and which more serious and obsessed fans will easily pick up on.
Overall, this is not a bad movie. But it is a far cry from a great Star Wars movie. I was not entirely sure what to think of it when I first heard about it, and for the most part, this movie was, more or less, what I would have assumed it would be. I heard a critic on the radio suggest that it does not work. That he does not need to know the specifics about when Chewie and Han, or Lando and Han, actually met. That he did not need to hear Han Solo speaking in Wookie (which he does, within the first twenty or so minutes of the movie). In other words, he was suggesting that this movie did not necessarily enhance the Star Wars experience for fans much, which would suggest that only four movies in, Disney is already starting to run thin on fresh ideas.
Maybe. But it is an entertaining movie, and not a bad movie. It will not please every Star Wars fan, because clearly Star Wars fans, whatever they think of the new movies and/o the prequels, generally come in with a certain set of expectations, and get offended and quite vocal when those expectations are not met. I would be willing to bet that many fans will say that they did not enjoy this movie. However, it is not a bad movie, and it will entertain you, if you let it. It felt like it was dragging a bit towards the end, and I am pretty sure that it clocks in at over two hours. This might not be the old Star Wars with the magic that seemed to come so easily during the first trilogy, but it is a good movie overall (although maybe not must see), and it should keep you entertained throughout, if you allow it to.
No comments:
Post a Comment