‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ cash grab

The latest installment in the “Star Wars” anthology series, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is now out in theaters after much nervous anticipation. With a similar series of production dilemmas as the last anthology film, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” could this entry take fans by surprise or will this go out as well as Greedo did from the original film?

Our story, taking place in between “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” focuses on Han Solo being hired for a special mission with a cast of characters, both old and new, lead by Tobias Beckett to deliver a special substance to a ruthless crime lord (and no, it isn’t Jabba the Hutt).

Han Solo is one of the most beloved characters in the entire “Star Wars” universe. Whether you’ve seen the films or not, chances are you’ve at least heard of this half-witted scruffy-looking nerf herder and for good reason. There’s a lot to love about this guy, from Harrison Ford’s charismatic performance to his relationship with Princess Leia — the lovable smuggler is one who’s legacy can not be denied.

So if you’re going to make a film about such an iconic character, it should have the most time and effort put into it to honor him. Well, this film did not get the memo apparently. While “Solo: A Star Wars Story” isn’t a bad film by any means and has its moments, the overall product is nothing more than the obvious cash grab we were all expecting it to be.

There are a few elements that do work, however. Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca especially are highlights of the picture. Donald Glover gives the former the most solid performance out of the entire cast, picking up on many of the subtleties that Billy Dee Williams presented from the original films while keeping that too-cool-for-school smoothness that we love about the character.

Chewbacca is impossible not to love in almost anything he is in and this film will make you realize it. The lovable Wookie brings in the most heart, as well as providing the only good comedy within the film with his back and forth with Solo.

The only other perk would be in the musical score, which brought in some recognizable themes from the original films alongside an exciting new energy of its own. The new score isn’t likely to become any classic piece of film music, but for what it is, it is fun to listen to.

The rest of the film is nothing more than a weightless experience that isn’t likely to leave much of an impact. The cast, other than the previously mentioned Calrissian and Chewie, are not anything special. Alden Ehrenreich does a passable job as Han Solo, doing his very best to bring the same charm as Harrison Ford, but with the material given, it feels that the role could be switched up between almost anyone else.

The rest of the characters fall into similar ground, with none doing terribly, but not given much interesting to do. The only character who was legitimately annoying was the obligatory droid character L3-37, whose agenda went nowhere and joke’s fell flat everytime. This is not too unusual for this film as much of the rest of the comedy sucks, other than the parts with Chewbacca.

The plot itself feels very aimless at times. The pacing fills itself up with long drawn out action scenes with little to no weight, often followed up by the characters explaining what they need to do next. The character motivations and twists felt confusing and never fully developed, particularly with Solo’s decisions towards the final act.

Even some of the art direction came off as disappointing. While certain aspects of cinematography and practical effects looked stellar, the film’s attempts to be in the style of a Western don’t fully translate. Much of this attempt comes from a disgusting use of color during many of the interior scenes that largely hurt the eyes, especially during the first few minutes of the film. Some of the locations and creature designs also give off some prequel trilogy computer-generated imagery (CGI) vibes, which is never a good thing.

What probably hurts the most, however, is that the film fails to realize the great place to work off of with the history of this character being alluded to heavily in the original films. Rather, certain parts of Solo’s history mentioned in the past is barely looked at here and the character himself is given no intriguing depth to look into. Getting a deeper understanding of Solo’s beliefs and ideas had the potential to be immensely engaging, but this entry squanders those opportunities.

With all that said, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is ultimately a harmless experience. There is some fun to be had with it, but its crucial to put your expectations way down. For those looking for a safe, mindless experience with a bit of that “Star Wars” charm, then this won’t hurt to see. But for those looking for anything more, take a light-speed jump and get as far away as possible.