The year was 1977. Star Wars ruled the box office and “Happy Days” was the #1 rated show with a 31.5 share. You might not have an idea what that means. What’s the top rated show now? My sources say “Big Bang Theory.” “BBT” would fantasize for half that number. The average “Happy Days” episode outperformed the Super Bowl that year. That’s not important. What is important is Solo, a prequel describing the early life of our favorite supporting movie character from the film that ruled the 1977 box office. And Solo is directed by Ron Howard, the star of the television show that ruled the 1977 Nielsens.
That’s an odd combo, huh? Star of the top TV show from year X directing a prequel biopic of a beloved supporting character from top box office in year X. Just for fun, I invented a few more possibilities with this formula:
- Ted Danson (“Cheers”) directing The Wet Bandits (prequel to Home Alone) [1990]
- Larry Hagman (“Dallas”) directing Sallah! (prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark) [1981]
- Jennifer Aniston (“Friends”) directing Young Dumbledore (prequel to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) [2001]
- Simon Cowell (“American Idol”) directing Alfred Pennyworth (prequel
to The Dark Knight) [2008] - Bill Cosby (“The Cosby Show”) directing Intern Brown (prequel to Back to the Future) [1985]
When you get a blog, you can talk about whatever you want to.
It takes the film fewer than thirty seconds to demonstrate that Han, just “Han” apparently, has a propensity for women and trouble. The old-enough-to-know-better-but-young-enough-not-to-care Han (Alden Ehrenreich) speeds his squeeze Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) around planet Crimellia on the premise that he isn’t enjoying the stressful situations he loves to engineer. The spaceport out of town is loaded with cops, but luckily for Han, these guys are as easily bought as a politician at an NRA rally. However, Han has to go Solo when Qi’ra misses her gate and quickly signs up for Stormtrooper School to avoid the fascinating world of incarceration.
Fast-forward to a few years later and Han encounters Woody Harrelson, which is never a good idea. Forever the wise-fool, Han knows the score and does his best impression of the Microsoft Office Paperclip, “Hey, it looks like you guys are doing some crime, how can I help?” This plea gets him a personal meeting with “The Beast.” This is the Stormtrooper version of a prank, but the joke’s on them, because The Beast
is none other than Chewbacca, so we know how this close encounter ends.
Solo: A Star Wars Story isn’t shy with the introductions. In addition to the Han-meets-Chewy, there’s a Han-meets-Lando (Donald Glover, who is excellent), Han-meets-Millennium Falcon (who is also excellent), Han-meets-a last name, and Han meets modesty. HA! Just kidding … Han never meets modesty. For the sake of kitsch, I would have loved to get another explanation of how Harrison Ford got his trademark chin scar (not unlike Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), but no such luck. With a screenplay devoted to the canon established in the original Star Wars trilogy, this film did feel from time-to-time like the Rankin/Bass animated “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” I half-expected a punctuated fourth wall child-like commentary ala “I knew it! I knew he’d make the Kessel Run!” Yet this Point A to Point B exercise seemed, I dunno, more fluid, more organic than Star Wars III, which gave the same plot restraints. Mostly, Solo felt like, “Wow, did this thing cater to me or what?” I have no idea what childhood heroes of today will be re-explored forty years from now (Wonder Woman? Black Panther? The clown from It?), but I’ll try not to be a jerk about it when it happens.
I honestly did not know who had directed this film until Clint Howard made a cameo. Hold up a sec; there’s only one man on this planet who deliberately employs Clint Howard … his brother, Ron. Opie, dude, stand up and be counted.
Is Han Solo an anachronism? Is that what’s putting people off about this film? Look, this wasn’t the gem of gems. Personally, I found the multiple plot surprises off-putting, as goes the same for the deliberate sequel set-up. However, I wasn’t actually put-off by anything else. Another film might have been hindered by a deliberately tepid romance, but this film was about Han and Star Wars canon suggests only one woman is equal to his, shall we say, challenges. Alden Ehrenreich didn’t exactly remind me of Harrison Ford, but he makes a pretty good twentysomething Han Solo – he definitely has the bravado, the swagger, and the Dennis Quaid smile down. He definitely strikes me as the guy who will get in over his head again and again and again. Perhaps I’m more forgiving because of my relationship with the original Star Wars film; I say if you loved that, you’ll like this.
♪He’s been a scoundrel since Tatooine
At times, I wondered what he was as a teen
But I want you to know that he shot Greedo first
Of all the no-good swindlers, we know he’s the worst
He’s still the Han who makes Hutts see red
“He’s still the Han.” That’s what she said
Years since Star Wars one and he’s still the Han♫
Rated PG-13,135 Minutes
Director: Ron Howard
Writer: Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan
Genre: Indulging children of the 1970s
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Fans of the original Star Wars
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Sick of Star Wars yet? Oh, we’re just getting started
♪ Parody Inspired by “Still the One”
