Why we didn't need Solo: A Star Wars Story

It’s that time again. Time to start writing again after a period of watching many a film whilst away on a semester abroad. Not only this, but the films that I went to see had been covered so well that I didn’t have anything new to add.

Everyone knows that Black Panther was not only a superb film in its own right but was a true celebration of African culture. It contained some of the best action set pieces in any MCU film as well as some of the most well-written characters in cinema. Looking at you Killmonger.

Everyone knows that A Quiet Place surprised audiences with its originality as much as it terrified them. Although, please refrain from eating popcorn during the runtime. Don’t be that person.

Everyone knows that Avengers: Infinity War shook everyone’s collective cores with its story, its compelling characters and *that ending*.

Now, I think I have something worth discussing. Like this film’s predecessor, we didn’t ask for this film. However, very unlike the spin off series Disney seem to want to force down our throats, it is in no way on the same scale of quality.

I am of course talking about Solo: A Star Wars Story. Spoilers ahead!

What could go wrong?

Would that it t'were so simple
to make a Han Solo origins story

I went in, as I do with every film I see, with a general open mind. I wanted it to do everything Rogue One did, but in its own way. Would it blow us away with jaw dropping visuals? Give us memorable characters we will reference for months, even years to come? Tell an exciting story about the Origins of everyone’s favourite smuggler? It saddens me to say that the latest entry in the world of Star Warsdoes none of these things. Despite having plenty of brilliant actors who give great performances, not forgetting Alden Ehrenreich’s odd defying performance as a young Han Solo. Oh, and I’d be forever cursed if I didn’t mention how fantastic Donald Glover is as Lando Calrissian. 

Jack Howard has already published a great video asking if we ever needed a Han Solo origin story in the first place. I’ll leave the link here, but if you’ve already seen it, you’ll know that he leans on the side of wishing it hadn’t been made. I however, would like to go down a different route. I’d like to argue the point that the reason we don’t need a Han Solo origin story is that there is little to nothing to say about our favourite fast talking scruffy looking nerve hurter’s beginnings. Simply put, I feel that there is nothing of interest that isn’t talked about in the original trilogy. With the Kessel run being the main part of the film’s story, this and his debts to Jabba are the only pieces of Han’s history established in A New Hope. Then we have his relationship with Lando established inThe Empire Strikes Back, as well as learning how Solo came to own the Millennium Falcon. We get added context with these events, apart from his dealings with Jabba, but everything else that occurs serves no purpose other than fans to recognise the little details of fan service designed specifically for them. How Han got his Blaster, how he met Chewie, how he speaks Wookie, how he learns to shoot first and learning of his past love interest all add nothing relatively little Solo’s character.

Before the dark times, before the studio interference...

Furthering the point to us not asking for a Han Solo origins story, members of the Star Wars fanbase have instead been begging for a different spin off. An Obi Wan Kenobi spin off about his time on Tatooine would be perfect. Witnessing the ever-watchful protector of Luke Skywalker as well as dealing with life on a planet that houses the infamous hive of scum and villainy: Mos Eisley. He is a beloved character who could genuinely that part of his story told. I know Star Wars: Rebelshas covered Kenobi’s life nearer to A New Hopewith his final face off with Maul, but so much more could be covered! There is capacity for an original story to be told! It’s just a shame that at the time of me writing this that Lucasfilm/Disney have put all spin offs on hold. I know many fans, myself included, are worried about over saturation of the franchise, but if the higher ups in the studio really want to win back their audience, make films for the fans and not for the sake of printing money.

Overall, the film bored me on the sole reason that we don’t find out how Solo comes to becomes who he is A New Hope as well as all the answers we get to what made Han what he is being generally uninteresting. We didn’t need to know how he got his name. We didn’t need to know how he got his pistol. What we DID need to know was how became a scumbag who shoots first. The ending is left very open ended, which might have something to do with Ehrenreich’s three movie contract with Disney. This leads me to ask: What other stories are there to tell? It seems Disney are now just making films for the sake of printing money. However, with Solo: A Star Wars story set to lose $50 million, I imagine Kathleen Kennedy will want to avoid the same fate for Episode IX come December 2019.