Disney/Lucasfilm
By Marcos Melendez/Dec. 5, 2022 1:43 pm EST
“Solo: A Star Wars Story” may be the least successful entry in the franchise in the Disney era, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. A movie centered on a young Han Solo played by Alden Ehrenreich was always going to be an uphill battle, yet the actor was able to put his own stamp on the character. From start to finish, the universe-trotting adventure includes some genuinely thrilling sequences directed by Ron Howard, but “Solo” just couldn’t hit the high notes it wanted it to. Unfortunately, a convoluted story that only got more contradicting as it developed bogged down any potential for a crowd-pleasing romp.
Featuring Han Solo and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), “Solo” found the dynamic duo at the center of the criminal underworld and a galaxy-wide struggle against the Empire. The crew was hired by a major crime boss, Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), to pull off a heist to help out a newfound ally, Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). Their paths crossed with Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), a childhood friend of Han who now formed part of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. But there is one aspect of the entire ordeal that still does not track. The screenwriter behind the film laments a fatal flaw in the storyline that he won’t be able to fix in a sequel.
Featuring Han Solo and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), “Solo” found the dynamic duo at the center of the criminal underworld and a galaxy-wide struggle against the Empire. The crew was hired by a major crime boss, Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), to pull off a heist to help out a newfound ally, Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). Their paths crossed with Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), a childhood friend of Han who now formed part of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. But there is one aspect of the entire ordeal that still does not track. The screenwriter behind the film laments a fatal flaw in the storyline that he won’t be able to fix in a sequel.
A writer’s nightmare
“If Dryden Vos [Paul Bettany] is so concerned about exposing his gang in the [Kessel] heist, why does he send his most trusted aid [Qi’ra] to be the most visible member of the team that steals the coaxium? It seems to me that he’s going to have to kill her almost immediately just to separate himself from that job. So it always drove me crazy, and it was a problem that I was eager to retcon in a sequel.”
Despite the film’s flaws, it’s disappointing that Kasdan won’t be able to right the wrongs in a sequel. A follow-up featuring Qi’ra as the main villain could have been special, but alas. At least we can see glimpses of what could’ve been in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” now available to stream on Disney+.
