Solo: A Star Wars Story


Solo, the Star Wars movie no one asked for (lol) but is actually an exciting addition to the Star Wars universe! Fun fact for you, the movie released on the 41st anniversary of A New Hope back in 1977! Director Ron Howard has done an excellent job with Solo, giving us an engaging story about one of cinema's most beloved characters.

When Disney first announced the titles for the new Star Wars movies after purchasing Lucasfilm, Solo was the only one I felt concerned about. I was excited with the idea of a trilogy expanding the Skywalker saga, and Rogue One in how the rebels got the Death Star Plans. But like many others, I didn't see it necessary to get a movie's worth of background info about Han.

This all changed though when the first trailers came out for Solo. I wasn't on board quite yet with Han not portrayed by Harrison Ford. But I was now interested in the story and the characters they had presented. I looked forward to the movie, then, after its release, I began hearing from my friends who had seen it that it WAS really good. Trusting their knowledge and love for Star Wars, I got excited to watch it and see for myself!

So let's die into the characters first! Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian is brilliant. He flawlessly plays and even expands the depth of the character. This was definitely a role he was born to play. Chewie was awesome too, as we were able to experience his and Han's first encounter and how their friendship is established. I enjoyed seeing him as a more primary character this time around as well. Woody Harrelson and Emilia Clarke also do great in their roles as Becket and Qi'ra.

Disney kept many of the plot details under wraps for this movie which I always appreciate. Nothing is worse than going into a movie knowing exactly what you'll get. The surprises make it much more exciting! I'll give you a quick synopsis (without spoilers) before getting into what I loved and why. Essentially, the main story is that of Han and how he became the smuggler we all know and love. We see where he grew up, and what brought him into the smuggling world. The story also includes his first love interest and friendships!

Alden Ehrenreich plays the young Han Solo, and yes, it took me about 15 minutes of movie to get used to that. It was kind of weird seeing someone besides Harrison Ford in the role at first. I soon realized that it didn't have to be Ford playing the character. Ehrenreich not only looks the part but brought his own charisma to the character that was convincing and believable. The "new" Han still has excellent chemistry with Chewie and Lando. There are countless jokes and nods to other Saga characters and details!

Like many people in our world, in Solo, Han lives with an eager optimism. It's one of the first differences I noticed between the original trilogy Han and the Solo Han. In the original trilogy, he was very pessimistic, while younger Han is more optimistic. No matter what crazy scenario he joins or is (literally) thrown into, he makes the best of it and won't give up. That's definitely something we can learn from. It's so easy to give up and let the negativity of this world get the best of us. Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. No matter what "pit" you're stuck in, you have the Lord's strength to help get you through it. 

If I could pick one verse that sums up Han's character throughout the story, it would be Philippians 4:8. It says, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Han is confronted with many different problems and issues throughout Solo and must decide what he will and won't stand for. Life is the same for us. There will be things we come across that challenge our faith. But those trials are often how we grow closest to God. In Solo, Han does not see himself as a person of honor who does good for others. But as the story progresses, he learns that someone with a difficult past like himself can be that person.

Altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed the latest Star Wars movie! Though I wasn't on board at first, I gave it a chance and was very pleased with the outcome. Like Rogue One, Solo strikes the nostalgia chord for original trilogy fans and still offers fresh, exciting ideas for new fans alike. The movie is not perfect (few films are) but I believe it is a welcome addition to the Star Wars franchise. It's worth a theater viewing, and I plan to buy the Blu-ray when that's released!

ALSO! If you haven't yet, please swing over to my recently created Facebook page called Faith & Film and give it a LIKE. I plan to use the page as a "companion" to my blog posts sharing my blog posts and other movie-related content to connect with you all more often! I truly appreciate everyone's support, thank you!

God bless! 😃
Austin

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