Solo: A Fanboy's Story

No, this isn't a review, as that ship clearly sailed back in May. But I did finally watch Solo: A Star Wars Story, a movie I was in no hurry to see.

Given the film's "poor" (I use "" as it's hard to imagine a film that made more than $200 million domestic being considered a failure) box-office performance, I guess a lot of people were in the same space about Solo as I was.

People, fans, dismissed the movie outright, likely due to the countless stories about its troubled production, and probably because it was a film no one needed to see. A Han Solo origin story starring an actor who isn't Harrison Ford? Who cares!!

I admit, I was among that camp. I knew I'd see it eventually, as Star Wars is my jam, but it wasn't a priority. The people I knew who did see it, liked it. Some even praised it as one of the best among the new batch of movies, which added to my curiosity.

Having recently sat down and watched the picture, I concur. I actually regret not seeing Solo on the big screen, as it's a fun summer blockbuster with a healthy sense of humour and the spirit of the original trilogy.

Will Alden Ehrenreich make us forget Harrison Ford as Han Solo? No fucking way! But I accepted this newb about 15 minutes in, and believe he did his best to capture the spirit of the character. After a while, I even enjoyed his performance and delivery of the trademark Solo lines.

The point I'm trying to make is, much like The Last Jedi, Solo fell prey to the misguided fandom that exists out there and wasn't given a fair shake, and I am among the guilty. Next time I won't be so quick to dismiss an entry in this series sight unseen.

And I hope the movie catches on in the ever-more-important home market, as I'd like to see more Solo films in the future.

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