TV tip: The biggest cinema flop of the "Star Wars"-Story that you should definitely see anyway

+++ Opinion +++

A lot has to go wrong for a “Star Wars’ movie doesn’t pay, but ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story” that was obviously exactly the case. The prequel grossed a meager $393 million in theaters. Estimates from deadline According to the Han Solo film, it lost $76.9 million.

This Friday, October 14, 2022, “Solo” will be shown at 8:15 p.m. on ProSieben and although it is the largest “Star Wars” cinema flop of all time, I recommend you to tune in or alternatively stream the film on Disney + – because the “Star Warsspin-off is simply a thoroughly entertaining space adventure.

›› “Solo: A Star Wars Story” on Disney+*

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” tells the backstory of Han Solo from the original trilogy (then: Harrison Ford, here: Alden Ehrenreich) and takes place about ten years before Episode 4. As an orphan, he grows up on the rough streets of the planet Corellia, run by a crime syndicate is mastered. Han dreams of escaping his corrupt homeland and traveling the galaxy with his girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke).

But the plan fails. Han and Qi’ra are separated from the Empire and Han is forced to join the Imperial Army. There he meets the crook Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), joins him and embarks on criminal raids with him and his crew. Along the way, he meets a host of illustrious characters such as Wookie Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), the droid L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and the charismatic bon vivant Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), but he also gets into trouble with the powerful crime boss Dryden Vos ( Paul Bettany) to each other.

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” is the only “Star Wars’ movie from Disney that I just savored from start to finish. The sequel trilogy is unfortunately a big disappointment for me (with the exception of a few brilliant individual scenes) and “Rogue One” simply didn’t pick me up when I first saw it (but that has changed in the meantime). For that reason alone, “Solo” really surprised me in a positive way.

Admittedly, the Han Solo film isn’t particularly original or innovative. But if you just want an entertaining “Star Wars”-Adventure wants to experience exactly that – but with an important unique selling point: Because here we experience the galaxy from its dirty side. This time the focus is not on Jedi and it is not about saving the world. Instead, we follow a smuggler as he moves from one shady character to the next while following the love of his life.

“Solo” is the only “Star Wars“-movie film, the fate of which does not immediately depend on the events of the entire universe. Exactly this reduction to the adventures of an outsider provides a refreshing change. “Solo” is more sci-fi western than space opera and that is also reflected on the visual level. Director Ron Howard (“Rush”) and cinematographer Bradford Young (“Arrival”) pay tribute to the western genre in numerous moments:

Owing to “The Mandalorian’ likes this clear focus on the Western aspects of ‘Star Wars“-universe will no longer be special. But in 2018, “Solo” took an unfamiliar direction that made me look forward to “Star Wars’ had long yearned for. But the cast of the film also struck a chord with me…

Solo is teeming with charismatic actors I never expected to see in a “Star Wars’ movie to see. Woody Harrelson (“Venom 2”), Paul Bettany (“WandaVision”), Emilia Clarke (“Game Of Thrones”), Thandiwe Newton (“Westworld”) and Donald Glover (“Lando Calrissian”): They all shine in their roles as daring warhorses and sneaky criminals.

Also joining Joonas Suotamo as fan-favorite Chewbacca and Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Lando’s defiant droid L3-37. But who of all probably deserves the most praise is the leading actor.

Alden Ehrenreich pulls off the impossible and pulls off the mammoth task of replacing Harrison Ford as Han Solo with flying colors. He’s not a full-on copy of the legendary star, but he doesn’t have to be. While it’s a bit wilder and more exhilarating than the original, that can be justified by Han Solo’s age difference compared to Episode 4. At the latest when Alden Ehrenreich smiles in typical Han Solo fashion, there is no longer any doubt that we are dealing with the notorious smuggler we all know and love.

Of course, as is usual with Disney, there is plenty of unnecessary fan service here too. But unlike the sequel trilogy, it’s easy to ignore. For example, the fact that “Solo” explains in a really stupid way how Han got his last name can easily be dismissed as a bad joke. However, the fact that Episode 9 revives the Emperor and thus subsequently changes the end of the original trilogy, just to turn the once highly intelligent ruler of the galaxy into a parody-like joke character who has learned nothing from his mistakes, not only ruined the sequel trilogy for me , but also my love for theStar Wars’ franchise in general dealt a severe blow.

“Solo” tells a prequel to the old “Star Wars’ films, but does not sully their legacy. This film works on its own as a gripping space western full of charismatic characters and with the necessary “Star Wars“feeling. “Solo” deserves to be seen by more people than it did in cinemas at the time.

This is a re-release of an article previously published on DashFUN.

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