SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Review

Going into Solo with an aura of skepticism isn't entirely unsurprising, considering its troubled production history and the common symptoms that plague prequels of any and all stripes. Honestly, I went into this expecting something like Ant-Man where the movie itself escapes all the production controversy relatively unscathed and comes out as a relatively solid flick. What I didn't expect was for this to be my favorite thing to hit the multiplexes with the Star Wars brand slapped on it since The Force Awakens back in 2015.

Going back to the Ant-Man comparison for a brief moment, this is another instance where many people would've loved to who have seen the original's directorial vision for this picture (myself included); however, I do find the fact that Disney/Lucasfilm made an inspired move by choosing journeyman filmmaker Ron Howard (mainly because he's probably the closest thing to what George Lucas might've been as an artist had he not decided to continue being active behind the camera, so to speak). It never overstays it's welcome, it keeps a brisk, steady pace and it knows when to balance out serious. All of the action sequences are gangbusters (the famous Kessel Run in particular is a rather tense smash-and-grab that perfectly justifies why someone like Han would become infamous). John Powell should also get credit for his excellent score. Granted, it does use the standard John Williams themes that everyone and their mothers know by heart; but, it doesn't rely on them and has plenty of unique energy in it's own right. Appropriately for the character and story, it's as rousing and swashbuckling as the film itself in many respects.

Of course, note should be made of the cast. Alden Ehrenreich turned out to be quite a charming choice as the young Han Solo, never trying too hard by trying to copy Harrison Ford's iconic work and carving out his own niche while also embodying the character's sarcastic confidence that made him such an icon to begin with. Emilia Clarke is charming as one of Han's old flames. Woody Harrelson has brings some more nuance than one would expect as Han's mentor. Even Paul Bettany's antagonist gets a moment or two to shine. Anyone hyped for Donald Glover's portrayal of a young Lando Calrissian is going to walk away a bit underwhelmed. His role here is basically a glorified cameo. Still, Glover is a ton of fun in the few scenes he does get (the scenes where he and Han play poker in particular are an absolute hoot).

If there's one thing I can this has in its favor over something like Rogue One (above everything else that makes this better than that pile of aggressive mediocrity), its that its clear this GETS Star Wars far better than . Some will accuse this of feeling like über expensive fan fiction like Rogue One; but, this doesn't feel as cynical or boring as that film did. If that film made the same mistake as the fandom's more pathetic members in grotesquely inflating the franchise into something grander than it actually is, this new one is perfectly in tune with why audiences fell in love with the galaxy far, far away in the first place: they're just fun space adventures with likable characters and a hearty sense of gusto. Plus, it doesn't try answer many of the sacred mysteries about this universe that are best left unanswered. Is it better than The Last Jedi? Probably not because TLJ takes some more risks and tries to be something more than fun popcorn entertainment. Then again, I'd be being disingenuous if I didn't say I had an absolute blast with this.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY gets a...
EXPERTLY DONE KESSEL RUN out of TEN

DEADPOOL 2 Review

Well then, this review turned out to be harder to write than I initially anticipate. Not in the way that something Blade Runner 2049 where I'm in such awe of the spectacle I just witnessed that I can't properly convey how I felt about the film; but rather because I'm somewhat baffled by what I just sat through last night. Make no mistake, Deadpool 2 is a pretty solid comic book flick and does many things a lot better than the original. Yet, despite all of that, I still left the theater in a strange mood where I'm not disappointed while also feeling like there could've been more here.

Now then, let's focus on the positives because there is certainly a lot to like here. First off, David Leitch is definitely a better director than Tim Miller was (seeing how this film has better action and is far more visually dynamic). Ryan Reynolds still gives his maximum effort and shows really no one else could've done Deadpool as a character better than himself. Josh Brolin is even better here as Cable than he was as Thanos in Infinity War. The good cop/bad cop relationship he has with the titular Merc with a Mouth near the end is a nice touch that brought to mind the likes of Lethal Weapon and especially 48 HRs. Zazie Beets was a welcome surprise as Domino. She's cool, capable and even gets a few good one-liners in between all the chaos Even if the jokes here a lot more hit-and-miss than the first one, there are still a few that make the whole enterprise worth the price of admission. The soundtrack here is pretty killer. Even all the stuff with the X-Force business takes a few unexpected turns that I won't dare to spoil here. There are a couple gags that have been recycled from the first one; but, they're kept to a minimum and the ones they do bring back mostly land on their feet (one in particular outdid the original to where everyone at my screening was in stitches for a solid five minutes).

As for the negatives, there aren't enough to bring the party down so to speak; but, they are still worth talking about. Without a doubt, I can say the film's only major problem is inconsistency. Some jokes feel out of place, the tone is all over the map in any given scene, and it does feel a bit like a thrown together mashup of comic book goofiness. While I do admire the filmmaker's attempts at making Deadpool more of a flesh-and-blood character instead of a one-note joke, I'd be lying if I said they were entirely successful. Still, enough of that stuff works to where you feel like you're getting more out of this than some fun wordplay and gunplay.



Deadpool 2 may be kind of clunky at times and doesn't quite achieve some of its loftier ambitions. Nevertheless, none of its shortcomings keep it from being one of the more subversive and wildly entertaining films in the superhero genre. If the superhero gravy train keeps on going from here on out, here's hoping we keep getting more like this to spice things up a little. Plus, any movie that opens on a snarky dude in red tights murders criminals with a chainsaw while Dolly Parton plays in the background is going to be worth seeing one way or another.

DEADPOOL 2 gets an...
STRANGELY EMOTIONAL A-HA REMIX out of TEN

PS. In case you don't know this for some bizarre reason, stay through the credits. I know it's become habitual for audiences to stay through the credits of superhero movies; but, seriously, they pulled out all the stops this time and delivered what might be an all-timer. Don't let anyone ruin it for you.