Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Han Solo is my one of my favourite characters in the Star Wars universe. I mean, he is a charismatic space cowboy with balls, how can you not love him? Even Leia eventually falls for him. And yet I decided to pass Solo: A Star Wars Story. I just didn't have a very good feeling about it, and, eventually, reviews proved me right. Now that it's on DVD, I decided to give it a chance. 

The film opens with Han (Alden Ehrenreich) as he escapes the planet of Corellia but vows to return for Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), the woman he loved and was forced to leave behind. After that, Han meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), encounters Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), wins the Millenium Falcon and gets involved in a series of dangerous adventures.

In terms of plot, Solo: A Star Wars Story is absolutely terrible, lazy at its best. Basically, all the writers did was to take some of the elements of Solo's past, like how he met Chewbacca, how he won the Falcon, how he got his name --by the way, the scene where we learn about Solo's last name is almost identical to the one in The Godfather: Part II when Robert De Niro's Vito arrives in America-- and what happened with the Kessel run, and called it a day. Actually, they also added a heist plot that has so many twists and turns and double-crosses, you lose any interest in guessing who's gonna betray who next. It's not a big deal though as at that point you already have probably lost any interest in the story.

The characters also are the result of lazy writing. They are pretty shallow, the development is almost non-existent. The good guys, it's really hard if not impossible to care about any of them --I felt sorry for Han, Chewbacca and Lando, those from the original trilogy though as they ended up in this mess of a film. As for the villains, Dryden Vos feels utterly pointless, Enfys Nest is barely in the film, and Darth Maul, why on earth did the filmmakers feel like he needed to be in this? Also, the whole film is about smuggling and yet there is no mention of Boba Fett or Jabba the Hut. What the hell, people?!

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

A combination of bad writing, bad direction and bad casting, the performances too are a disappointment. Alden Ehrenreich is no Harrison Ford. He lacks charisma and as a result, the character is annoying and quite unlikeable. Solo is arrogant and cocky, after all, and if you don't have charisma, the character could only work as someone we are supposed to despise. Donald Glover does a fine impression of Lando but he looks so bored throughout the film. Emilia Clarke is nothing short of terrible. Paul Bettany and Woody Harrelson, well, Ron Howard was able to make them look like amateurs.

Solo: A Star Wars Story also fails at being funny. Most of the comedy feels forced or inappropriate, and the jokes and puns are cheap and fall flat most of the time.

Yes, it does have some positive aspects too. The special effects aren't bad and the action sequences are pretty good --some are bland and repetitive though. But let's be honest, these few qualities alone aren't enough to make a great Star Wars movie.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Genres

Action, Sci-Fi

Director

Jon Watts

Country

USA

Cast

Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Tyne Daly, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Jennifer Connelly, Chris Evans, Gwyneth Paltrow

Storyline

Months after Civil War, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student while fighting Vulture (Michael Keaton), a new villain that will threaten everything that is important to Peter. 

Opinion

After Logan and Wonder Woman, I think Spider-Man: Homecoming was the most hyped (superhero) film of the year. But I wasn't that excited about it probably because of what happened with The Amazing Spider-Man flicks, so it easily exceeded my expectations. Actually, it was way better than I thought. In fact, Spider-Man: Homecoming was entertaining as hell and one of the funniest MCU films made so far -and I also liked it better than Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2.

After gods, androids and aliens, this is the film that (finally) brings back down to earth the MCU with another origin story that doesn't feel like an origin story at all. Rather than focusing (again) on the whole bite thing, this film focuses on teen Peter Parker as he struggles to find his place in the (Avengers) world. Although the plot could have used some more depth - it's indeed very simple - it's compelling and engaging. And it also has a nice twist.

The characters, as well as their roles in the role, were a pleasant surprise. The character of Peter Parker is well developed and Tom Holland makes for a fantastic Spidey. He beautifully captures the spirit of teen Peter Parker, a guy who is always trying to prove himself and wants to be involved in bad things. He's fun to be around and he delivers the humour.

A huge surprise was the role of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark/Iron Man. Because of the trailers, I was expecting him to completely steal the show. But the opposite happened. He was barely in the movie and that gave Holland the chance to really shine. And now the problems with the other characters. While I liked the idea of changing the characters races, it bothered me that all those characters were paper-thin. And the cast was uneven. I think Zendaya was great as Michelle, the quirky student who hangs around Peter, but Laura Harrier was terrible and annoying as Liz, Peter's shallow love interest.

Finally, there's the villain, Michael Keaton's Vulture. While more development would have been appreciated, Vulture and Keaton's mesmerising performance are definitely not forgettable like the majority of villains in Marvel movies. He is one of the most human villains. He's like a superhero villain, and his backstory and the reason he does what he does make you empathise with him.

Also great is the humour. Although it's pretty much the teen comedy kind of humour, it never feels forced and the timing of the actors will make you have a good time. The action is bad either. It doesn't react the spectacularity of the previous Marvel movies, but the sequences are still awesome.

MUST WATCH: First Trailer And Intro Clip for Matt Damon's THE MARTIAN

I've read the book guys and this trailer seems to indicate that the original story is fairly intact and that is great news, because the book rocked. And it's directed by Ridley Scott - so there's THAT.

Watch the trailer - this is a huge personal survival story in the harshest of climates - Mars. The additional video clip introduces the crew of the Hermes to us in an affable manner as well - so far the marketing for the movie has been intelligent and at a human level; perfect for the story. Trust me, if they keep to the book (and they should, it was a best seller), then this movie will definitely take off.

Here's the movie's storyline:
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.

THE MARTIAN takes off on November 25.

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