Cert 12A
135 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence
Do you remember the days when summer blockbusters were a big event?
People used to queue around the block to see the openings of the likes of Grease and the James Bond movies.
And do you recall when Star Wars movies were so rare that fans had to be content with restored box sets or even animations?
Well, this year's summer roster is the most dismal yet. A collection of spin-offs or remakes which show a deep lack of imagination.
Ron Howard's Solo is a classic example - on its own it would not be a bad movie but in its context it is just a giant slice of deja vu.
My son is a Star Wars devotee and he would be able to spot all of supposedly important elements of contained within Solo.
But even he hasn't been bothered to watch it.
In essence, it tells the story of how a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) not only earned his name but became a leader in the battle against the dark side.
Just like in his later days, Han is something of a renegade, seeking his own way and this becomes even more important when he is split from his love (Emilia Clarke) and tries to find his way back to her.
In between, he teams up with Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), a mercenary (Woody Harrelson) and his wife (Thandie Newton).
Oh, and then there is the most evil of villains (Paul Bettany) who wants to by the overlord of the galaxy.
It being a Star Wars story, action is the key and some of the chases deliberately evoke memories of those of the older Han Solo when he was played by Harrison Ford.
And the old-slipper familiarity is rammed home by Solo's love-in with Chewwy and his daft howling language.
Disney clearly wants a return on its investment on Star Wars but is so disappointed with a mere $100 million profit on Solo that it has put all future spin-offs on hold.
I must admit I couldn't see the point in the first place.
So, why am I giving it a mark as high as 7/10? As said, on its own it is fine - it's a shame we have seen it all before.
Reasons to watch: If you are a Star Wars completist
Reasons to avoid: Seen it all before
Laughs: Two
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10
Director quote - Ron Howard: "It was an interesting journey. And I realized I had to rely on my raw instincts more than I normally would, because I didn’t have the time to prepare a movie and sort of develop a point of view about it."
The big question - How many spin-offs will there be?
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