Going Solo
Time to catch up some more quick reviews. Good thing I don't have a deadline for this stuff!
Solo: A Star Wars Story - Sorry to say, this is the first Star Wars movie that genuinely bored me. Even The Phantom Menace, as bad as it was in parts, had some thrilling moments. Solo isn't a bad movie, but it's a pointless one. I don't blame the cast, who all do a decent job with their seriously underwritten roles. Alden Ehrenreich is no Harrison Ford, but he is a likable enough lead, and Donald Glover knocks it out of the park as Lando. Woody Harrelson is always a welcome presence, and Emilia Clarke gives the role of Qi'ra her best, though the screenwriters forgot to give her any motivation for her often bizarre actions. Thandie Newton is given even worse treatment in her too brief role. Chewie is, well, Chewie. Ron Howard does a serviceable job directing a movie he arrived late on. There are some cool aliens and locations, but the grimy cinematography saps the visuals of much of their impact.
The main problem, though, is that there is no reason to tell this story. We don't need to meet Han before he became a hero, especially since the filmmakers shy away from portraying him as true scoundrel anyway. I would love to see an Obi-Wan standalone movie, but Disney made a poor choice with this spinoff. The surprise cameo (the movie's been out a while, so I'll say it's a villain whose name rhymes with Garth Ball) is momentarily cool but becomes dumber and more fan-servicing the more you think about it. In a way, it's good that this movie failed at the box office. It will hopefully lead Disney to reevaluate and decide that audiences don't need a new Star Wars movie every year until the end of time.
Hereditary - this is a nasty little horror movie that does a good job of building a sense of dread throughout. Toni Collette and Milly Shapiro are the standouts among a talented cast, and the ending is batshit crazy. As a parent, though, it's not a movie I'll probably want to rewatch, due to the subject matter.
The Incredibles 2 - this long-awaited sequel actually lives up to the hype. The superhero action is even more exciting than the first one and the focus on Elastigirl this time (instead of the less interesting Mr. Incredible) is a welcome change. The villain isn't quite as strong, but the entertaining expansion of the universe makes The Incredibles 3 a not unwelcome prospect.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - I can't really give a fair review to this as I only watched the first half. But it's basically more of the same dino action that once again misses the awe and wonder of the first movie. There is a sad part where a brachiosaur gets trapped in volcanic ash, but other than that nothing really memorable.
Happy Death Day - caught this on a flight to England and enjoyed it. It's basically Groundhog Day as a slasher movie but does some fun stuff with the heroine being murdered over and over again.
Coming soon: my review of Ant-Man and the Wasp!
Solo: A Star Wars Story - Sorry to say, this is the first Star Wars movie that genuinely bored me. Even The Phantom Menace, as bad as it was in parts, had some thrilling moments. Solo isn't a bad movie, but it's a pointless one. I don't blame the cast, who all do a decent job with their seriously underwritten roles. Alden Ehrenreich is no Harrison Ford, but he is a likable enough lead, and Donald Glover knocks it out of the park as Lando. Woody Harrelson is always a welcome presence, and Emilia Clarke gives the role of Qi'ra her best, though the screenwriters forgot to give her any motivation for her often bizarre actions. Thandie Newton is given even worse treatment in her too brief role. Chewie is, well, Chewie. Ron Howard does a serviceable job directing a movie he arrived late on. There are some cool aliens and locations, but the grimy cinematography saps the visuals of much of their impact.
The main problem, though, is that there is no reason to tell this story. We don't need to meet Han before he became a hero, especially since the filmmakers shy away from portraying him as true scoundrel anyway. I would love to see an Obi-Wan standalone movie, but Disney made a poor choice with this spinoff. The surprise cameo (the movie's been out a while, so I'll say it's a villain whose name rhymes with Garth Ball) is momentarily cool but becomes dumber and more fan-servicing the more you think about it. In a way, it's good that this movie failed at the box office. It will hopefully lead Disney to reevaluate and decide that audiences don't need a new Star Wars movie every year until the end of time.
Hereditary - this is a nasty little horror movie that does a good job of building a sense of dread throughout. Toni Collette and Milly Shapiro are the standouts among a talented cast, and the ending is batshit crazy. As a parent, though, it's not a movie I'll probably want to rewatch, due to the subject matter.
The Incredibles 2 - this long-awaited sequel actually lives up to the hype. The superhero action is even more exciting than the first one and the focus on Elastigirl this time (instead of the less interesting Mr. Incredible) is a welcome change. The villain isn't quite as strong, but the entertaining expansion of the universe makes The Incredibles 3 a not unwelcome prospect.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - I can't really give a fair review to this as I only watched the first half. But it's basically more of the same dino action that once again misses the awe and wonder of the first movie. There is a sad part where a brachiosaur gets trapped in volcanic ash, but other than that nothing really memorable.
Happy Death Day - caught this on a flight to England and enjoyed it. It's basically Groundhog Day as a slasher movie but does some fun stuff with the heroine being murdered over and over again.
Coming soon: my review of Ant-Man and the Wasp!
posted by A.S. McDermott at 1:12 PM
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