Film Review: Solo: A Star Wars Story

"Let Me Give You Some Advice. Assume Everyone Will Betray You And You Will Never Be Disappointed..."

Within the space of just one blockbusting cinematic month, audiences across the globe have been joyously rewarded with big release after big release, with Infinity War and Deadpool 2 both hotly anticipated franchise follow ups which have seemingly succeeded to staggering degrees in terms of both their critical appeal and eye-watering box office figures, particular in regards to the former which has managed to cement its' place quite rightly into the top five highest grossing films of all time. Another week therefore brings with it yet another Disney backed big budget extravaganza in the form of Solo: A Star Wars Story, the second spin-off in the ever expanding space opera franchise after 2016's Rogue One and a movie which explores the early undertakings of Alden Ehrenreich's (Hail, Caesar!) young, cocky and confident take on the titular space pilot. With high-profile production issues, including the firing of original director's Phil Lord and Christopher Miller of 21 and 22 Jump Street fame after "creative differences" and mumbling's regarding Ehrenreich's on-set acting ability, a strange rumour if ever there was one considering his superb performance in Hail, Caesar!, Solo seemed doomed to fail from the outset, and with fan expectation an all-time low for a cinematic release with the Star Wars branding after mixed responses to its' fundamental existence, does Solo manage to fend off its' many steely-eyed critics?

Thankfully, and somewhat surprisingly, the film does exactly just that, swapping the melancholic and controversially bold tones of Rogue One and The Last Jedi respectively for a more conventional science fiction romp, one stuffed full of exhilarating action set pieces, interesting new characters and a youth-infused charm thanks to the steady handed nature of its' well-formed cast who have gripped tightly the chance to step into the shoes of iconic franchise personas. With Ron Howard taking over directorial duties halfway through the filming process and capturing a reported seventy percent of the finished article on his own say, for a man whose back catalogue varies from greatness (Rush, Frost/Nixon) to outright blandness (Inferno, In The Heart of the Sea), the "steady handed" approach of Howard's film-making abilities isn't exactly the first name to spring to mind when attempting to rebuild a reportedly sunken ship, but credit of course should be handed when its' due and whilst its' hard to gauge perhaps Howard's stamp on the final product, Solo is undeniably well made and makes up for its' somewhat straightforward hero narrative by having the most fun possible with its' strong points, akin to say the more low-key Marvel releases such as Ant-Man and Doctor Strange which play to a sense of familiarity but succeed due to the commitment showed by all involved. 

With Ehrenreich easing into the inexperienced, swaggering nature of a hopeful Han Solo, the film begins by presenting the central relationship between Solo and Emilia Clarke's (Game of Thrones) Qi'ra, a fellow low-born survivor who like Han himself, will do anything to survive the perilous world of slavers, gangsters and thieves which the film resides in. With Solo's journey resulting in introductions to Woody Harrelson's (Three Billboards) father figure, Tobias Beckett, Paul Bettany's (Infinity War) scar-ridden criminal, Dryden Voss, and of course, Donald Glover's (The Martian) charming interpretation of Lando Calrissian, the range of bright, fascinating characters allows the limited amount of time spent on deep, meaningful characterisation to be somewhat overlooked, with Howard at times more interested in a rapid, relentless editing pace which moves from one well designed planet to the the next without ever really having the chance to breathe. Whilst the relationship between Qi'ra and Solo is somewhat generic and functional, the real bromance of the piece is of course between Solo and Chewbacca, the furry, murderous Wookie who is as charming and fundamentally likeable as ever, and with the interactions between the cast effective and wickedly humorous, the Disney stamp which has made most of the entries in the MCU so great is vividly on show to see. With it meant to be the undisputed train wreck of the year, Solo: A Star Wars Story turns out to be anything but, a splendidly ludicrous popcorn fest which ties into the franchise's space opera mantra with ease, a movie which will hopefully appease the fans left cold by The Last Jedi and one which proves that when in doubt, get the right guys in to get the job done. 

Overall Score: 8/10 

Film Review: Inferno

"I Want To Know What I'm Involved With..."

In the IMDB trivia page for Inferno, the wildly unwanted continuation of Ron Howard's big screen adaptations of Dan Brown's ridiculously popular string of novels, one of the most interesting facts was that during production the film was hidden under the code-name "Headache" due in part perhaps to the constant concussion that professor of symbology Robert Langdon apparently suffers from throughout most of the film's bloated 120 minute run-time, yet in my own personal opinion, the "headache" in question can only relate to one thing; the effect the film has on those who bear to see it. Not only is Inferno one of the most painfully boring films I can remember seeing in a long, long while, with recurrent fidgeting and patches of drowsiness inevitably resulting in short yet effective cat naps, my experience of watching Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones run amok across Europe in order to locate their next museum-infested clue was indeed one of utter horror, one which will not escape my memory quickly, unlike the bland and completely ludicrous story which encompasses Inferno.

Where other films this year, particularly the woeful array of summer blockbusters, have suffered from fundamental issues of awful storytelling, Inferno takes such a core element of film-making and throws it into one of the rings of hell, with not one moment of dramatic tension or effective storytelling giving the movie the right to command its' shockingly long two-hour runtime, a runtime which feels almost twice as long due to the filmmakers decision to create dull, two-dimensional characters who are hell bent on running from museum to museum in order to find the titular "Inferno", a deadly disease created by Ben Foster's kooky radicalist, Bertrand Zobrist, who believes the only way to sustain humanity is basically to destroy it, a plot line left over from Utopia anyhow, and a plot line which results in the said disease being carried inside a jiffy bag which floats harmlessly within the Basilica Cistern. No, I'm not kidding. 

With a twist as obvious as the "radical" twist-ending in this year's Morgan, which although I'd fallen asleep already to really understand what it all meant, still managed to annoy me to the extent I thought falling asleep might make it better, and an ending what verges on the edge of cheesy, cliche-ridden claptrap, Ron Howard has succeeded in creating a true stinker of a movie, one in which not only the audience will be bored of ten minutes in, but has even effected the actors on-screen with Tom Hanks seemingly passing the time in order to pick up the cheque and ride out his mistake of signing on for three Dan Brown-based movies, and whilst Felicity Jones at least brings some sense of kooky campness during the second half of the movie, you can't help but feel she would rather be back on the set of Rogue One as fast as possible. Inferno isn't the worst film of the year, but it is definitely the most boring cinematic achievement I can remember in recent years. And remember, I've seen The Cobbler. 

Overall Score: 3/10 

Rush 2013 - REVIEW - SPOILERS

For those of you who are debating this movie - racing fan or not, I highly recommend this movie. The story of James Hunt & Niki Lauda's rivalry is a powerful one. A duo who bite at each other, attack and fight in the worlds most dangerous sport - F1 (Yet they do meet in the original F3 class which ignites this feud), especially until recent decades that have incorporated many safety precautions. In a form which can only be described as a documentary/biopic, this film follows the world of motor sport and the friction is caused between champions. As a true story, you can expect a few things to be exaggerated but overall, I feel they played it well with their individual stories. Nothing was over the top and it was done with respect. For a motor sport movie, the story is one of the best to follow due to the complexity of it. Two similar men with the drive to succeed pushing their boundaries and giving one hell of a show for the public and media alike. Complex figures in a complex sport. As a selection, the story is perfect. It's exciting, dramatic and poetic wrapped in a raw and passionate love of Formula 1 with bitter tragedy and undeniable respect.


For a sport that moves at 180mph, with cameras that were very basic, you couldn't capture life in the cockpit of these rockets. Ron Howard has giving us this unique view point through a barrage of stunning shots, angles and cinematography. Race scenes are vivid with light and colour, and with enough shake and blur to position the viewer on the nose cone of the car. A particular favourite of mine was the scenes shot inside of the helmets. The small scene is quick, yet elegant. Filming from the top corner of the visor, it's giving you a view of the racers eyes as they flick rapidly back and forth with the rush of colour outside. The shot is something the really resonates and conveys the emotion beautifully, even off the race track.

Take the time to go to a cinema that is strong in all the categories - A dedication to movies, a screen which is crystal clear and a sound system that thumps you right in the chest. Making this executive decision will increase the enjoyability of this movie. Sound is crucial for this film, a score composed by the one and only Hans Zimmer and a soundtrack laid by 3litre V8 engines. The spark of the engine is so powerful, it smacks you hard but it's so damn satisfying. Blended with Hans Zimmer's impeccable score, adrenaline begins pumping and becomes increasingly exciting. Zimmer has the incredible ability to maintain his trademark style but vary each piece perfectly to the desired movie.

Casting for a movie of this degree needs to be spot on, fortunately Ron Howard was. Mixing big names like Chris Hemsworth (James Hunt) and Olivia Wilde (Suzy Miller), alongside a few other notable faces and some small actors/actresses is always a difficult thing to do. Getting that balance is crucial when you want them to play their character perfectly. Actors may not have the ability to pull off certain accents from different areas of Britain and those with more experience, far out way the smaller actors. To anyone else, the British accent would probably stand out to them but as a Brit, I notice really bad British accents and I didn't actually pick up on any accent issues. All of the actors played their roles perfectly and I thoroughly enjoyed Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda. His performance was brilliant and did raise moments where he showed the tremendous courage Niki had during the vacuuming of his lungs. He showed the brilliant mind, the amazing racer and slowly transitioned into the man with something to lose. Gaining fear but playing it logical. Do be aware though, Olivia Wilde only pops up for 4 or so scenes where she does very little within the plot but the trailer does make it out that she is far more involved.

So the round up the movie, I would say that it is up there with some of this years greatest movies, with possible Oscars and other awards on their way. The movie can be watched by anyone but they have to be literate. It's educated and doesn't focus on the mindless action but it does include some fairly disturbing scenes from Niki's hospital stay and a crash during a race which ripped the head off of a racer. A movie like this needs to be seen by people who can appreciate it for everything that has gone into it and not expect Fast & Furious to break out. For an incredible movie, I'm giving it a 9/10.