Solo A Star Wars Story Review: Smuggles The Series' Sense of Adventure

In Star Wars there have been many things to define the franchise like the Jedi and the Rebellion. Yet despite the galaxy far, far, away centering on the heroic tales of the Skywalkers one character manages to steal the show and cannot help but love him for it. This character is none other than the scruffy looking nerfherder himself: Han Solo. Since appearing in the cantina and shooting Greedo the iconic smuggler has been a prevalent addition to the Star Wars franchise. However, despite his role in the franchise, the origin of Han Solo has been all but a mystery on the silver screen; that is until now. With the franchise branching out into the Star Wars Anthology film series, moviegoers can now see Han’s humble beginnings in Solo: A Star Wars Story. While production of the film went through major changes the anthology movie was able to make its release date with director Ron Howard taking the helm for this installment. While it can be hard for me not to be excited for a new Star Wars film, my anticipation for Solo was a subtle one as all I was expecting from this standalone tale was it being a swashbuckling adventure; and in that regard this Star Wars Story did not disappoint.

The story of Solo centers on a young Han (Alden Ehrenreich) who is whisked into a crime filled adventure that leads the novice outlaw meeting the likes of Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) as well as finding his future ship the Millennium Falcon. Even for Star Wars the story of Solo was a simple one; though that was not necessarily a bad thing. Although it was a little jeering to get into the plot to this Star Wars Story was indeed thrilling. The second act in particular was adventurous and really got into the spirit of the series. Granted this was a double edged sword for the plot as the third act did not have the impact as the previous chapter. Another highlight for the plot, although a minor one, was its references to other stories in the Star Wars Saga; both in the films and other mediums. When it came down to it what held this plot back was its structure, but even that was not enough to keep this tale from being a engaging adventure.

Cinematic News Reel (02/09/18): Avengers, Solo and Trailers Galore! Game of Thrones Creators Join Star Wars!

Welcome to this week's edition of the Cinematic News Reel. There were lot of stories this week (particular when it came to trailers) so I tried my best to cover as many as I possibly could. So with that said let us get into this week's Cinematic News Reel. 

Teaser to "Solo: A Star Wars Story" Features The Young Smuggler on A Swashbuckling Adventure
At long last the first trailer to Solo: A Star Wars Story has arrived. The next installment in the Star Wars Anthology Film series is set to hit theaters this May, and up to now there has been next to nothing on the upcoming blockbuster. However signs of the trailer's release came last week when it was announced that the preview would be debuting on Monday February 5th, and after getting a sneak peek during the Super Bowl the trailer was unveiled the following day. The trailer itself went as expected as it gives some insight on the young Han Solo's (Alden Ehrenreich) who wants nothing more than to become a pilot. Solo's ambition looks to take him across the galaxy as the trailer features a variety of worlds. Along with the seeing the younger Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) and of course Chewbecca, the preview also features the movie's new characters such as Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). The preview also shows off the new (or in this case old) design of the Millennium Falcon as well as show off the movie's look which feels reminiscent that of J.J Abrams' Star Trek. Rounding everything was the trailer swash-buckling moments that certainly looks exciting. It may not look like much but this trailer does its job as Solo: A Star Wars Story appears to be a adventurous blockbuster worth checking out this summer.

Cinematic News Reel (02/02/18): Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer Hits, MI: Fallout Teaser Poster Revealed, Solo Trailer Coming Soon!

Welcome to the first (official)edition of the Cinematic News Reel. This has been an idea that I have played around with in the past but was never able to get going-that is until now. How this will work is that this series will cover weekly movie news stories, rumors (if there is any merit to them) or topics that I can briefly discuss. So without further ado let begins this week's Cinematic News Reel.

First Trailer to "Ant-Man and the Wasp" Features Big Time Spectacle and an Expected Plot
To no surprise Marvel Studios have unveiled their first preview to Ant-Man and the Wasp. The sequel to 2015's Ant-Man will be making its way to the big screen this July, and with Black Panther just weeks away, it only makes sense that content for the Marvel blockbuster would appear sooner rather than later. Sure enough the trailer has made its way online and it plays out all too expectedly. The preview features details about Scott Lang's (Paul Rudd) involvement in Captain America: Civil War and how it affected the likes of Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly). The trailer also centers on the heroes being on the run; though how much this concept will play into the movie's story is unclear at this time. Unsurprisingly the trailer had plenty of spectacle to it with variety of things changing size and a chase sequence that could very well be a highlight for the film. Topping things off for the trailer was the showcasing of Wasp in action as it showed off the heroine and the movie's sense of effects. The trailer to Ant-Man and the Wasp played very much like a trailer for a Marvel movie, and whether that is a good or bad tings remains to be seen. As for now it would seem that Ant-Man and the Wasp will be a blockbuster right for the summer season.