Solo: A Star Wars Story

My View:  Solo: A Star Wars Story  (2018)  PG-13   Han (Alden Ehrenreich) is desperately trying to get back to the world where his girlfriend (Emilia Clarke) is held captive. He joins a thief (Woody Harrelson) and his band of thieves, meets his future co-pilot, Chewbacca, and encounters the flashy Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover).  I enjoyed this origin’s story of how Han got the Millennium Falcon and how Chewbacca became his co-pilot. It’s a rollicking, fun adventure with a surprising number of laughs and some exciting chase sequences. I was worried when the studio cast Alden Ehrenreich for the part of Han, but Ehrenreich really pulls it off. The man who steals the movie is Donald Glover, playing Lando Calrissian to perfection. The film’s pacing is a little off, but that may be due to the film changing directors after it was already in production. Overall, I think that Star Wars fans will leave the theatre happy. I know I did. There is not an after credits scene in the film.   My Rating: Full Price

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Action Point (2018) R   An owner (Johnny Knoxville) of a failing amusement park decides that, to bring in the crowds, his thrill rides will be dangerous. I think all I have to say is the star of the film is Johnny Knoxville, who also came up with the story idea.

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on BlueRay and DVD): Wonderstruck (2017)  PG  Ben (Oakes Fegley) goes on a journey to New York to try and find his long-lost father, and we also see a young deaf girl named, Rose (Millicent Simmonds), 50 years ago, making her way through the streets of New York to see her mother (Julianne Moore). The film is divided into two stories: one takes place in 1927, is in black and white and is shown like a silent film (dialogue is displayed with title cards and a musical soundtrack), and one story is set in the 1970’s, is in color and uses a soundtrack of popular music from that time period. I loved the silent film part, and Millicent Simmonds (who is deaf in real life) is brilliant as the strong-willed Rose. The story, though, drags a bit in the 70’s section. I did enjoy the performance of Oakes Fegley, and I especially enjoyed Jaden Michael as Jamie, a kid who befriends Ben, and who breathes some life into the 70’s section. This is a film that I wanted to love but only liked. If only the 70’s scenes had lived up to the brilliance of the silent film part.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee

Forgotten Film:  Moon  (2009)  R  Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is about to go back to Earth after a three-year stint sending parcels of a resource that has helped diminish Earth’s power problems. His return to Earth is threatened when he encounters a major problem, a problem that may kill him. Moon is an extraordinary film exploring the loneliness and isolation in space. Rockwell gives one of his best performances, and the storyline has a few twists and turns that you don’t see coming. The film was made on a minimal budget, but it looks as good as 100 million dollar films.   My Rating: Full Price

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Solo: A Star Wars Story:  Action Vehicle Dressing Props

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Eighth Grade  (2018)  A teenager (Elsie Fisher) tries to survive her last week of middle school before she starts what she hopes will be a successful high school transition. This was the closing night film of the 2018 Atlanta Film Festival and got a lot of positive response.

Until Next Time!