Solo: A Star Wars Story Movie Review

Writers Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jonathan Kasdan, construct an entertaining origin story for Han Solo that doesn't try to recreate the wheel and brings to life all the key moments fans have always heard about the character and his co-pilot Chewbacca. Borrowing camera angles and setups from everything from old westerns to chase films and even the original trilogy, Solo: A Star Wars Story is an elegantly shot film that wears it's technical influences on its sleeves. Ron Howard does a great job of balancing lightheartedness and humor with the darkness of The Empire Strikes Back and fresh excitement of its 1977 predecessor.

Happy 38th Anniversary to The Empire Strikes Back!

The Empire Strikes Back hit theaters 38 years ago today in 1980.

It originally came out to mixed reviews.

Today it is looked at by many Star Wars fans to be the best chapter in the saga.

Chewbacca Attends Royal Wedding!

It just wouldn't be a royal wedding without Chewbacca in attendance!

The Royal couple felt it was only right to include everyone's favorite Wookiee in the festivities, since it was his birthday after all.

Actor Peter Mayhew shared this picture of the blessed event on his Twitter.

Thandie Newton Isn't Playing Around in This Action Figure Dress

Thandie Newton's dress for the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story is printed with images from her personal collection of African- American Star Wars action figures. Look closely and you can see Finn, Saw Gererra, Lando Calrissian, Captain Panaka, and Mace Windu.

See more pictures after the jump.

Lucasfilm Wants a Lando Movie Someday

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has been making the publicity rounds for Solo in the wake of the world premiere in Los Angeles and the Cannes Film Festival screening earlier this week. She spoke to Premiere France (via Cinema Blend) about what’s next for Lucasfilm when it comes to the in-between movies under the Star Wars Story moniker, and she gave a surprisingly straight-forward answer:

“We think that the next spin-off will be dedicated to Lando Calrissian. Of course, there are still many stories to tell about Han and Chewbacca, but Lando will be next.”

However, Lucasfilm told io9 shortly after this quote started making the rounds online that the quote in question from the French magazine was not translated correctly. Kennedy instead said something akin to the Lando Calrissian movie being something she’d like to do some day, but there are no concrete plans for it to be the next spin-off just yet.

Read more at /Film.

New Solo Featurette Goes Behind-the-Scenes

“I still consider myself an independent, low-budget filmmaker,” said Solo Cinematographer Bradford Young. “‘Star Wars’ is like a once in a lifetime, unexpected opportunity that you take because [there] might be space for your voice in there, but it’s not something I was asking for, or even envisioned for myself.”

“There was never a moment where I presented a level of darkness and I got some sort of above the studio pushback,” said Young. “To their credit, they asked me to come through the film.”

Watch the new Making Solo Featurette, which highlights Cinematographer Bradford Young's work,  after the jump.

Star Wars Fan Digitally Inserts Harrison Ford into Solo Trailer

So, THIS looks sort of creepy in places. While I would love to see Harrison Ford reprise the role of Han Solo, I wouldn't want to see it this way.

There are parts of this fan-made trailer where I shuddered in discomfort over the way it looked. I do give props to creator Nick Acosta for all his hard work, however.

Nick Acosta recently posted his work, True Solo, on Vimeo — in it, he swaps Alden Ehrenreich for digital composites of Ford's face. The work also features clips from Ford's earlier work, such as American Graffiti.

"I couldn’t help wonder what this movie would look like if you could magically transport a young Harrison Ford to play his iconic character," Acosta wrote with the video. "So using a variety of digital compositing software and some editing tricks I tried to make that happen."

Check out the end result of his hard work after the jump.

The Meeting of the Solos

Harrison Ford snuck up on Alden Ehrenreich during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. Afterwards, the two Han Solos caught up with each other in a back hallway. Twitter user Vince LiFonti shared with us how their conversation went.

Check Out the Denny's Solo Commercial Here!

Collider posted the new Denny’s commercial tied to the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, featuring Star Wars creatures galore and Chewbacca himself. The ad is part of Disney’s promotional campaign for the film, and at Denny’s specifically fans will be able to collect trading cards featuring characters from the movie as well as try a new movie-inspired menu. Proceeds from every trading card pack purchase benefit the charity No Kid Hungry.

Check out the video after the jump.

Fun Facts About Star Wars Actors #1

Mark Hamill shared this shocking info about himself on his Twitter yesterday. I hope you were sitting down when you read it.

Alden Ehrenreich Gets a Surprise Visitor During Solo Interview

In anticipation of seeing the advanced screening of Solo: A Star Wars Story tonight, I thought it would be fun to post a couple videos of the surprise Alden Ehrenreich got when he was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight a couple of days ago. One video is the "edited" video for the actual Entertainment Tonight show. The other is a behind-the-scenes video that truly shows what happened when a certain older smuggler sauntered into the room. My favorite part is when Ehrenreich volunteers to sit on the step stool at the feet of the master.

Check the videos out right after the jump.

Jon Favreau Reveals When His Star Wars TV Series Take Place

In a recent interview with Nerdist, Jon Favreau teased what audiences can expect from his upcoming live-action television series, which is set to air on Disney's streaming platform. According to Favreau, the series that he will be writing and executive producing will feature new characters, and be set seven years after the events of Return of the Jedi.

Read more at ComicBook.com.

Rick Moranis Reprises Dark Helmet Role for The Goldbergs

It has taken only 31 years, but Rick Moranis is finally back in black. The star of Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is reprising his Spaceballs character, Dark Helmet, in this week’s Mel Brooks-inspired episode of ABC’s hit comedy The Goldbergs.

Sadly, that isn’t Moranis’s head under Dark Helmet’s dark helmet. The Canadian actor stepped away from the industry in 1997 in the wake of his wife’s death, and while he’s not officially retired, he hasn’t appeared onscreen in two decades and his last voice-over credit came in 2007. Frankly, it’s a miracle that The Goldbergs managed to score Moranis for even a vocal cameo.

See the clip at Yahoo! Entertainment.

Never Tell Han Solo the Odds

The more I see of Solo: A Star Wars Story, the more I get excited about it. The trailer makes the movie look like a rollercoaster ride of epic proportions.

Check out this new poster for the upcoming film, flying into theaters on May 25th.

Solo's Alden Ehrenreich Got His Start on "Supernatural" (VIDEO)

Solo star Alden Ehrenreich may be a new face to most Star Wars fans, but he's been acting since 2005 - and even got his start on the popular CW show "Supernatural."

Ehrenreich’s first acting gig was in the second ever episode for "Supernatural," titled “Wendigo.” Ehrenreich plays the brother of a guy taken by the Wendigo, and Winchester brothers Sam and Dean (Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki) lead him and his sister (Gina Holden) into the woods to find him.

Fans consider the "Wendigo" episode one of the series' worst outings, but it didn't seem to hurt him. Or maybe it did - after "Supernatural," Ehrenreich had only bit parts for several years, but he finally started getting steady work in the last few years, finally turning heads in the films Rules Don't Apply and Hail, Caesar! 

Here's a clip of Ehrenreich's appearance on "Supernatural."


His appearance on the show proves the adage: it's not how you start, it's how you finish.

Jeff Goldblum Loves the Porgs

Twitter user Laura posted this great pic of Jeff Goldblum cuddling up with her Porg she named Goldblum.

He's Grumpy. He's Crotchety. He's Family. Oh, No! It's...

Now this is a stand-alone movie I'd pay to see!

Thanks to Mike Atencio for the image.

New Flight of the Falcon Book Series Debuts This Fall!

TAKE A RIDE ON THE MILLENNIUM FALCON IN A NEW SERIES THAT CONNECTS ALL STAR WARS ERAS FOR NEW ADVENTURES WITH LANDO, HAN, HONDO AND MORE!

She may not look like much, but the Millennium Falcon has got it where it counts. And this fall, StarWars.com can exclusively announce that kids of all ages will get the chance to climb aboard and make the jump to hyperspace with a new series of stories, “Flight of the Falcon,” from Lucasfilm Publishing.

Read more at StarWars.com.

Troll Level: VULCAN

Welcome to Dagoba, Poland! Is Master Yoda Around?

Turns out Luke didn't have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to train with the greatest Jedi Master ever. Twitter user Huw ‘Squad Killer’ Parry posted this pic with the caption, "Turns out Luke could’ve just gone to Krakow, Poland to train instead of that nasty swamp!"

Mark Hamill Spoils a Cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story

Mark Hamill just spoiled a potential Solo: A Star Wars Story cameo. In a new interview, Hamill appears to have accidentally let slip a bit of info regarding the upcoming Star Wars film.

“Tony [Anthony] Daniels was so happy, ’cause he’s in every single Star Wars movie. Every single one. All the Prequels, he’s in Rogue One, he’s in Solo… Whoops! I hope that’s not… But anyway…”

It’s worth nothing that Hamill doesn’t actually specify that Daniels is playing C-3P0 in Solo – there’s always a chance that the actor might have a cameo as another character.

Read more at /Film.

New Forces of Destiny Episode Expands on Force Awakens Deleted Scene

Disney released seven new episodes from its Star Wars: Forces of Destiny series on May 4, the unofficial, annual Star Wars holiday. One episode in particular stands out for its connection to another recent Star Wars release.

The episode "Perilous Pursuits" retells a chase sequence that we first saw in the collection of deleted scenes included in Star Wars: The Force Awakens home releases. Set on the surface of Starkiller Base, the scene sees Rey and Finn escaping from First Order forces on a stolen snowspeeder.

Read more at Mashable.

You're Invited to Lando's Summit on SNL [VIDEO]

The force is strong with Donald Glover, as was revealed in the promotional image for his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live.

Prior to the actor taking the SNL stage this Saturday, the NBC series debuted a revamped version of Glover’s Solo: A Star Wars Story poster on Friday, May 4, which is widely recognized as Star Wars Day. Instead of featuring the film's title, an image of Glover's character can be seen in the outline of the SNL lettering, with a small peek of the Millennium Falcon visible below.

In the video from the episode below, Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) hosts a summit for all of the black people in space, which turns out to be four people (Kenan Thompson, Leslie Jones, Chris Redd).

Happy Revenge of the 5th!

It's hard to believe we started this crazy little site six years ago. Thanks to everyone who visits us everyday and keeps the fun and wacky spirit of the Star Wars Universe alive!

Now THIS is My Kind of Public Restroom!

Twitter user Shawn Tucker posted this hilarious picture with the caption, "I didn't know I was at my new favorite bar until I went to the restroom and saw Star Wars playing."

Watch our Revenge of the 5th Video Playlist!

Wondering how to celebrate May the 4th/Revenge of the 5th? We've put together a cool YouTube playlist of awesome Star Wars videos you can watch anytime! Classic commercials, mashups, bloopers, and vintage interviews are included! There are even a few surprises, so check it out and enjoy the next two days!

Behold the Chewbaquaman!

Filmmaker and Star Wars Super-Fan Kyle Newman shared this image of JunkFed's mashup. Behold Chewbaquaman - King of the Seas of Kashyyyk!

Celebrate Revenge of the 5th / Star Wars Day at LEGOland!

What better way to celebrate all things fun and zany than to head out to LEGOland Discovery Center in Grapevine, TX located right outside of both Dallas and Fort Worth?

Everyone's favorite characters are back for LEGO® Star Wars™ Days!

Time to have some intergalactic fun during LEGOLAND® Discovery Center LEGO® Star Wars™ Days on May 4-6. With a large scale build of YODA, and more fun-filled LEGO Star Wars™ activities, this is an event weekend you don't want to miss!

Travel to a galaxy far away and enjoy the most original LEGO Star Wars fun activities and Star Wars themed buildings. We can’t wait to see you there!

You're our only hope! Help our Master Model Builder build a 6' tall Yoda!

Venture through MINILAND and see if you can spot some of the galaxies' most famous characters!

Make sure to pre-purchase your tickets in advance to guarantee entry on such busy days!

Buy your tickets at least a day in advance and SAVE on the cost of admission

BUY TICKETS HERE

Toilet Wars?

Let's hope nothing impacts on the surface here!

New Anime-Influenced Star Wars: Resistance Series Coming to Disney Channel

Resistance is futile! Yeah, I've been waiting all night to type that here.

Lucasfilm and Disney announced a new animated television series which will star Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma, voiced by Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie. Rumors are Captain Phasma will either be foiled or killed off at the end of every episode. Honestly, I hope we'll actually get some great action with Phasma in the show.

The official press release is after the jump.

Alden Ehrenreich Signed to Play Han Solo Two More Times

"Alden Ehrenreich told Esquire today that his contract allows for him to appear in more Star Wars films than just one. Esquire released a telling excerpt from an upcoming interview with the actor:

'I ask Ehrenreich how many [Han Solo films] he’s signed up for. 'Three,' he says, then flinches, understanding he may have just created a disturbance in the Force. 'I don’t know if that’s officially, uh, public. But—yeah.'"

Read more at Polygon.

The Esquire interview has actor Ehrenreich spilling his guts about what was happening behind the scenes of Solo: A Star Wars Story. It's a pretty interesting read. You can check that out right here.

Above is a picture of Alden Ehrenreich wearing some casually fancy duds he was given to model for the Esquire interview. Fab.

How to Build an X-Wing at Work When Bored

Someone has WAY too much time on their hands at work.

Check Out New Character Posters for Solo: A Star Wars Story

Lucasfilm and Disney sent us some great new Solo: A Star Wars Story character posters to share with you. Check them out after the jump.

The Empire Shreks Back

Now here's a movie I could stand to NEVER see.

You Can Play Star Wars Holochess on iOS

"When Disney and Lenovo teamed up to create Star Wars: Jedi Challenges... The headset was modestly-priced, and the game, a Star Wars-themed version of chess, was accessible to everyone... Disney is now leveraging ARKit to bring the game to iOS 11 devices.

This means you'll be able to play iconic holochess on any flat surface – phone or tablet... The update comes with the Star Wars: Jedi Challenges app in version 1.3, and includes 18 levels spread across six planets, plus eight unlockable creatures. It's available from the app store now."

Read more at Endgadget.

Anyone Have a Ladder?

I think someone missed the whole point of this Solo: A Star Wars Story theater standee. I'm thinking this might be considered a safety hazard by the theater's corporate office.

Thanks to Twitter user Steve Dagata for posting this picture.

I'd Let the Wookiee Win, Chuck Norris

You know all those Chuck Norris sayings about how strong he is and everybody should be afraid of him? Yeeeaaahhh, I've got a pretty good feeling ole Chuckie just met the one guy who has the best chance of taking him out. Here's a picture of new Chewbacca Joonas Suotamo hanging out with Chuck Norris at Dallas Fan Expo. The caption for the image read, "Got to meet Chuck Norris. What a legend and a great guy!"

Victoria Mahoney Becomes First Black Woman to Direct a Star Wars Film

Lucasfilm is making history with Star Wars: Episode IX. Not only have they hired the first female director to helm a Star Wars film, but Victoria Mahoney is African American. Director Ava Duvernay broke the news via her Twitter, stating "Happy to share this historic news. A black woman directing stories in a galaxy far, far away. First unit director #JJAbrams. Second unit director @VictoriaMahoney." The above picture was included. You can read more from Deadline:

"Another historic moment for a female director, as Victoria Mahoney has been tapped by Lucasfilm and JJ Abrams to be second unit director on Star Wars: Episode IX. Ava DuVernay just tweeted the historic news. DuVernay became the first African American woman to sign on to direct a major superhero film in DC’s The New Gods.

Mahoney, who is African American, is the first black woman to direct a Star Wars film, sources said. On the feature front, she wrote and directed the loosely autobiographical indie film Yelling At The Sky, that premiered in Berlin. She just directed Red Line, a pilot for CBS that is exec produced by DuVernay and Greg Berlanti. After a career in episodic television, this is quite a leap into films. She is also writing for TV an adaptation of the novel Dawn, for DuVernay and Charles King’s MACRO."

Do Not Mess with Master Obi-Wan!

He's made it perfectly clear where he ALWAYS stands!

Thanks to Twitter user Wayne H. for the image.

Marvel's Poe Dameron #26 Tells Us What Happens Right After The Last Jedi

Want to know what happens right after Star Wars: The Last Jedi? You won't have to wait until Episode IX in 2019, as Marvel Comics' Poe Dameron #26 will answer that question for you. Comic Book Resources has the low-down for us:

The story, out April 18 by writer Charles Soule and artist Angel Unzueta, depicts Poe, Finn and Rey discussing their escape and also, the casualties that this new resistance against the First Order has endured. Poe is clearly referencing the losses of Han Solo and now, Luke Skywalker on Crait, wondering how things could have gone better.

Yoda Misses Piggy-Back Rides

Mark Hamill posted this on his Twitter account with the caption, "SHOUT OUT to Daisy Ridley for no particular reason other than she is a brilliantly natural, instinctive actor, a delight to work with & the best piggy-back ride in the business! Luke should be so lucky to have had such a lovely daughter."

Spoiler alert? Should we read more into that last sentence or just let it go? YOU DECIDE!

Running Time for Solo: A Star Wars Story Revealed by Cannes

"The running time for Solo: A Star Wars Story has been revealed.

The Cannes Film Festival shared the film's runtime on its website, detailing that the upcoming Star Wars movie will be 2 hours and 15 minutes long. This is on par with most of the new Star Wars movies released after 2012. The only exception is The Last Jedi, which is the longest entry clocking in at a little over 2 hours and 30 minutes."

Read more at IGN.

The Cosby Show's Denise Huxtable Revealed as Costume Designer for Solo

In a press release today, it was revealed that one of the costume designers for Solo: A Star Wars Story was none other than Denise Huxtable from The Cosby Show. As seen in the picture above, Lando Calrissian's (portrayed by Donald Glover) now-patent look from the upcoming film is very much patterned after Theo Huxtable's (portrayed by Malcolm-Jamal Warner) "designer" shirt from an episode of the classic 1980's sitcom.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge Actually Wore L3-37 Costume on Set of Solo

"For more than 40 years, the Star Wars saga has utilized some of the most ambitious visual effects imaginable, with filmmakers going to great lengths to convey the necessary visuals for the sci-fi stories. Another key component of the series has been its variety of droid characters, which have come to life through a variety of different effects. For Solo: A Star Wars Story, actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge wore a costume for her robotic character L3-37 to help her co-stars interact with her on set."

Read more at ComicBook.com.

It's a Jolly Holiday with... General Leia?!?!

I can't think of a good caption for this. Insert your own.

Don't Miss the New Documentary - Alderaan: Then vs. Now

A new 5-part miniseries focusing on the planet Alderaan and the differences we see then and now is coming next month to the Space Channel. Thanks to Depressed Darth for the picture.

Funko Announces 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Products, with Pictures!

Funko officially announced their 'Solo' products today, including Pops, Mystery Minis, Wobblers, and T-shirts. They also included a surprising detail - all the items will be available this Friday, April 13!

The complete list of items released by Funko is included below:

The Tragedy of Mace Windu

Watch the Final 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Trailer Here!

The final trailer for Solo is here, and it looks good! Ron Howard just may be ale to pull this off!

See for yourself!


Let us know what you think!

Thor vs. Anakin - Hand to Hand Combat?

Thor wins... Hands down.

Get it?