Movie Review Madness - Solo

I went into the new Star Wars prequel Solo with no preconceived ideas.  I am not a fanatic and I was fine with a backstory for Han Solo. No -  Alden Ehrenreich does not look like Harrison Ford. He’s his own person and frankly imbues the young Han Solo with the right amount of arrogance and bravado.  Director Ron Howard pulls out a decent ride in the Millennium Falcon (now we know how it became Han’s ship). Solo is a fun entertaining two hours or so with plenty of air battles, bad guys, good guys, and Han as our intergalactic rogue hero.

Here’s a scrappy young man just trying to live, trying to break free from life on his crappy planet. We find out how he does escape, but what happens to Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) his love? Han hooks up with a band of mercenaries (Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton) to pull off a heist. Well – drat they collide with Crimson Dawn and that’s not good.  Is he reunited with Qi’ra and under what circumstances? Will she kill him? We learn how he meets Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and begins a lifelong friendship. Who is Lando (a charming Donald Glover)?  How did Han get the Millennium Falcon from him?

There’s a lot of double crosses going on, air battles, air pirates, crazy creatures, and of course evil abounds. Through it all, Ehrenreich is earnest and endearing. Oh he’s slick and has his street smarts. He’s a fantastic pilot with mad skills. He’s still a bit trusting, but is learning. He leans toward being a loner….and yet he’s loyal to Chewbacca. And then there’s Qi’ra – good/evil comes in small packages. With her large eyes and soft accent, Emilia Clarke, pulls off her part with panache. She’s a survivor, that’s for sure.

I came out of Solo thoroughly entertained. Frankly it was better than I expected. Thumbs up for my five dollar investment on a summer Saturday morning. Soar with the Falcon!

Movie Review: Terminator Genisys

Terminator: Genisys is a rehash of the previous Terminator movies. The ones directed by James Cameron are genius. This new flick is entertaining, but there’s no real reason for its existence. Nonetheless, Arnold is badass and amusing. As he’s aged he sounds more and looks more like a machine every day. C’mon – he’s perfect for this part. It’s difficult to believe that the original casting was O.J.Simpson. That’s crazy.

So, there’s a lot of time travel to stop Skynet from existing, to save Sarah Connor, to save Kyle Reese, to have past young Arnold fight current old Arnold. Those effects are pretty darn tricky. Then you also have the melting metal machines who take on various personages and then reconfigures themselves. Again – I never get tired of those effects. I’m not going to discuss the convoluted plot, Either you buy into it, or you don’t. The main reason to see Terminator: Genisys is to enjoy the mayhem of the future, to relish special effects, and to hear Arnold say, “I’ll be back.” His line delivery is so perfect, and he has a sense of humor. You have to be in on the joke.  

Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese is fine for his role. Emilia Clark as Sarah Connor is decent. Again, watch the original for the originality and grittiness of good filmmaking. Watch Genisys to be amused. It’s summer, it’s hot, you don’t want to think too much. Buy the popcorn and let your brain rest. Root for Arnold. Look around you at all the people messing with their phones prior to the movie. Have machines taken over the world? Think about it.