Chewbacca, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, and Aiden Ehrenreich try to dodge Imperial ships in the prequel Solo: A Star Wars Movie.
by Gordon Stamper, Jr.
This has generally been the summer of the sequel, with even "R" rated franchises such as Deadpool and Sicario receiving second entries. Two early and prominent examples were the star-studded Avengers: Infinity War and Ron Howard directed Solo: A Star Wars Story. While the former was universally acclaimed and enormously profitable, the other was generally damned with faint praise and early underwhelming box office.
The Avengers excursion's central strength is its villain, Thanos (Josh Brolin). The plot hinges on his quest for the Infinity Stones scattered around the universe, and his quest for the ultimate conservation and population control plan would be completed with their acquisition. That it requires the death of one-half of all sentient life forms doesn't seem to bother him much, except for one necessary sacrifice. Costumed heroes from throughout the Marvel/Disney rights universe challenge Thanos in the high-stakes war.
In the latest Star Wars prequel, we learn the origin of a young and brash Han Solo's career choices (played with irreverence and energy by Aiden Ehrenreich) and a tale of lost love (the mother of dragons, Emilia Clarke) and friendship (the first meeting with a a certain Wookie). Woody Harrelson portrays the leader of a band of mercenaries-for-hire within the Imperial Forces that pillages resources when convenient.
Each sequel has its distinctive weaknesses. Although some of the ensuing deaths in Avengers are gasp-worthy, their building frequency add up to a "who will buy it next" checklist plot near the conclusion. Even the final hidden scene continues to bash this theme into a viewer's cranium. Only a child or supreme comics nerd would believe these characters are permanently dead--it is a comic book-based franchise, people!
Likewise, Solo's weakest points come when going out of the way to appeal to the fan boys. Yeah, we know how many parsecs that trip in hyperspace took now, and the first time Landau (Donald Glover) and Solo cheated one another. Some of these asides are amusing and effective, but often they drag down original plot elements that have been working well.
My verdict: both generally work and are worthwhile viewing, with Solo being the more underappreciated film. The original story line of a smuggling adventure gone wrong and Ehrenreich/Clarke chemistry are strengths, and the good humor and energy generally is sustained through much of the film. Avengers is another superstar cast outing with the best elements centering in its spread-too-thin characters, and demonstrating that the best Marvel films outside the first Avengers are its single hero-centered movies. It's a good thing Disney stopped its belly aching about Solo's box office receipts, since it continues to be a steady earner. Not all films can be a Thanos juggernaut.
My rating for both Solo and Avengers: Infinity War: *** out of ****.
The Avengers excursion's central strength is its villain, Thanos (Josh Brolin). The plot hinges on his quest for the Infinity Stones scattered around the universe, and his quest for the ultimate conservation and population control plan would be completed with their acquisition. That it requires the death of one-half of all sentient life forms doesn't seem to bother him much, except for one necessary sacrifice. Costumed heroes from throughout the Marvel/Disney rights universe challenge Thanos in the high-stakes war.
In the latest Star Wars prequel, we learn the origin of a young and brash Han Solo's career choices (played with irreverence and energy by Aiden Ehrenreich) and a tale of lost love (the mother of dragons, Emilia Clarke) and friendship (the first meeting with a a certain Wookie). Woody Harrelson portrays the leader of a band of mercenaries-for-hire within the Imperial Forces that pillages resources when convenient.
Each sequel has its distinctive weaknesses. Although some of the ensuing deaths in Avengers are gasp-worthy, their building frequency add up to a "who will buy it next" checklist plot near the conclusion. Even the final hidden scene continues to bash this theme into a viewer's cranium. Only a child or supreme comics nerd would believe these characters are permanently dead--it is a comic book-based franchise, people!
Likewise, Solo's weakest points come when going out of the way to appeal to the fan boys. Yeah, we know how many parsecs that trip in hyperspace took now, and the first time Landau (Donald Glover) and Solo cheated one another. Some of these asides are amusing and effective, but often they drag down original plot elements that have been working well.
My verdict: both generally work and are worthwhile viewing, with Solo being the more underappreciated film. The original story line of a smuggling adventure gone wrong and Ehrenreich/Clarke chemistry are strengths, and the good humor and energy generally is sustained through much of the film. Avengers is another superstar cast outing with the best elements centering in its spread-too-thin characters, and demonstrating that the best Marvel films outside the first Avengers are its single hero-centered movies. It's a good thing Disney stopped its belly aching about Solo's box office receipts, since it continues to be a steady earner. Not all films can be a Thanos juggernaut.
My rating for both Solo and Avengers: Infinity War: *** out of ****.
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