For quite some time now, Star Wars fans have been waiting with excitement and anxiety to see the first footage from Solo: A Star Wars Story. The film has had a much publicized, tumultuous journey to the screen, and with its release a short four months away, the lack of footage has been cause for concern, with some hoping to see the film pushed back to give the studio more time to perfect it. Well, it seems the drought is beginning to end, as the first drops of information are beginning to fall. Yesterday, the official synopsis for the film was revealed, and now it appears that a sneak peek of the film was screened in Germany. Take a look below to see Holger Frick's reaction to seeing footage from Solo: A Star Wars Story:
I imagine most people who get to see early footage of a new Star Wars movie would be pretty high on it, but Holger Frick's Facebook post is still encouraging. A sneak peek likely puts the film's best foot forward and is far from representative of the whole, but there is still a lot to be excited about from this reaction. The first and most important thing is his praise of Alden Ehrenreich's performance. Han Solo is an iconic role played by an equally iconic actor, Harrison Ford. To say that those are huge shoes to fill is an understatement. This is the first of the big three Star Wars actors to be recast for an in-universe film and arguably the most difficult to pull off. If Alden Ehrenreich can't play a convincing and compelling Han Solo, nothing else matters. There were reports that Lucasfilm was unhappy with his performance and had hired him an acting coach, so to hear that he looks great in the role is a relief.
Frick also noted that Donald Glover looks amazing as Lando (obviously) and that Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson also look awesome in their roles. The comments that this film has an old Star Wars feel to it and that this may be a fan service film are also interesting. No doubt this is music to the ears of many fans who dislike the glossiness of the prequels or the subversive nature of The Last Jedi, so this could be just what the doctor ordered to reinvigorate the fanbase. A fan service film has its drawbacks and calls into question the need to tell such a story at all, but it's hard not to want to see more of a character we love playing his greatest hits.
There's been enough concern about why we haven't seen footage yet that we inevitably begin to fear the worst. This might not always be the case, but with so many behind-the-scenes shakeups and reports of a huge portion of Solo: A Star Wars Story being reshot, it's natural to worry. While this reaction to footage of the film is far from a guarantee of quality, if nothing else it is certainly preferable to a negative response. With any luck the drought will soon be over, and we will get a trailer that delivers on everything it needs to and casts all doubt from our minds. The Star Wars fanbase is divided following The Last Jedi, and who better to bring us back together than that beloved smuggler who always shoots first.
