— by Rod Gustafson
PARENT PREVIEWS –
Making Media Entertainment An Easier Choice For Families
Solo: A Star
Wars Story
PG-13
OVERALL RATING:
B
DISNEY/BUENA VISTA
Released on DVD:
September 25, 2018
VIOLENCE: (C-) Much of the run time of this movie portrays action violence using fantastical (for
example, ray guns or “blasters”) and real (knives) weapons. We see characters shot, slashed,
and stabbed, however the details and blood effects are minimal. A sequence depicts a battle in a
traditional Earth-like war environment, with soldiers on a muddy battleground where some are shot,
and momentarily shown, dead on the ground. A man is locked in an underground prison where he is
expected to be consumed by a “beast” (he isn’t). A character dies from a baster-shot. A man is seen
with a bloody knife, and we are told he has just killed a government official – we see a body on the
floor. Slaves are killed while working. A droid character is shot and killed. Another background droid
is suddenly run over and killed. It is implied a woman is being held captive by a man. A fight ensues
and a character is killed.
SEXUAL CONTENT: (B) A male human is in love with a female robot (which vaguely resembles a
humanoid); when a character asks, with a sexual subtext, “How does that work,” he replies “It works.”
A brief scene shows a man and woman in a bedroom, she appears wearing a robe and he makes a
comment and gesture suggesting they have sex (which doesn’t happen). Characters kiss.
LANGUAGE: (B+) About a half-dozen mild profanities and a partial
scatological term are heard.
ALCOHOL / DRUG USE: (B+) Characters drink an unknown
substance in a bar. Some other social drinking is briefly depicted.
N
ow that the Disney
conveyor belt is warmed
up and accelerating
at light speed, we can expect to see
Star Wars join its Marvel cousins
as the Mouse House multiplies and
replenishes cinemas with a galaxy
full of origin tales and subsequent
adventures.
more than back in the Harrison Ford era.
Likewise some veiled sexual banter is
included.
As expected, Solo: A Star Wars
Story visits most of the dangling
backstory threads presented in the first
trio of movies. While that may satisfy
our desires to know more about the guy
who flew his ship and “made the Kessel
Run in less than twelve parsecs”, it also
leaves few surprises in the character’s
development. Unlike Rouge One,
which built on a plot point (obtaining
the plans to a secret star base), in this
movie we learn that Solo likes fast
ships, is a sucker for a nice girl, and
isn’t afraid of shady deals that lead to
easy cash. Hardly surprising.
Alden Ehrenreich won the casting
lottery to play legendary Han Solo as
a much younger man. Yet whether the
role will forever alter the 28-year-old
actor’s career will depend on fans’
acceptance of a performance that is just
as much about evoking Harrison Ford’s
swagger as it is about revealing the
mercenary smuggler’s backstory.
We meet young Solo on his
home world of Corellia. In this highly
industrialized environment he yearns to
be a skilled aviator. However, the heavy
handed rule of the empire is beginning to
take hold. In a desperate move to leave
the planet and gain freedom, he manages
to escape — but not before the authorities
nab his girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke).
Enlisting with the dark side so he can
become a pilot, he instead finds himself
on a muddy battlefield. It’s here that he
meets Beckett (Woody Harrelson), a
shifty character who has far bigger and
profitable interests than fighting for the
Empire, along with a Wookie named (you
guessed it) Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo).
The script swiftly moves on to a
heist-gone-wrong, a bad otherworld
For additional
information on this
film’s content, visit
www.parentpreviews.com
mafia boss (Paul Bettany), a game
of cards that introduces us to Lando
Calrissian (Donald Glover) and the iconic
Millennium Falcon spaceship. Needless
to say, Solo’s “ownership” of the craft
isn’t without dispute.
Parents can expect violence similar
to other Star Wars episodes. Lightsabers
are near extinct in this pre-”use the force”
story. Still, there are blasters, blades and
the universal fist to take down a wide
selection of opponent s, including humans,
aliens, droids and the superfluous storm
trooper. With all this mayhem, blood
effects are few. Profanities are relatively
infrequent, however, there are a few
TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE
WITH YOUR FAMILY…
People who study film have long
argued that science fiction movie plots
are very similar to westerns. This movie
seems to embrace that concept. What
are the conflicts in this film? Do they
resemble an old-school western? (You
may have to ask your grandparents about
this!)
If you could make an “origin story”
about a Star Wars character, which would
you pick? What new characters would
you introduce?
VIDEO ALTERNATIVES...
All of the movies that are part of Star
Wars Franchise.
OFFICIAL SITE:
https://www.starwars.com/films/solo
October 2018 WNY Family 19