What I’m Watching: ‘Solo’ entertains, “Deadpool 2’ is worthy sequel

Date: 5/31/2018

What I’m watching are two new films in theaters that have released my not so hidden fanboy side.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

I’m a fanboy, but I don’t understand fanboys and fangirls. The news that this film did not meet the financial expectations of the studio has been interpreted, as meaning the film itself isn’t very good.

The fact is I thoroughly enjoyed this “Star Wars” prequel in which we see how Han Solo became the lovable rogue we met way back when.

Thanks to social media rumblings, too many people are seeing the “failure” of the film at the box office as an indication it’s isn’t very good.

The trouble with so many films today – especially those with lofty earning expectations – is they are not allowed to build their audience. They must be “winners” coming out of the gate.

Their success isn’t measured by whether or not audiences liked the film, but only if the goals that were expected are met.

So, is “Solo” a good movie? In my book it is. Like “Rogue One,” it tells a compelling story that sheds light on a major part of the “Star Wars” saga. Unlike the “first” three movies in the series that explained the origins of Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi in a dreary and depressing manner, “Solo” presents its story in a way that makes perfect sense for the characters we know and love.

Alden Ehrenreich plays the young Han – when we meet him he doesn’t have a last name. He is trying to escape a criminal life on the industrial planet of Corellia, along with Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), the young woman he loves. He successfully leaves the planet, goes into the Imperial navy, learns to be a pilot and then falls in with a band of smugglers and thieves.

Lead by Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) the young Han finds his calling and sees a way to return to Corellia and rescue Qi’ra. He has no idea how soon he will be meeting her.

No spoilers here, but you should know that we are introduced to Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) and Chewbacca, both of whom met my expectations.

This is not meant to be one of the official “Star Wars” movies that will have fans debating and analyzing every scene. Like “Rogue One,”  “Solo” tells a compact story that is very satisfying. There is the possibility of a sequel, but even if there weren’t one produced, I would say the film is a successful standalone.

If you’re a “Star Wars” fan, you should see this film.

Deadpool 2

“Deadpool 2” appeals to the anarchist in me. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is such a controlled structured entity with each film carefully dovetailing into another for a narrative reason.
Deadpool, the X-Men, Spiderman and The Fantastic Four have been characters whose cinematic adventures have been – due to rights issues – outside of the MCU. I don’t consider any of them “Marvel” movies.

And Deadpool is the most outside of the lot, openly mocking the conventions of the superhero genre and superhero films in general. The success of the first Deadpool movie pointed out there are plenty of people who enjoyed this breath of fresh air injected into a genre that can take itself too seriously.

Deadpool is a former mercenary who has been transformed into a superhero through a means that has left his entire body scarred. His power is the ability to recover from almost any injury.

That’s good for us because in this film, he blows himself up as a means to commit suicide. It would have been a pretty short movie without this power.

“Deadpool 2” takes the tact of reprising a film that is raunchy and gory but has a very human center. The film continues the love story between Wade Wilson and his girlfriend Vanessa, although in a highly unorthodox manner.

The resulting film is packed with the kind of cartoon-like violence of the first film as well as many references to popular culture that come at you at an alarming pace.

I liked the second film a great deal. There are moments that seemed forced – such a reprise of the style of the opening credits – but generally the film is successful.

Now make no mistake, if you’ve not seen the first Deadpool movie be aware this is a very hard “R.” This is not a film for kids. This is not your usual MCU outing. The heroes kill, swear and make remarks that will have you laughing in a guilty fashion and that’s not very MCU of them – thanks goodness.