"Solo: A Star Wars Story" Family Movie Night Review

We are huge Star Wars fans. We have seen every movie multiple times, gone to the theater with our family of 7 for all of the theater releases in the past few years, and own way too many Star Wars Legos, shirts, toys, and products to count! So of course, we would take the time to see “Solo: A Star Wars Story” on our recent vacation. For Memorial Day weekend, we stayed at a condo in Fort Myers that is part of a large shopping and entertainment complex, so it was one of the first times we were able to walk to see a movie!

Our children are currently 13, 10, 9, 6, and 4. Why do we let them see PG-13 Star Wars movies? To be honest, I really don’t know. We are very strict about what our children see and listen to, and we don’t have cable television in our home. However, there is always an exception made for Star Wars movies. Insert arms raised in a questioning manner here.

There really are multiple reasons why we indulge in Star Wars. First, there’s the huge Disney connection. Second, most of the violence is in a space age, non personal manner. Third, there is very little adult language or adult themes. Fourth, it’s such a crowd pleaser for everyone in our family, that it’s a great way for brothers and sisters to connect, as well as to make connections with uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends. It’s something that even our youngest children can truly bond and connect with the older ones, and that’s really important to us as parents. For us, the pros of letting young children see Star Wars outweigh the cons, but I certainly understand other’s apprehensions.

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” was one of the more funny Star Wars installments. Han Solo has always been one of my favorite characters because of his wit and sarcasm, so this movie did not disappoint in continuing with that character trait. The young Han Solo, played by Aiden Ehrenreich, was very funny and very much in line with the Harrison Ford Han Solo we all know and love.

Although the title of this movie featured Han Solo, I would have loved a title including Chewbacca! His touching and intriguing backstory really stole the show in many scenes. Donald Glover, as Lando, added a lot of charisma and charm to his scenes as well. And the love story between Han Solo and his love interest Kira, played by Emilia Clarke, were beautifully scripted and acted.

As with most movies that last longer than an hour and a half, I felt like “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” could have been shorter. Although I adore Star Wars, I always seem to feel like I could have done with maybe one less battle scene. At 2 hours and 15 minutes, I had seen enough CGI battles and close calls.

I felt there was a little more language and man-to-man combat in Solo than in some other Star Wars movies. I cringed a few times at swear words and covered the eyes of my 4 and 6 year olds a few times as well. But overall, I felt that “Solo: A Star Wars Story” was a wonderful addition to the Star Wars cannon and a fun family night out to the movies. Can’t wait for the next one! And if Walt Disney World needs anyone to test out the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, opening in 2019, we would be more than happy to volunteer!