By Mark Saldana
To be completely honest, I am rather slow to conforming with modern tech. For example, I have only owned two smart phones. The same goes for music and movie media. I still listen to CDs in my car and my movie collection consists of mostly Blu-rays and DVDs. I actually only own three digital movies, one of which is the subject of this review.
I was recently given the opportunity to giveaway two copies of Solo: A Star Wars Story and was offered an extra copy to review. I must say that I actually enjoyed the digital movie experience and realized that it is definitely a viable space-saving option for prolific movie collectors. Though my collection probably is not as prodigious as others, I might have to downsize to digital someday and reviewing this digital copy showed me that it is certainly a worthy medium. But, enough about “old man Mark’s” late discovery of digital movies, it is time to get to what the digital copy of Solo has to offer.
Regarding the film itself, I enjoyed revisiting this film. I won’t repeat all that I previously stated in my original review of the movie. However, my feelings remain pretty much the same. Despite its production problems and the issues associated with the dismissal of original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and their replacement with Ron Howard, the film is a solid offering to the Star Wars mythos that enriches thee legend of Han Solo. I still have some problems with the overly dark cinematography, but this looks a little better on the television screen. The resolution of the picture is solid and the sound and music should sound great on a decent system.
Regarding the extras, the digital copy offers several featurettes and short documentaries that take audiences behind the scene and with the filmmakers and cast members who seemed to have a lot of fun making the movie. The inclusion of feature and docs proves to be rather redundant, though. After watching the “Discover” featurettes, I started going through the documentary section that goes into greater details about the making of the film, but often repeats some of the same moments from the “Discover” clips. I feel it would have been better to leave out the featurettes and keep the docs. This would’ve made the experience more enjoyable.
The copy also has eight deleted or extended scenes that were either completely cut or trimmed from the theatrical release. Though these scenes are interesting, they wouldn’t have added much to the film. All in all I found this digital copy worthy of owning for fans of the film. It is now available for sale, either by itself or part of a Blu/DVD combo.
Movie Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars)
Digital Copy With Extras Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars)
DIGITAL AND BLU-RAY BONUS MATERIAL(may vary by retailer):
• Solo: The Director & Cast Roundtable
Sit down with director Ron Howard and the stars for an intimate and entertaining discussion of the film’s making.
· Team Chewie
See what it takes to bring your favorite Wookiee to life in this lighthearted look behind the scenes.
· Kasdan on Kasdan
Iconic Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and son Jonathan share what it was like to write the movie’s script together.
· Remaking the Millennium Falcon
Track the transformation of the most famous ship in the galaxy, from Lando’s swank and impeccable pride and joy to Han’s stripped-down hot-rod freighter with “special modifications.”
· Escape from Corellia
Get behind the wheel for the making of this high-octane chase through the streets of Corellia.
• The Train Heist
Explore the challenges and thrills of creating this action-packed sequence, including its remote location and spectacular effects.
· Becoming a Droid: L3-37
Meet the newest droid—and the talented actor who helps bring her to life.
• Scoundrels, Droids, Creatures and Cards: Welcome to Fort Ypso
Take an in-depth tour of the rough-and-tumble bar where strangers mix and gamblers risk all in the legendary card game, Sabaac.
• Into the Maelstrom: The Kessel Run
Join Han and Chewie at the controls of theMillennium Falcon to see how this legendary moment in Star Wars history unfolds.
· Deleted Scenes
o Proxima’s Den
o Corellian Foot Chase
o Han Solo: Imperial Cadet
o The Battle of Mimban: Extended
o Han Versus Chewie: Extended
o Snowball Fight!
o Meet Dryden: Extended
o Coaxium Double-Cross