That insane cameo
There are a number of other fantastic moments that could be mentioned but with the two main action sequences out of the way, let’s finish off this list with the scene everyone is talking about. Yes, that’s right; Darth Maul is back in his second live-action Star Wars appearance. It’s a shocking moment to be sure. Out of all the cameo appearances one might have expected to have occurred – Boba Fett, Jabba, Vader etc. – Maul was certainly not one of them. After Han leaves Qi’ra to rescue Chewie from Beckett, the mysterious young woman initiates a hologram conversation with her true master. Maul now appears on screen, hooded and cloaked, his faced aged over the years, but every bit as intimidating as audiences remember. Unbelievable.
For the Star Wars faithful, those who have been reading the comics, watching the animated shows etc., this was a moment to savour and a brilliant gesture from Lucasfilm, validating their non-cinematic properties in the grandest of ways. It’s unclear where all of this is leading: was this just a fun cameo for fans to enjoy or is this building up to further and more significant live-action appearances by the former Sith? Who knows and frankly, who cares. Whether Maul turns up in the Boba Fett movie, the Kenobi film, or if we just get a new comic or novel, it doesn’t really matter for now. This was a wonderful addition to Solo and makes perfect sense in terms of where Maul is in his personal story –the fiend currently being ensconced in the criminal underworld. And with Ray Park reprising the role physically and Sam Witwer once again voicing the character as he has done in the animated shows, this most shocking of cameo appearances was perfectly executed.
An excellent Star Wars anthology entry
We can’t say goodbye without mentioning a number of other standout moments, moments like Han and Chewie’s first meeting, the two’s continued bromance, and the second sabacc game. Alden Ehrenreich himself deserves another shout-out, for he was truly sublime in the part, everything one could want in the role of Han, and without questions proved his doubters wrong. Good for him.
Solo is certainly a different type of Star Wars movie but not in the divisive way The Last Jedi was. Solo is unique in that the consequences and stakes are personal and not galactic, that the series isn’t forever changed as a result of this one movie, and there is something nice about that, something very nice indeed. When the galaxy is always on the line we can become desensitised to the danger, in this new era of Star Wars films, we need more entries like Solo, not less. Solo isn’t perfect but it’s wonderfully good fun and a Star Wars super fan’s dream. It’s endlessly frustrating to see that many had decided to already hate the film before ever seeing it and that no matter how good Solo is they will never change their minds, but why waste energy on such individuals. For those who bought the ticket, the ride was delightful. Solo was an antidote to The Last Jedi in a number of ways and is a movie that will surely bring much joy to the fandom for many years to come.
Samuel Brace
