Solo, the latest Star Wars Story movie, might not have found favour at the Box Office for whatever reason (and that’s a can of worms we’re not going to look into here) but the merchandise and memorabilia machine marches on regardless. Pablo Hidalgo, author (if that’s not too broad a word in the circumstances) of DK Books’ similarly-lavish visual guides to the previous three films in the reactivated Star Wars franchises, has gone back to the well for this big colourful 132-paged examination of the creatures, characters, planets, gadgets and vessels of Ron Howard’s struggling tale of the early days of the indomitable Han Solo. It’s all a bit eye-boggling, in fact…
There’s no denying the completism on display here. Nothing that appeared in Solo is ignored and the innumerable full-colour images not only of all the film’s main characters but also all the supporting cast and unnamed background creatures serve, if nothing else, to astound us at the incredible attention to detail demonstrated by the film’s production designers. Props and gizmos which might not even be visible to the naked eye on screen are given their moment in the sun here and it’s hard not to be in awe of some of the finer detail on props most us will never even have noticed, including the writhing ‘scrumrats’ embossed onto the tip of Moloch the Enforcer’s sceptre, the lock-picking spikes in Qi’ra’s Corellian costume and, of course, Blysto Noxton’s magnetic amulet (which he mistakenly believes focuses his thoughts, the fool!). Character detail alone is dazzling and occasionally baffling; we’re treated to profile shots of virtually every sentient being that walked across the screen (and quite a few we’re fairly certain didn’t get out of the dressing room) during the film from the likes of Diles Anevi, Tarubo Bunzo, Sablix Veen, Private Collum Woslo, Sandem and Humphreys and various Wookiees, marauders, mudtroopers and Stormtroopers. No ‘best costume’ award likely, though, for Gafferky Lenzwin who looks as if he’s wandered from the set of a 1970s Tomorrow People episode in his ‘filter-weave environment shroud’ which is surely just a hi-vis blanket flung over the head of some poor unfortunate supporting artist. That’s showbiz…
Star Wars completists will thrill at the gorgeous images of the main cast in their signature costumes and vivid explanation of all their accoutrements, colour spreads of the droid workforce (including the somewhat divisive L3-37) and all the landspeeders, truckspeeders and Star Yachts you could shake a lightsabre at. Naturally, the iconic Millennium Falcon isn’t ignored with the presence of an exclusive ‘cross-section’ artwork spread considered worthy of special mention on the cover of the book alongside images of the sultry young Han and his furry Wookiee chum.
It’s all here then – and more. Hidalgo’s text will take you about ten minutes to rush through but if you’re a hardened Star Wars buff you may well spend hours poring over that picture of Margo’s Ottegan charbake smelt necklace on page 77 and vowing to look out for it when you get your hands on the Solo Blu-ray.
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – THE OFFICIAL GUIDE / AUTHOR: PABLO HIDALGO / PUBLISHER: DK / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
