I know I'm a little late with this blog as the trailer came out over a week ago (I wanted to give it more thought and compile more data), and I know I'm not the first one to say it, but the actor they chose to play the young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) in the new Ron Howard-directed "Solo - A Star Wars Story" official trailer embodies the essence of Harrison Ford's mythic, epic Han Solo about as well as I embody the personalities of Paul or Al.
Impersonating Harrison Ford on the surface isn't all that difficult (granted, capturing his immense talent and charisma is tougher). But here is Harrison Ford Impersonation 101: Talk slow and low, scowl, use a crooked smile (a chin scar helps), be wry and sarcastic but never corny, and breathe through your nose a lot. Those are the BASICS which Ehrenreich seems to totally ignore in the clips I've seen. He is too energetic, his use of humor is not Solo-like, his voice is too high and his pace of speech too rapid - SO much wrong with his approach. And he LOOKS nothing like a young Ford. THIS YouTube star NAILS Ford in every way. Why not cast HIM?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bba_wPdLxp4
Sure, like every "Star Wars" sychophant, I'll see "Solo". Hell, I would have seen it if they had cast just about anyone as Solo. Seemingly, they did cast "just about anyone" with little thought behind it. But I'm sure I'll bash "Solo" just as I bashed that abomination known as "The Last Jedi". If they are going to oversaturate us with all these "Star Wars" movies, if the story sucks, at LEAST get the casting right! In "Solo," I can definitively already say based on a few teasers and trailers they did not. At least Chewbacca looks good I guess. Tough to screw that up. But man, did they blow it on the young Han Solo. Sucks.