Solo: A Star Wars Story features a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 track that defaults to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 in my system. Just like many of the recent Disney releases this one too plays at a less than ideal volume when set to my preferred reference level. Resulting in an increase from its normal -14dB  to -4dB volume level; a +10dB increase! Despite this, the sound track while good was still not reference quality. Even moving the level up by +10dB still didn’t create that bottom end punch and slam that the movie deserved. At this higher level, there is plenty of surround engagement for the various environments, in particularly during fight sequences, that put you right in the center of the action and keeps you there, with a myriad of bangs, clatters, bumps and whooshes. From the dripping water and reverberation that fills Lady Proxima’s chamber to the laser blasts, explosions and battlefield chaos. High speed chases are filled with all sorts of Star Wars sonic effects darting from one speaker to another. Bass is solid, with good reinforcement from the low end, but it is not as deep, thunderous, and punchy as I would have expected. The soundstage is big, wide, and constantly active, with smooth, accurate positioning and movement, together with good musical imaging and explosions surrounding the listener. Dialogue is clear and detailed with good front-center imaging and prioritization. The musical score by John Williams and John Powell providing solid musical support throughout. So while the movie sound track is rich with effects and full of detail and clarity, you will need to boost the volume significantly in order to provide enough impact and bottom end to be fully engaged and provide an enjoyable ride.

Story Overview

As a young orphan Han (Alden Ehrenreich) with his girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) are trapped in a life of crime on Corellia. Stealing valuable coaxium fuel they are set to bribe their way off the planet, but things go badly wrong and Qi’ra is left behind. With law enforcement hot on his tail Han enlists into the Imperial Navy as Hans Solo, ending up as a foot-soldier. Years pass, and while on the planet Mimba Han meets a Wookiee called Chewbacca and joins forces with a band of pirates led by Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). Desperate to escape the Empire, Han returns to the criminal underworld with the band of pirates. After a botched train robbery the team becomes indebted to a lord of crime known as Dryden Voss (Paul Bettany) and Han finds his long lost girlfriend Qi’ra. After meeting fellow pirate Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), the team is forced to make the infamous Kessel Run in Lando’s impounded ship – the Millennium Falcon.

Yet again what is Disney doing with these sound tracks? This franchise deserves the very best sound track to support the normally excellent video and give the HT enthusiast the full sound and video experience. Turning up the volume by 10dB just doesn’t turn the mix into what it should be. All Dolby and DTS mixes have to be created to the same reference levels so how does Disney continue to get away with this? Are these companies representatives still asleep “at the wheel” or just looking at the bottom line?

No matter how you role the dice, this movie is flat and lack luster. At least the sound track provides a degree of uplift to the viewing experience.  Nobody in my household had anything good to say about the movie, finding its 2hrs and 15 minutes a bit of an ordeal. Commenting that “it would have been better released as just a space adventure with no ties or references to the Star Wars franchise.”

Despite my reservations on the soundtrack and the image quality, the movie is still worth seeing if only to keep up with the franchise.

Purchase from Best Buy here.

Purchase from Amazon here.

See my other Blu-ray reviews here.