4) Ford Brings Depth To Han Like Never Before
As towering as the Solo character is, nobody can claim Ford ever brought what would typically be called ‘gravitas’ to the part. Han Solo was always too cool to care, with too much reputation at stake to show his hand and admit he was ever conflicted, scared or in love. Not when he was hunted by mercenaries, running for his life, not even when he was about to be put in carbonite and snatched away from the woman he adored.
In The Force Awakens, things are different. The universe has moved on and Han is old and filled with regret, over how things went south with his son; over the absence of Leia and Luke from his life. There’s a baggage that Ford brings to the part in Episode VII. There are new, unexpected layers – and yet it’s subtle, Ford refusing to overplay it.
He’s affecting like he’s never been as Solo before. Anyone who claims they didn’t get goosebumps during the “It’s real – all of it” monologue or didn’t feel the ache when Han yelled after his estranged son is lying.