Star Wars: Solo

[molson]

A lot of people saw the commercial during the Super Bowl, but a full teaser/trailer all came out this morning.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Official Teaser - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNW0B0HsvVs&feature=youtu.be)

Pretty stunning visuals, and a Rouge One feel.

[stevew]

Really skeptical of this movie given the history of the production.

[dawgfan]

Even beyond the production hiccups, it's going to be awfully tough for any actor to live up to Harrison Ford's Han Solo.

[tarcone]

Im in. I love anything Star Wars. And I have not been disappointed often. Though episode 1 lacked.

[molson]

Really skeptical of this movie given the history of the production.

I chose to believe that that it's a good sign that Disney has the ability to make big changes on the fly and that they're not afraid to do so. We didn't know the whole story at the time Rogue One was released, but after they saw the first cut, Disney fired a bunch of people, hired new writers, and added or re-shot 20-30 scenes. Most of the footage from the trailers didn't even make it to the final film. Disney also made them go back and kill all the of the main characters, when several survived in the first cut.

I'm guessing that people who haven't like Disney's take on Star Wars so far won't like this one either, but those who have been on board with the whole thing will have plenty to like.

[larrymcg421]

Agreed. I more question the initial decision to have the 21 Jump Street people involved at all than the wisdom to see that it wasn't working and bring in a veteran to fix everything.

[Edward64]

Still PO'd that they killed him off.

They should have left some room for doubt.

But yes, the trailer looked fantastic.

[Brian Swartz]

I didn't like the main movies(esp. the last one) but thought Rogue One was great. My brother shares the same opinion. Both of us are cautiously positive on this so far.

[larrymcg421]

Still PO'd that they killed him off.

They should have left some room for doubt.

But yes, the trailer looked fantastic.

Ford only agreed to come back if they killed Solo off.

[NobodyHere]

Still PO'd that they killed him off.

They should have left some room for doubt.

But yes, the trailer looked fantastic.

That's the problem with prequels. You know Han Solo is going to survive through the movie so it lessens the tension of the action scenes.

That said, this is a Star Wars movie so I'll definitely be seeing it, whether in theaters or blu-ray

[Draft Dodger]

Han looks stoned in like every scene of that trailer

[Edward64]

Ford only agreed to come back if they killed Solo off.

Okay, its not that Solo died, its how he died ... it was not a glorious death.

Millennium Falcon with nukes crashing into the Death Star #5 (?) would have been good.

[NobodyHere]

Okay, its not that Solo died, its how he died ... it was not a glorious death.

Millennium Falcon with nukes crashing into the Death Star #5 (?) would have been good.

On a side note, who else thinks that the Falcon will get destroyed in episode 9?

[Kodos]

I sure hope not.

[Edward64]

Eh, design is somewhat dated. Ready for a refresh

[Marc Vaughan]

I love the look of that trailer - sorry to kick the trend but I'm excited to see this :D

[NobodyHere]

Because the franchise hasn't been milked enough yet

Game Of Thrones Show Creators To Write And Produce New Series Of Star Wars Films ('http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2018/02/06/game-of-thrones-show-creators-to-write-and-produce-new-series-of-star-wars-films.aspx')

[Chief Rum]

Because the franchise hasn't been milked enough yet

Game Of Thrones Show Creators To Write And Produce New Series Of Star Wars Films ('http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2018/02/06/game-of-thrones-show-creators-to-write-and-produce-new-series-of-star-wars-films.aspx')

I realize the new HBO series they were going to work on is controversial, but it's still on, isn't it? Plus GOT production isnlikely to be going on for much of this year.

When are these guys supposed to be available to do this?

[molson]

Game of Thrones is filming its final season right now.

And Disney has an unannounced stand-alone film tentatively scheduled for a 2020 release. And Johnson is still attached to a separate trilogy to start sometime after that. I'm guessing Benioff and Weiss will be writing some stand-alone films, but, with Disney, it's all tentative, and if it happens, we're talking well into the next decade.

[Chief Rum]

Game of Thrones is filming its final season right now.

Yea I know that. Every episode is supposedly on the scale of a movie in and of itself. Post production is likely to take up a good portion of the remainder of the year.

[stevew]

I liked it enough to sign up for a subsequent Solo or Lando movie if they decide to make one.

[Tasan]

It was good. I wasn't blown away or anything but good.

[CrimsonFox]

Loved it loved it loved it! Woody Harrelson makes any film better!

And DOnald Glover is the fucking best!

[dawgfan]

So, were we supposed to assume that was Darth Maul? And if so, how does that work? The timelines don't equate.

[stevew]

Yes Dawg,

the timelines work if you've watched Clone Wars and Rebels supposedly. I haven't but this is set in the correct era

[stevew]

Boba Fett movie with James Mangold is confirmed.

[dawgfan]

So Obi-wan cut him in half but he survived, is that it? Yeesh. That's some lazy storytelling gimmickry right there...

[CrimsonFox]

omg hahahahahaha i forgot the timeline :)

[CrimsonFox]

duct tape dude

Sith duct tape is the best!@

[stevew]

So wookiees eat humans?

[stevew]

Given that they announced a Boba Fett spin-off movie

I wonder if Beckett will appear in some capacity as he killed Aura Singg, who was bobas mentor. Also Darth Maul ran Mandalore so I bet he's in that

[NobodyHere]

Loved it loved it loved it! Woody Harrelson makes any film better!

And DOnald Glover is the fucking best!

DOnald Glover is dead to me

Donald Glover Says Kylo Ren Is Better Than Darth Vader (https://screenrant.com/kylo-ren-better-than-darth-vader/)

[CrimsonFox]

So wookiees eat humans?

depends on the sauce...

[Chief Rum]

Just saw it. Loved it. Nice to see a Star Wars movie that doesn't take itself so seriously.

[CrimsonFox]

my only ting about the lando/han relationship...

yeah i get that all the lines about lando from empire strikes back are displayed here to see in this movie...

but in empire it sounded like they were friends for a long time.

and this movie was trying to make it like this is it...that's the only time they met was this one encounter...

and i don't buy that

[CrimsonFox]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MhOG3XwX9Yw" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[NobodyHere]

Looks like the box office returns for Solo are so low for a Star Wars movie.

‘Solo’ Slows at Box Office, to Open at $101 Million for 4-Day Holiday Weekend (https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/%E2%80%98solo%E2%80%99-slows-at-box-office-to-open-at-dollar101-million-for-4-day-holiday-weekend/ar-AAxSzIP?li=BBnbfcL)

[molson]

I don't think people should expect every Star Wars spinoff movie to do a billion worldwide. Star Wars is not as cool as Marvel in 2018 and that's OK. Solo had all the reshoots, which the pushed the budget up, and it will be the least profitable Star Wars movie of all time, but, it was a good movie and that's probably more important in the long run. I hope the future spinoff movies have lower budgets and more realistic box office expectations.

[CrimsonFox]

Yeah I enjoyed it more than last jedi and force awakens. I l in the Ed those but this one excited me more.

[kcchief19]

I thought Solo was solid. The people I saw it with all thought it was better than TFA and TLJ, and from a story telling aspect I can't dispute that. Sure, Alden Ehrenreich was almost as brutal as advertised -- he seemed like he was trying to do a Han Solo impersonation and it didn't come across well. Everybody else was pretty terrific. Really like Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson. And Donald Glover was close to perfect -- he left me wanting more.

I'm always going to have disputes with Disney because of their jettison of the old Expanded Universe, but this movie did a decent job or paying homage to the past while telling a compelling heist story. Maybe Episode IX can salvage the main trilogy series, but if the future standalone films and TV series are as solid as Rogue One and Solo, count me in.

So Obi-wan cut him in half but he survived, is that it? Yeesh. That's some lazy storytelling gimmickry right there...
The story of his recovery was told in The Clone Wars and Rebels, and his backstory in those shows actually fits perfectly with this movie. Maul eventually becomes leader of the galaxy's criminal underworld, and with Crimson Dawn in partnership with Black Sun, it makes tremendous sense and plays great to me.

[Warhammer]

I thought Solo was solid. The people I saw it with all thought it was better than TFA and TLJ, and from a story telling aspect I can't dispute that. Sure, Alden Ehrenreich was almost as brutal as advertised -- he seemed like he was trying to do a Han Solo impersonation and it didn't come across well. Everybody else was pretty terrific. Really like Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson. And Donald Glover was close to perfect -- he left me wanting more.

I'm always going to have disputes with Disney because of their jettison of the old Expanded Universe, but this movie did a decent job or paying homage to the past while telling a compelling heist story. Maybe Episode IX can salvage the main trilogy series, but if the future standalone films and TV series are as solid as Rogue One and Solo, count me in.


The story of his recovery was told in The Clone Wars and Rebels, and his backstory in those shows actually fits perfectly with this movie. Maul eventually becomes leader of the galaxy's criminal underworld, and with Crimson Dawn in partnership with Black Sun, it makes tremendous sense and plays great to me.



Just got back from watching this.

I have to agree with all of what you said. I actually didn't mind Ehrenreich either. I kind of liked his portrayal, it wasn't great acting, but it worked.

I loved Lando's character. Glover did an amazing job with him.

Out of the extended universe movies, this was the one I was most apprehensive about, and they did a good job with it. I am actually looking to more of these rather than the main storyline movies now.

[stevew]

Absolutely love that they worked in the skiff guard outfit from ROTJ

[Vince, Pt. II]

A friend and I were debating about one of the lines, which seems way too good to be original to this film:

"What shall we drink to?"
"Well let's drink two and see what happens."

[Vince, Pt. II]

I thought Solo was solid. The people I saw it with all thought it was better than TFA and TLJ, and from a story telling aspect I can't dispute that. Sure, Alden Ehrenreich was almost as brutal as advertised -- he seemed like he was trying to do a Han Solo impersonation and it didn't come across well. Everybody else was pretty terrific. Really like Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson. And Donald Glover was close to perfect -- he left me wanting more.

I'm always going to have disputes with Disney because of their jettison of the old Expanded Universe, but this movie did a decent job or paying homage to the past while telling a compelling heist story. Maybe Episode IX can salvage the main trilogy series, but if the future standalone films and TV series are as solid as Rogue One and Solo, count me in.


The story of his recovery was told in The Clone Wars and Rebels, and his backstory in those shows actually fits perfectly with this movie. Maul eventually becomes leader of the galaxy's criminal underworld, and with Crimson Dawn in partnership with Black Sun, it makes tremendous sense and plays great to me.



Other than your take on Alden Ehrenreich, I'm all-in on this review. I agree that he was the weakest actor, but I actually liked his portrayal, and thought it was fairly believable for a young, untested kid trying to prove himself. My biggest surprise was Emilia Clarke; I can't stand her on Game of Thrones, but she was wonderful here.

[Arles]

I took my son (12 and loves comics/star wars) and we both really enjoyed it. It has some nice nostalgia moments, moves pretty quick and didn't take itself too seriously. I'm excited for the next origin story if they keep the same style.

[dawgfan]

The story of his recovery was told in The Clone Wars and Rebels, and his backstory in those shows actually fits perfectly with this movie. Maul eventually becomes leader of the galaxy's criminal underworld, and with Crimson Dawn in partnership with Black Sun, it makes tremendous sense and plays great to me.



My problem with it is if cutting someone in half with a lightsaber doesn't result in certain death, then death ceases to become a meaningful consequence. It's like how in comic books when a villain (or hero) comes back to life in some gimmicky way you slowly stop caring when villains or heroes die, because you know it's not the final outcome that "death" is supposed to be.

I'm sure they came up with a creative way to explain things, and I don't doubt that how he was portrayed in this movie fits perfectly with that established timeline and what he's been doing since. I'm simply objecting to the decision to revive him in the first place and thus diminish the impact of "death" in the Star Wars universe.

[dawgfan]

Other than your take on Alden Ehrenreich, I'm all-in on this review. I agree that he was the weakest actor, but I actually liked his portrayal, and thought it was fairly believable for a young, untested kid trying to prove himself.

Ehrenreich was fine. He wasn't terrible, but he didn't have enough charisma to really measure up to Ford either. He was also in an almost impossible situation - try to seem as though his character and Harrison Ford's are the same (and almost certainly fall short), or not consciously try to replicate any of Ford's mannerisms or acting choices and risk the characters seeming too different.

The biggest problem with this movie is that it was product - no more, no less. It was reasonably well-executed product, but this wasn't anyone's passion project. This was Disney and Kathleen Kennedy executing a business plan.

The only way that a Solo movie would have excelled would have been a combination of A) a gifted filmmaker having a well-thought out plan for an origin story, and B) the perfect actor to come along that could hold up to the Harrison Ford comparisons. Ford was such a perfect fit for that role that you can't just do a talent search in a particular year and find the right person - that person may not exist in the generation in which you're looking. You may have to wait years or decades even.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I saw it over the weekend. I enjoyed it well enough. It was a fun movie. I really loved the supporting cast for the most part.

[Kodos]

Ford was such a perfect fit for that role that you can't just do a talent search in a particular year and find the right person - that person may not exist in the generation in which you're looking. You may have to wait years or decades even.

One man. Four words.

James Van Der Beek

[dawgfan]

One man. Four words.

James Van Der Beek

https://cosmopolitan.hu/app/uploads/2012/01/dawson415x275.png

[stevew]

Ansel Elgort would have made a perfect solo. Though the guy they got was better than I expected. At least this movie gave Chewbacca some sort of personality. Thought that was a bright spot.

[NobodyHere]

Solo Continues to Nosedive at Box Office (https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/%E2%80%98solo%E2%80%99-continues-to-nosedive-at-box-office/ar-AAy8C9Z?li=BBnbfcL)

I wonder why this movie failed. Franchise fatigue? Alienated fan base? Troubled production? Movie fatigue from Avengers and DeadPool 2?

Imagine if someone came to you 10 years ago and told you that a DeadPool movie would outperform a Star Wars movie.

[CarterNMA]

I think some of the nosedive is in part due to the negative press surrounding it already. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy kind of thing courtesy of social media. Shows the importance of opening weekend these days.

I think it's a good movie for the most part. Better than Rogue One. Only major beef I have with it is how the parsec thing is explained but not really demonstrated.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I think it's a good movie for the most part. Better than Rogue One.

You've seen both movies and this is your thought? That seems...crazy to me.

[CarterNMA]

Well that's easy to explain:
I had a major gripe with Rogue One in that the Jyn just seemed like a Rey clone (pun intended). An orphan who had it rough but now she's a bad-ass? So soon after Episode VII? Kind of some weak writing there.

And the blind guy. That character just...sigh. And as enjoyable as K2 was at the beginning, it was a bit overdone.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Fair criticisms, though I loved Chirrut (the blind guy) personally.

[Brian Swartz]

Haven't seen Solo yet though I will soon, but what's most interesting to me is whether Ep. IX ends up being successful at the level the others have been, or whether this is a sign of the Star Wars franchise weakening more seriously.

[Kodos]

I think the main story movies will continue to do well.

[CarterNMA]

I think some of the nosedive is in part due to the negative press surrounding it already. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy kind of thing courtesy of social media. Shows the importance of opening weekend these days.

I think it's a good movie for the most part. Better than Rogue One. Only major beef I have with it is how the parsec thing is explained but not really demonstrated.

Over the weekend I was reminded of one of the other things I didn't like about Solo. That four-armed creature that was on Woody Harelson's team? Struck me as a discount Rocket Raccoon.

[whomario]

I kinda think this would have been a bigger draw and possibly a better movie (for it's time) if it would have been done closer to the original movies way back when, if that makes sense.

[Brian Swartz]

I thought Solo was good. Similar to Rogue One, definitely better by a mile than The Last Jedi. Basically just another example of how, what popular culture loves I generally think is trash, and vice versa.

[NobodyHere]

Maybe if Lucasfilm and employees would stop insulting the fan base then perhaps there would be more enthusiasm for the fan base.

Focusing on better story telling and not pushing identity politics (or at least do it more subtly) would help also.

[molson]

Maybe if Lucasfilm and employees would stop insulting the fan base then perhaps there would be more enthusiasm for the fan base.

Focusing on better story telling and not pushing identity politics (or at least do it more subtly) would help also.

The Lucas movies were oozing with politics. The OT was Lucas' statement against the Vietnam War and the prequels were his statement against the war on terror.

Personally, I'd love for Star Wars to be able shed the portion of the fanbase that sees the Disney moves as an attack on white america or whatever. The ones that drove Kelly Marie Tran off social media with bullying and harassment.

[NobodyHere]

I never saw the OT as a statement against Vietnam. That one may have to be explained to me. I know there was some anti-Bush stuff in the prequels but I never saw it as heavy handed.

But now you have the writer of Solo admitting he pushed identity politics and trolling the fans over it. Kathleen Kennedy wants the movies to be more preachy. And if anyone complains about the movies they are labeled as sexist, white supremacist, bigoted by the higher ups at Lucasfilm. Didn't like the Leia Mary Poppins scene in the Last Jedi? You must hate women.

I'll agree with you that there is a very small but very loud portion of the fanbase who are jerks. I don't know what they posted to get that actress off of social media (nor do I want to wade into that filth) but they've been around forever. Jake Lloyd and to a lesser extent Hayden Christiansen(sp?) had to deal with the same jack-asses.

[molson]

I'm not sure what you mean by "identity politics" in the context of star wars movies, but when I Google it, it seems to be a code word for a resentment of women being given stronger roles than in the original trilogy. Is that what you're talking about it or was there another political message that offended you?

Edit: I thought the Vietnam themes and imagery were very evident in Return of the Jedi in particular, and Lucas has stated more directly since than that the OT was about Vietnam. He's also specifically said that while Emperor Palpatine was initially inspired by Richard Nixon, he evolved into Dick Cheney by the prequals, and that Anakin/Darth Vader was George Bush (could that possibly have been any more loaded with lines like, "if you're not with me, then you're my enemy" right after 9/11, while Anakin follows Cheney/Palpatine into a war manufactured to justify military escalation and authoritarian rule?) I remember that stuff being talked about a little bit at the time, but the franchise was probably lucky this was pre-reddit, etc. where that kind of opposition could be easily organized.

Star Wars as Allegory for the Vietnam War … or How Not to Offend Anyone | FUTURE of STAR WARS (https://futureofstarwars.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/star-wars-as-allegory-for-the-vietnam-war-or-how-not-to-offend-anyone/)

Star Wars Is More Political Than You Think | HuffPost (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/star-wars-is-more-political-than-you-think_us_590b663de4b056aa2363d298)

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/politics-behind-original-star-wars/

https://nypost.com/2014/09/21/how-star-wars-was-secretly-george-lucas-protest-of-vietnam/

I think all filmmakers are going to tell stories from their perspectives and what matters to them. And in 2018, whether it's Marvel, Star Wars, or A24, casts are going to be more diverse and going to have stronger and more varied roles for women. I can understand the Krasdens' amusement as some people being freaked out by that - and that's what he was talking about. Not Star Wars being "preachy," but simply being more diverse racially and gender-wise. (And let's remember that Lawerence Kasden wrote Empire Strikes Back too - so he has some claim in framing the voice of Han Solo in the first place). If he decides that young Han is going to respect some woman as a rebel leader or consider some other woman his equal, that's as legitimate a part of Solo's character than whatever angsty fans on the internet think. The Lucas films were very progressive for their time, and the Disney movies are somewhat progressive for theirs.

[Kodos]

My brother-in-law seems to have a problem with women having a higher profile in the new movies. Probably doesn't like the more diverse/less white male casts as well. He's a bit of a control freak with his wife, so I think he just has issues with women not being subordinate to men. Otherwise he's a cool enough guy, so I just try to look past that stuff.

[Vince, Pt. II]

...a lot of stuff...

The biggest gripe I've heard in that direction is the humanization of Droids and Droid rights being way too front and center.

[TecmoBoJackson]

My brother-in-law seems to have a problem with women having a higher profile in the new movies. Probably doesn't like the more diverse/less white male casts as well. He's a bit of a control freak with his wife, so I think he just has issues with women not being subordinate to men. Otherwise he's a cool enough guy, so I just try to look past that stuff.


... or maybe TfA was hamfisted political garbage, and it's OK to not like it.



I thought Solo was pretty good, and I thought the droid rights angle was more satirical than serious, and it didn't bother me at all.

[Chief Rum]

I think all filmmakers are going to tell stories from their perspectives and what matters to them. And in 2018, whether it's Marvel, Star Wars, or A24, casts are going to be more diverse and going to have stronger and more varied roles for women.

I figure I must be missing something obvious. Wth is A24?

[molson]

I figure I must be missing something obvious. Wth is A24?

Smaller-budget studio that put out movies like Lady Bird, the Florida Project, Moonlight, the Lobster, etc. But you could replace them with just about any other studio, I was just looking for an obvious counter to Disney. In 2018 there's going to be more varied female leads, more diversity in leading roles than there was 40 years ago. And of course, modern movies are going to reflect modern social themes in a way movies from 40 years obviously wouldn't (though they had their own themes that mirrored that time and place).

[Marc Vaughan]

I think some of the nosedive is in part due to the negative press surrounding it already. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy kind of thing courtesy of social media. Shows the importance of opening weekend these days.

Definitely a pre-defined narrative imho - especially as its 'drop off' is actually lower than happened for the Last Jedi (66% vs 67%) so hardly like it dropped off a cliff in comparison to prior Star Wars movies.

[Warhammer]

I am not sure ANH can be called allegorical. If he wants to claim RotJ, I am on board.

[stevew]

I didn't understand why they were saying that solo was tracking for some really insane high opening weekend of like a hundred seventy million dollars. Obviously the budget got screwed up because of the reshoots. I actually enjoyed solo more than the Last Jedi. I think the Last Jedi turned a lot of people off and this just came out too close to it. I actually hope they keep making Solo movies but I don't think it's a sure thing.

Like someone said, this wasn't really a passion project, it was just a movie that was fairly enjoyable.

[larrymcg421]

Definitely a pre-defined narrative imho - especially as its 'drop off' is actually lower than happened for the Last Jedi (66% vs 67%) so hardly like it dropped off a cliff in comparison to prior Star Wars movies.

Part of the reason Last Jedi's drop off was so steep is because its 2nd weekend included Christmas Eve, which is a traditionally low attendance movie day. It went on to have a huge Monday (XMAS day) and then only dropped 26.6% in its 3rd weekend, while Solo dropped 46.4% in its 3rd weekend.

[Arles]

I think the media uses results to fit their narrative. The right is using the slower numbers as a reason to keep liberal politics out of Star Wars. The left is saying the movie was terrible and that's why. I just don't see either angle. I actually really enjoyed Solo, but I wasn't trying to make it out to more than it was: a fun little orgin side story about Han Solo.

I think these tangent movies will be hit or miss when it comes to mass appeal. The media came out pretty hard against Solo and there wasn't the mass selling that Rogue One had from all sources. The main movies will continue to kill and the ancillary films will do worse - depending on the initial feedback and perceived tie in to the main story.

One final point is remember that there 10 years between the Sith and Force Awakens. Lucas could have released Chewbacca reading a grocery list and it would have hit $200 mil in the opening weekend. I think Rogue One piggy backed off that Star Wars interest the next year. With Solo, we've had 4 movies in the past 4 years and that initial wave of interest has subsided.

[MrBug708]

Saw it. Enjoyed it.

[Warhammer]

OK, I just saw The Last Jedi today with my 16 year old. We both hated it. He wanted to stop watching it after 15 minutes gave it a shot, and almost turned it off after 45 minutes. I gave it a better shot than he did, but it was bad. As we discussed, it was essentially a sub par rehash of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi with a couple of twists. The worst part was how they changed some of the characters.

So why I am posting this under the Solo topic is had I watched TLJ before I watched Solo, there was no way I was going to watch Solo. Being the demographic they were shooting for with that movie, how many other fans of the original movies saw TLJ and said they were not going to another Star Wars movie? Both my 16 year old and I are likely not going to see or pick up the next movie when it comes out after the wreck of TLJ. Expanded universe movies we may go see depending upon how it looks.