So I just did a quick search on the forum and I didn’t turn up a post on the new Star Waaaaaars movie, “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” (It’s a story about Han Solo and how he came to be, giving us a glimpse of the Star Wars universe. Spoilers.) So, anyone want to talk about it? So far the silence is speaking volumes.
Me? Eh, it’s okay. It’s fun, kinda dumb, mostly predictable though there were a few twists that I didn’t expect. It accomplished what they wanted, except for the box office take. TLJ set my expectations so low that I was able to take this one as it is.Â
It’s been out long enough that we can go into spoilers here…
Some good things: The lead was okay, and I liked his interaction with Chewbacca. It mostly worked. The action was fun, and it got from point A to point B relatively coherently, if a bit too fast. I like that he ‘shot first’ and that he did seem to learn. I also liked Lando, though I didn’t like that Lando cheated at Sabbac; seems unsporting and out of character. It was nice to see that Empire consolidating its hold on the galaxy (though the movie went a bit overboard when they did show it), and the cracks where people could hide.
Some bad things: Actually, there are a lot of nits I could pick. A lot. This is ‘Needs Improvement: A Star Wars Story.” But that’s kinda where the franchise is nowadays. The big ones: I’m not sure I bought into Han’s relationship with Qi’ra. And I didn’t care for the surprise reveal of Enfys Nest and her nascent rebellion. I think that was unnecessary, and maybe counter-productive to Han’s character development. And the reveal of Darth Maul was a real surprise to me since I only just now got up to speed on his backstory via Wookiepedia; I’m not against his character since there is that backstory, but I think the reveal was mishandled. The timeframe for everything is a little whack, but by this point I don’t care so much. Just let it ride.
In sum, it’s okay. I’ve decided that this is the story that Han decided to tell after the fact. Luke asked him one day after he’d married Leia to tell him just how he made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs, and how he got the Falcon, and why he decided to help Leia and the Rebellion in the first place. And so Han spun him this story. It’s got the major facts right, but he’s spinning it a bit to make it sound like he was better than he was. And then he talked Luke into playing a few friendly games of Sabbac.
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I thought Solo was a lot of fun. And I loved TLJ. So there. :-)
I haven’t seen it, but the biggest complaint I’ve heard is that is doesn’t actually show any character development where he turns into the Han Solo we know and love. Instead, his character is already like that at the beginning of the movie, just with less skill and experience.
A way better option (so goes the thesis) would have been to portray him as idealistic and earnest at the beginning (like, start the movie with him as an Imperial cadet), and then the events of the movie make him cynical and self-serving.
Of course, if they had done it that way it would have been a tragedy rather than an adventure-comedy.
Yes, and still there would have been complaining. There is a sub-set of the fandom determined to ruin Star Wars for everyone else.
Yeah, I get where that’s coming from. I agree that it could have ended a bit darker, maybe some harsher reaction to Qi’ra’s betrayal at the end. (Or at least, Han believing that she betrayed him, whether or not she actually betrays him.) It doesn’t have be grimdark cynicism, but something that gives his idealism a kick in the shorts would be appropriate.
I enjoyed it, but I felt that it didn’t have to show all the stories. Because they felt like they had to explain everything about Han in one movie, it had too many plot points too fast. A Han Solo TV show would have been better, but then again they already made one. It’s just called Firefly.