Solo (young Han Solo film) *spoilers from post 1493*

astrofool

Can't wait for the fanboys to explode at all the retcons and inconsistencies to "canon", that'll be as fun to watch as the movie

Slydice

https://twitter.com/starwars/status/995467952383119360

pixelburp

Reviews now appearing in actual publications of value, and the consensus is pretty positive. Unreservedly so in many cases, with some remarking that there's no evidence of the 11th hour reshoot by Howard. That in itself is pretty amazing.

Yester

I really want this to be good and I have avoided the trailers but I just saw an ad on tv that did not fill me with hope.

Tony EH

Review embargo lifted.

Seems to be a slightly above average movie so far...


https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/solo_a_star_wars_story/reviews/

Plague Maiden

I won't spoil anything here but I've read that they've retconned at least one character based on something that happened elsewhere in the franchise, i.e. not in one of the films. I haven't watched Solo yet but I am familiar with how that element played out in the other medium. I'd no real interest in this film but I'll probably head along at some stage just to see how they've handled it.

tigger123

Had a quick scan around and the reviews are positive overall, with some being very enthusiastic about it. Guardian gave it 4/5.

Running theme through the reviews are that it's very enjoyable, very slickly made, and a lot of fun. No sign of the reshoot. Almost all saying Ehrenreich did a great job.

It it's a tenth as amazing as this then it'll be a winner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg_FoEy8T_A

Sad Professor

Reviews I’m seeing are pretty mixed and from people who loved TLJ.

JohnFalstaff

tigger123 wrote: »

Had a quick scan around and the reviews are positive overall, with some being very enthusiastic about it. Guardian gave it 4/5.

Running theme through the reviews are that it's very enjoyable, very slickly made, and a lot of fun. No sign of the reshoot. Almost all saying Ehrenreich did a great job.

Howard, you've done it again!

homerun_homer

Plague Maiden wrote: »

I won't spoil anything here but I've read that they've retconned at least one character based on something that happened elsewhere in the franchise, i.e. not in one of the films. I haven't watched Solo yet but I am familiar with how that element played out in the other medium. I'd no real interest in this film but I'll probably head along at some stage just to see how they've handled it.

I'm intrigued. Can you shed some more light in a PM?

doubledown

I was at a press screening today .The marketing has completely undersold this film. It's a blast from start to finish.

Ron Howard has done a remarkable job given the circumstances. The action set-pieces and inventive and thrilling. The supporting cast are great. And Alden Ehrenreich nails Han. Which is key.

He is never doing a Ford impersonation but instead just inhabits the character and makes it his own. I never felt for one moment that I was not watching HAN SOLO. And Chewbacca is amazing in this. This is the Chewie I have always wanted to see on screen. In his arm-pulling prime.

I wasn't optimistic going in and had zero expectations but it genuinely surpassed them all. And I'm more surprised than anyone.

Is it perfect? No.

Sigh, Emilia Clarke, I'm sorry to say, isn't great. And there are some clunky moments in the first act. Plus the very end feels a tad rushed and unsatisfying. But they leave it totally open-ended for more adventures and I'd be more than happy to follow these guys on them.


It's a heap of FUN. And it's a perfect palate cleanser for anyone who found Rogue One a soulless slog (like me).

I'm looking forward to seeing this with a paying audience.

In fact, I'm even considering bringing my four year old son to this as his first big screen Star Wars experience (he has seen all the movies bar ROTS)

It's dinner time here and I have two young kids to put to bed but I will be on later to answer any questions

Plague Maiden

homerun_homer wrote: »

I'm intrigued. Can you shed some more light in a PM?

Done.

Relikk

doubledown wrote: »

I was at a press screening today .The marketing has completely undersold this film. It's a blast from start to finish...

*Raises pitchfork*

There's the shill... Let's get 'em boys!

:pac:

I got my ticket for the opening Thursday night and I'm looking forward to it.

doubledown

Relikk wrote: »

*Raises pitchfork*

There's the shill... Let's get 'em boys!

:pac:

I got my ticket for the opening Thursday night and I'm looking forward to it.

I wish I was!

eviltimeban

doubledown wrote: »

In fact, I'm even considering bringing my four year old son to this as his first big screen Star Wars experience (he has seen all the movies bar ROTS)

I'm looking forward to it. The only question I have is, is this a naive Han Solo, or is the cynicism and posturing there yet?

doubledown

eviltimeban wrote: »

I'm looking forward to it. The only question I have is, is this a naive Han Solo, or is the cynicism and posturing there yet?

A little bit of both. Sure, he is younger and less experienced but he has a certain swagger and loads of confidence in his abilities.

Theboinkmaster

doubledown wrote: »

It's a heap of FUN. And it's a perfect palate cleanser for anyone who found Rogue One a soulless slog (like me).

Thanks for feedback but I'll take it with pinch of salt considering I loved Rogue One and thought it was actually the best of the new films

Feedback so far seems to be mixed, considering the reviews of TLJ I'm definitely holding back on this one, since I found TLJ an absolute turd.

I've seen every single SW film in the cinema, but after TLJ I felt burnt so not going to Solo.

Will d/l HD version in the summer.

doubledown

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

Thanks for feedback but I'll take it with pinch of salt considering I loved Rogue One and thought it was actually the best of the new films

Feedback so far seems to be mixed, considering the reviews of TLJ I'm definitely holding back on this one, since I found TLJ an absolute turd.

I've seen every single SW film in the cinema, but after TLJ I felt burnt so not going to Solo.

Will d/l HD version in the summer.

Your choice of course. I adored The Last Jedi. Go figure...

eviltimeban

Just buy a ticket and go and have fun!

touts

doubledown wrote: »

But they leave it totally open-ended for more adventures and I'd be more than happy to follow these guys on them.

I've read some reviews hinting that they are setting up a sort of Marvel Universe where the characters all get their own film with them as the main character but the others coming in to support them (e.g. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man all popping up in each other's films). Solo kicks it off. Apparently the head of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy made a mistake in an interview when asked about the sequel and said said something along the lines of Yea but it's Lando next.

I'm not sure if the characters from the dingy dark depressing criminal underworld of the Star Wars universe would sustain 2-3 movies a year for a decade like Marvel have managed but they'll probably get 4 or 5 films out of it over a few years. Throw in another "main" trilogy or two and that's a lot more Star Wars to come.

Tony EH

touts wrote: »

I've read some reviews hinting that they are setting up a sort of Marvel Universe

Surely, this was obvious from the get go, no?

As soon as Disney took over, it was pretty clear which path they were going to take. Disposible big mac movies like the MCU. Tasty, but unfilling and bad in the long run.

pixelburp

Tony EH wrote: »

Surely, this was obvious from the get go, no?

As soon as Disney took over, it was pretty clear which path they were going to take. Disposible big mac movies like the MCU. Tasty, but unfilling and bad in the long run.

LOL. I get the analogy you're going for, but the last thing I'd call a Big Mac is 'tasty'. It's an affront to beef mince. Now Bunsen burgers, hoo-boy.

Anyway.

More than the MCU, I think the Star Wars universe has less recourse for offence from its fans about Disney's gouging. Lucas may have baulked at further movies but he sure as sh*t pummelled the market with merchandise, to rival the Mouse House. And asking any fan during the 90s if they'd like more Star Wars movies, they'd have bitten your hand off. Disney is just continuing, and providing for, what already existed.

The MCU is, for all intents and purposes, long-form storytelling in the cinema. Brush aside the reservations about the creativity or artistry and you have a franchise that has conspired to make a series of films in a fashion usually seen in 22 episode TV series. It's quite an achievement, but ultimately it came from a format already predisposed to character-based, longer narratives that pay off down the line. Comicsbooks work that way, and ask its audience to invest time in its world. It's sprawling continuity and narratives are part of the medium.

Star Wars doesn't have that, and arguably, I can see its flame snuffing out sooner than the MCU; the problem is Star Wars in the cinema has less storytelling potential, longer term. Not fundamentally anyway, and is crippled by its own foundations; in stark daylight, it's just a sketch of tropes writ across a galactic rebels v. empire storyline. It's a model so strict (Jedis, stormtroopers, light-dark side of the force, etc. etc.), that deviations from it are borderline heretical. At least the MCU can blow apart its universe when it sees fit (Infinity War being the most obvious, while SHIELD was destroyed in Winter Soldier) - I can only see the same stories told over & over in the Star Wars universe.

geecee

just had a look to make sure that there were still tickets available for the midnight showing in the Odeon next week:
They have currently only sold:
21 tickets for the 2D iSense screening
8 tickets for the 3D screening
4 tickets for the 2D screening

Took a quick look at the cineworld LieMax screen and its around one third full for the same midnight showing

Seems that the hard core SW fan base that usually pack out these midnight showings have no interest in this movie

Tony EH

pixelburp wrote: »

LOL. I get the analogy you're going for, but the last thing I'd call a Big Mac is 'tasty'. It's an affront to beef mince. Now Bunsen burgers, hoo-boy.

Well....um....a quarter pounder then?

pixelburp wrote: »

Lucas may have baulked at further movies but he sure as sh*t pummelled the market with merchandise, to rival the Mouse House. And asking any fan during the 90s if they'd like more Star Wars movies, they'd have bitten your hand off. Disney is just continuing, and providing for, what already existed.

Oh, I agree and I was the boy that prized my "Star Wars men" above all else and if you'd asked me would I like more Star Wars with the original crew, you wouldn't have been able to finish the question before I'd answered "YES!". But, the time for that has passed. A Han Solo film with Harrison Ford in the 90's would have been the time to do it. Now, it's not...and with a completely different guy? Just no.

But, while Disney may be "continuing" and "providing", it's the quality of that continuation and provision that's in question. Lucas era Star Wars - and I'm talking pre-prequels here, obviously - was a film every three years. Diswars is every year. Even actual fans are getting tired. And the saturation is bound to affect quality. But, so far, Disney have done relatively ok. In my book, they've a draw, a win and a loss. The final result for 'Solo' remains to be seen. But, as I've said before, it'll probably be another draw - as in, it'll probably be an entertaining film, for the most part, with some massive (and completely avoidable) drawbacks about a central character, that shouldn't have been the central character.

pixelburp wrote: »

The MCU is, for all intents and purposes, long-form storytelling in the cinema. Brush aside the reservations about the creativity or artistry and you have a franchise that has conspired to make a series of films in a fashion usually seen in 22 episode TV series. It's quite an achievement, but ultimately it came from a format already predisposed to character-based, longer narratives that pay off down the line. Comicsbooks work that way, and ask its audience to invest time in its world. It's sprawling continuity and narratives are part of the medium.

True, but that doesn't make them good movies. To me, they're terribly flawed and utterly forgettable. Whereas, also to me, a Star Wars film was always an event and a memorable one at that - even the bad ones, although not so much. I mean, I find the MCU so forgettable, I can't recall, with any clarity, what a single antagonist wanted to achieve or why the wanted to achieve it. I can't even recall their names now. Loki? Yeh, sure. But, that's because I knew about the god, before the film. What did he want? Haven't a clue. I can't even remember who the bad guy was in 'Wonder Woman' and I only saw the bloody thing a few months ago. That's the kind of "big mac" movie making I'm talking about. You eat it, you shit it out and don't remember it.

pixelburp wrote: »

Star Wars doesn't have that, and arguably, I can see its flame snuffing out sooner than the MCU; the problem is Star Wars in the cinema has less storytelling potential, longer term. Not fundamentally anyway, and is crippled by its own foundations; in stark daylight, it's just a sketch of tropes writ across a galactic rebels v. empire storyline. It's a model so strict (Jedis, stormtroopers, light-dark side of the force, etc. etc.), that deviations from it are borderline heretical. At least the MCU can blow apart its universe when it sees fit (Infinity War being the most obvious, while SHIELD was destroyed in Winter Soldier) - I can only see the same stories told over & over in the Star Wars universe.

But Star Wars is like that only because, so far, the filmmakers have seen fit to have it on the same wash cycle. It doesn't have to be like that, there's literally a galaxy of stories out there and an absolutely HUGE sandbox to play in.

Whereas Mavel is basically the same superhero story, again and again and the badguys are completely interchangable. So interchangable, they're mush. They want the thing to do the thing and destroy the thing and beat the thing, ad nauseam. And the superhero(es) have to stop him/her/them.

And that's it really.

With Star Wars, there are huge possibilities open to writers. Unfortunately, though, studios seem afraid to expand on those possibilities and we've seen it time and time again...hello Death Star! 'The Force Awakens' is absolutely the most egregious example of that kind of cowardly, narrow, focus. Nearly everything in that film is a 2.0 of what came before, to the point of banging one's head off the cinema seat in front of you.

But, with 'Solo', we'll see an expansion, somewhat, away from endless war, if the heist story plays out like people hope it does. But, even if "standalone" Star Wars remained in the Imperial war period for the next 10 films, there's numerous possibilties to play with. A proper Star Wars spy movie might be great, or even a murder mystery. I'm genuinely intrigued at what they going to do with the Kenobi film. As a guy who's story is boiled down to him hiding in a desert for 20 years, it's going to be interesting where the writers go with that. :pac:

However, ith Marvel, you're going to get superheroes and that's your lot. So, while I agree, in it's present form Star Wars has a self imposed limitation on it and its burn out potential is currently higher than the MCU, the superhero story has its limits built in and, really, the only rabbits they can pull out of the hat is another type of superhero. They actual stories are, almost painfully, the same.

But, where Star Wars eventually goes remains to be seen. I just don't want it to become as bland as the MCU. Ultimately, that's up to the risks that Disney are prepared to take and also what type of risks they are.

AMKC

Well the Irish Times has there review of this in there paper and on there website now.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/solo-a-star-wars-story-slides-quickly-into-incoherence-1.3496767

I am not going to read any reviews until I see the movie and make my own mind up.

nix

I knew they would flog the star wars universe with countless movies, but i thought they would pick or even create more interesting/exciting characters than ****ing Lando Calrissian

Is it cause he is black and black panther did so well per chance? :rolleyes:

johnny_ultimate

nix wrote: »

Is it cause he is black and black panther did so well per chance? :rolleyes:

Yes, they managed to come up with the idea for this film, rush through pre-production, shoot it, post-produce it and release it all within the three or four months since Black Panther was released.

That this thread was started quite some time before that is purely coincidental.

(But seriously: The answer to your question is no)

nix

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Yes, they managed to come up with the idea for this film, rush through pre-production, shoot it, post-produce it and release it all within the three or four months since Black Panther was released.

That this thread was started quite some time before that is purely coincidental.

(But seriously: The answer to your question is no)

Ummm, I'm referring to this comment posted above Johnny, not the Solo movie..

touts wrote: »

Apparently the head of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy made a mistake in an interview when asked about the sequel and said said something along the lines of Yea but it's Lando next.

My bad though, i forgot to reply with quote :pac:

johnny_ultimate

nix wrote: »

My bad though, i forgot to reply with quote :pac:

Ah

Still, though, given reviews are heavily praising Glover’s performance here, and since his star power and indeed artistic talents are steadily rising... the success of Black Panther surely isn’t a singular reason for Disney’s sensible wish to leverage their relationship with the immensely talented chap

nix

Oh i have no doubt Glover would do a good job, im just flabbergasted they're going with a Lando movie out of all the choice of characters they have, considering they have apparently made his character

pan-sexual

it appears they're just gonna be ticking off the discrimination boxes with that one :rolleyes:

pixelburp

It's not that surprising; Star Wars has a plethora of one-line / one-scene characters that have conspired to mutate into their own areas of sub-fandom; hell even the blink & you miss 'em characters like Lobot have a weird clutch of fans.

Lando and Boba Fett are perhaps the most obvious benefactors from this fandom, and IIRC a Fett solo movie was spoken of during the time of Lucas, and has remained a persistent rumour (again it leans into the idea that Star Wars is a universe of motifs, not concepts; Boba Fett only really famous because of his admittedly cool design).

It's all well and good reading agendas into the presence of a Lando spin-off movie, but don't straightfaced claim that a spin-off back in the 1980s with Billy Dee Williams wouldn't have received the same excitement. The man's geek royalty at this stage. So too, in point of fact, is Donald Glover.

Sad Professor

I don't think there's any agenda from the studio's perspective other than making movies about easily marketed characters. Lando/Glover has been subject of interest since the first trailer. People were pissing all over the film but saying "this shoulda been a Lando movie" and "Glover is hot", etc. My Twitter timeline was full of such comments. So it's really no surprise to hear that Disney might be considering *drumroll* a Lando movie who they're now suggesting might be pan sexual. Is representational politics a factor in the sudden interest in a Lando movie? Of course. But from the studio's perspective this is just about marketing.

Lando was almost certainly on their short list of potential standalone movies anyway. The success of Black Panther just means they have no excuses not to push it to the top of the list. Though I suspect he was pretty high on that list as it was. Unlike Boba Fett, Lando was a fully developed character who played a secondary role in the OT but didn't have his backstory ruined in the prequels. A Lando movie makes sense, even more so after Solo.

Tony EH

touts wrote: »

Apparently the head of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy made a mistake in an interview when asked about the sequel and said said something along the lines of Yea but it's Lando next.

nix wrote: »

Ummm, I'm referring to this comment posted above Johnny, not the Solo movie..

My bad though, i forgot to reply with quote :pac:

Lando's not next. LFL have clarified that the French journo got that wrong. Kennedy merely said that it's a possibility, which we all knew anyway. If Glover is any use, that possibility becomes more solidified.

But I did hear that he's now "pansexual" according to Kasdan's son.

:rolleyes:

Drumpot

nix wrote: »

Oh i have no doubt Glover would do a good job, im just flabbergasted they're going with a Lando movie out of all the choice of characters they have, considering they have apparently made his character

pan-sexual

it appears they're just gonna be ticking off the discrimination boxes with that one :rolleyes:

Tony EH wrote: »

But I did hear that he's now "pansexual" according to Kasdan's son.

:rolleyes:

I thought it was the desire of every Star Wars fan for the sexual orientation of characters to be clarified, its always been integral to the story.

ThePott

Drumpot wrote: »

I thought it was the desire of every Star Wars fan for the sexual orientation of characters to be clarified, its always been integral to the story.

Leia is Han-sexual, that's certainly integral to the story.

Tony EH

Tony EH wrote: »

Lando's not next. LFL have clarified that the French journo got that wrong. Kennedy merely said that it's a possibility, which we all knew anyway. If Glover is any use, that possibility becomes more solidified.

But I did hear that he's now "pansexual" according to Kasdan's son.

:rolleyes:

Ah the Rowling move, I won't state it in my book but years later I'll try to win the love of (insert minority here) by retroactively claiming that my beloved character was (insert relevant orientation here) in order to be loved on Twitter and celebrated as a great forward thinking writer.

Goodshape

Did they ever mention he was straight?

buried

"A long long time ago, In a Identity Politics Galaxy far far away, but just as noisy and f**king annoying as this one....because y'know...$$$$$"

pixelburp

Mountain / molehill stuff: in a fictional universe, full of conveniently anthropomorphic & attractive alien species such as the Twi'Lek, why wouldn't folks be pansexual? I doubt I'll ever live to see it, but if we ever find our place among any galactic community, I don't doubt we'll discover new and inventive places to stick our genitalia - species be damned.

Falthyron

doubledown wrote: »

I was at a press screening today .The marketing has completely undersold this film. It's a blast from start to finish.

Ron Howard has done a remarkable job given the circumstances. The action set-pieces and inventive and thrilling. The supporting cast are great. And Alden Ehrenreich nails Han. Which is key.

He is never doing a Ford impersonation but instead just inhabits the character and makes it his own. I never felt for one moment that I was not watching HAN SOLO. And Chewbacca is amazing in this. This is the Chewie I have always wanted to see on screen. In his arm-pulling prime.

I wasn't optimistic going in and had zero expectations but it genuinely surpassed them all. And I'm more surprised than anyone.

Is it perfect? No.

Sigh, Emilia Clarke, I'm sorry to say, isn't great. And there are some clunky moments in the first act. Plus the very end feels a tad rushed and unsatisfying. But they leave it totally open-ended for more adventures and I'd be more than happy to follow these guys on them.


It's a heap of FUN. And it's a perfect palate cleanser for anyone who found Rogue One a soulless slog (like me).

I'm looking forward to seeing this with a paying audience.

In fact, I'm even considering bringing my four year old son to this as his first big screen Star Wars experience (he has seen all the movies bar ROTS)

It's dinner time here and I have two young kids to put to bed but I will be on later to answer any questions

Is the version of the Star Wars fanfare we see in the trailers in the actual film? Is it the theme used for this film? What are your thoughts on the music? Are there any new iconic pieces that will stick with us?

Vladimir Poontang

I'm not going to go. Huge Star Wars fan but fcuk Disney they've ruined the franchise

Inviere

Vladimir Poontang wrote: »

Disney they've ruined the franchise

You should give episodes 1-3 a watch some time, it really peaks around episode 2.

johnny_ultimate

Personally, I still fondly remember the pre-Disney glory days of Star Wars Kinect, truly the definitive portrayal of Han Solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_xJqkzngBI

Tony EH

At least that looks a little like Han Solo.


:pac:

Vladimir Poontang

Inviere wrote: »

You should give episodes 1-3 a watch some time, it really peaks around episode 2.

As **** as they are the new trilogy is worse.

Inviere

Vladimir Poontang wrote: »

As **** as they are the new trilogy is worse.

...in your opinion of course. Personally, I've really enjoyed everything Disney have done with Star Wars thus far, particularly VIII. I say that as a 20+ year fan of all things Star Wars.

Vladimir Poontang

Mine and many others.

I'm not bothered if people like the new ones. Bad taste will always exist.

I'm just not going to fork out another cent to a company whose vision for Star Wars is fundamentally flawed.

Inviere

Vladimir Poontang wrote: »

Bad taste will always exist

Taste being the completely objective thing that it is and all.

conorhal

pixelburp wrote: »

Mountain / molehill stuff: in a fictional universe, full of conveniently anthropomorphic & attractive alien species such as the Twi'Lek, why wouldn't folks be pansexual? I doubt I'll ever live to see it, but if we ever find our place among any galactic community, I don't doubt we'll discover new and inventive places to stick our genitalia - species be damned.

Well I for one am certainly looking at this photo in WHOLE new light......





*SHUDDER*