Solo: A Star Wars Story

[247cy]

Family loved this movie. I have some nit picks, but overall thought it was a fun story and Ron Howard did a good job delivering after Lord/Miller were canned. The pace and tone of this movie was 'right' and felt like Star Wars should.

These "Star Wars Story" movies do a better job of providing deep cuts for the fully invested fan. Many references or foreshadowing of the original trilogy or to bits and pieces of other parts of cannon - all great fan service. I don't know why the mainline saga films haven't tried to do this much, hopefully episode IX can finally start? I think that says more about the Kennedy lead Abrams/Johnson directed choices than the whole of Lucasfilm.

The leader of Crimson Dawn was not as big a reveal to those invested in the Clone Wars animated series. Had you not experienced anything but the movies, I could see how that reveal would be a big shock. I'm so glad they put it in this film however, as it hopefully will draw casual fans into some great content outside the saga films.

If you haven't watched the Clone Wars animated series, you really really should. (You can skip the Clone Wars movie, it's not very good.) George Lucas worked very closely with and passed the torch to Dave Filoni on the animated series. There are several story arcs that are brilliant and add so much to the universe. The Mortis arc, the Dathomir/Mandalore arc, and Yoda's arc are some great stories among many others. Many of these came straight from Lucas, who remains an excellent storyteller (we can debate about his directorial execution where IMO he is not strong).

Dave Filoni continued his great work with the Rebels animated series. There are a few main arcs in those 4 seasons, all of which deliver. After you finish Clone Wars, definitely continue with Rebels. My kids favorite characters come from Rebels. He is announced to be directing the next animated series - Resistance, and I expect it will be excellent as well.

I really hope Filoni is given a chance to write/direct some episodes of the live action television series John Favreau has been put in charge of. Dave would do an excellent job in that format, and hopefully would do well enough to warrant directing a feature film or even a trilogy. He's that good a storyteller in the animated stuff not to have things translate to live action.

I have a feeling this live action television series could become more popular and fulfilling with hardcore fans than the movies ever could be. The format is better for depth and character development, and the series could go on for many seasons. Imagine Game of Thrones as a few 2 hour movies....they'd have a fraction of the following.

 

[HFCS]

Came up with my updated ranking of Star Wars movies...there's just no way around the fact that Solo is a good movie that fits well within the Star Wars universe and there is some weird manufactured outrage/negative spin on the web before it even premiered.

Excellent :
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Rogue One

Very Good:
5. Solo (I moved up Rogue One on second viewing, maybe this too?)
6. The Force Awakens (a rehash but it's what the franchise needed after prequels and very well executed)
7. Clone Wars/Rebels (from the perspective of an animated kids series it is very good)

Mixed bag of some very good and very bad:
7. The Last Jedi
8. Revenge of the Sith

Poor:
9. Attack of the Clones
10. The Phantom Menace

 

[NorthCyd]

Family loved this movie. I have some nit picks, but overall thought it was a fun story and Ron Howard did a good job delivering after Lord/Miller were canned. The pace and tone of this movie was 'right' and felt like Star Wars should.

These "Star Wars Story" movies do a better job of providing deep cuts for the fully invested fan. Many references or foreshadowing of the original trilogy or to bits and pieces of other parts of cannon - all great fan service. I don't know why the mainline saga films haven't tried to do this much, hopefully episode IX can finally start? I think that says more about the Kennedy lead Abrams/Johnson directed choices than the whole of Lucasfilm.

The leader of Crimson Dawn was not as big a reveal to those invested in the Clone Wars animated series. Had you not experienced anything but the movies, I could see how that reveal would be a big shock. I'm so glad they put it in this film however, as it hopefully will draw casual fans into some great content outside the saga films.

If you haven't watched the Clone Wars animated series, you really really should. (You can skip the Clone Wars movie, it's not very good.) George Lucas worked very closely with and passed the torch to Dave Filoni on the animated series. There are several story arcs that are brilliant and add so much to the universe. The Mortis arc, the Dathomir/Mandalore arc, and Yoda's arc are some great stories among many others. Many of these came straight from Lucas, who remains an excellent storyteller (we can debate about his directorial execution where IMO he is not strong).

Dave Filoni continued his great work with the Rebels animated series. There are a few main arcs in those 4 seasons, all of which deliver. After you finish Clone Wars, definitely continue with Rebels. My kids favorite characters come from Rebels. He is announced to be directing the next animated series - Resistance, and I expect it will be excellent as well.

I really hope Filoni is given a chance to write/direct some episodes of the live action television series John Favreau has been put in charge of. Dave would do an excellent job in that format, and hopefully would do well enough to warrant directing a feature film or even a trilogy. He's that good a storyteller in the animated stuff not to have things translate to live action.

I have a feeling this live action television series could become more popular and fulfilling with hardcore fans than the movies ever could be. The format is better for depth and character development, and the series could go on for many seasons. Imagine Game of Thrones as a few 2 hour movies....they'd have a fraction of the following.

I'm not sure how you can say Force Awakens wasn't fan service and referential to the original saga films. That was the biggest criticism it received. Of course TLJ seemed to purposely try to avoid that and steer the series in a somewhat new direction. That really pissed some fans off.

 

[HFCS]

I'm not sure how you can say Force Awakens wasn't fan service and referential to the original saga films. That was the biggest criticism it received. Of course TLJ seemed to purposely try to avoid that and steer the series in a somewhat new direction. That really pissed some fans off.

I agree with this. My point on The Force Awakens has always been that it was what the fans needed/wanted at the time after the poor reception of the prequel trilogy. It delivered in that role incredibly. If the third movie in this new trilogy delivers a unique story that fits the Star Wars universe as well as all 4 of the 'new' releases the whole thing will be a huge success and a few of the weird choices in ep 8 will be overlooked to some extent.

 

[harimad]

I'm not sure how you can say Force Awakens wasn't fan service and referential to the original saga films. That was the biggest criticism it received. Of course TLJ seemed to purposely try to avoid that and steer the series in a somewhat new direction. That really pissed some fans off.

If the new direction had made any sense whatsoever, it wouldn't have pissed me off. If the characters didn't create a new definition of stupid, I might have enjoyed the film.

First Order Officer: Hey, the Resistance fleet is over there. We can finally finish them, like you said back on Starkiller Base.
Hux: Nawwww.

First Order Officer: Seriously, they have, like, five ships. We've got fifty. Just jump some off in that direction, and then have them jump again in front of the...
Hux: Natch.

Resistance Officer: Poe Dameron disobeyed orders...
Adm. Holdo: He's handsome, and rugged. I like him.
Resistance Officer: and as a direct result, most of the Resistance army has been killed...
Leia: (nodding in agreement with Holdo)
Resistance Officer: and all but one ship of our entire Fleet has been destroyed...
Adm. Holdo: Hold my beer.


Don't even get me started on the Rose/Finn nonsense. The only redeeming factor at all for this movie was the throne room battle with Rey and Ben. That was awesome.

 

[Bader]

Came up with my updated ranking of Star Wars movies...there's just no way around the fact that Solo is a good movie that fits well within the Star Wars universe and there is some weird manufactured outrage/negative spin on the web before it even premiered.

Excellent :
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Rogue One

Very Good:
5. Solo (I moved up Rogue One on second viewing, maybe this too?)
6. The Force Awakens (a rehash but it's what the franchise needed after prequels and very well executed)
7. Clone Wars/Rebels (from the perspective of an animated kids series it is very good)

Mixed bag of some very good and very bad:
7. The Last Jedi
8. Revenge of the Sith

Poor:
9. Attack of the Clones
10. The Phantom Menace

I agree with this list, other than Attack of the Clones is somewhere around No. 568. What an abomination

 

[CYCLNST8]

TLJ seemed to purposely try to avoid that and steer the series in a somewhat new direction. That really pissed some fans off.

That's just the tip of the ice berg. There are plenty of reasons to hate the film. It's horrible and people should feel bad for liking it. NSFW:



Solo is suffering from a fanbase boycott as a reaction to TLJ. It may actually be a decent film and I'll probably be checking it out tonight. The major difference this time around is: like myself, hardcore fans didn't line up for the midnight premier, buy tickets in advance, drag out all our friends, and schedule repeat viewings.

 

[HFCS]

Solo is suffering from a fanbase boycott as a reaction to TLJ. It may actually be a decent film and I'll probably be checking it out tonight. The major difference this time around is: like myself, hardcore fans didn't line up for the midnight premier, buy tickets in advance, drag out all our friends, and schedule repeat viewings.

It really does give true fans what they want but in a way that is less derivative than The Force Awakens. Rogue One may be slightly better because it's exactly what fans wanted and maybe they didn't even know they wanted it.

Solo is loaded with the things I read about in my Star Wars Insider magazines as a teenage nerd. If that can't please the hardcore fans it means the hardcore fans are being a-holes.

 

[NorthCyd]

That's just the tip of the ice berg. There are plenty of reasons to hate the film. It's horrible and people should feel bad for liking it. NSFW:



Solo is suffering from a fanbase boycott as a reaction to TLJ. It may actually be a decent film and I'll probably be checking it out tonight. The major difference this time around is: like myself, hardcore fans didn't line up for the midnight premier, buy tickets in advance, drag out all our friends, and schedule repeat viewings.

I understand why people didn't like the film, but why do you always have to make it personal. You have constantly insinuated that anyone who doesn't agree with your opinion isn't a "hardcore" fan and otherwise make it personal. You are exactly the type of fan that has ruined fandom and given it a bad name.

 

[HFCS]

I understand why people didn't like the film, but why do you always have to make it personal. You have constantly insinuated that anyone who doesn't agree with your opinion isn't a "hardcore" fan and otherwise make it personal. You are exactly the type of fan that has ruined fandom and given it a bad name.

I've been a Star Trek and Star Wars fan for life. My biggest fanaticism as a Star Wars fan came in the years after RotJ where there was no content and no product...really not many active fans. Solo pretty much delivers a movie of what I was thinking about in those years.

Trekkies have always annoyed me beyond belief and I want nothing to do with them. When The Next Generation launched Trekkies hated it with a passion, so much they sent death threats. Now it's sacred and other things are trashed for not being identical to TNG that got death threats at the time. The new movie trilogy is great but a Trekkie does nothing but bash on it.

Star Wars fans are going that way fast and it's annoying AF.

 

[Bader]

First Order Officer: Hey, the Resistance fleet is over there. We can finally finish them, like you said back on Starkiller Base.
Hux: Nawwww.

First Order Officer: Seriously, they have, like, five ships. We've got fifty. Just jump some off in that direction, and then have them jump again in front of the...
Hux: Natch.

Dunno if you've noticed, but Hux has a wee bit of hubris going on. It tends to be a theme among Imperial/First Order officers. Plus, it's not like "keep the enemy in sight and drain them of resources" is some crazy unheard of military strategy.

 

[kilroy]

Came up with my updated ranking of Star Wars movies...there's just no way around the fact that Solo is a good movie that fits well within the Star Wars universe and there is some weird manufactured outrage/negative spin on the web before it even premiered.

Excellent :
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Rogue One

Very Good:
5. Solo (I moved up Rogue One on second viewing, maybe this too?)
6. The Force Awakens (a rehash but it's what the franchise needed after prequels and very well executed)
7. Clone Wars/Rebels (from the perspective of an animated kids series it is very good)

Mixed bag of some very good and very bad:
7. The Last Jedi
8. Revenge of the Sith

Poor:
9. Attack of the Clones
10. The Phantom Menace

Last jedi deserve to be on the bottom. Phantom Menace could move up to 7 but Im ok with its spot, but TLJ deserves the bottom.

 

[CYCLNST8]

I understand why people didn't like the film, but why do you always have to make it personal. You have constantly insinuated that anyone who doesn't agree with your opinion isn't a "hardcore" fan and otherwise make it personal. You are exactly the type of fan that has ruined fandom and given it a bad name.

So you feel bad? Good.

 

[SCNCY]

The leader of Crimson Dawn was not as big a reveal to those invested in the Clone Wars animated series. Had you not experienced anything but the movies, I could see how that reveal would be a big shock. I'm so glad they put it in this film however, as it hopefully will draw casual fans into some great content outside the saga films.

I watched the clone wars and rebels series and was surprised that Maul was in at the end (I knew he was alive, but did not know what he was up to during this time period). After thinking about it afterward, it made sense to me. In the Clone Wars, he unites a lot of the gangs and is in control of Mandalore for a while. However, when Palpentine comes in and dethrones him, it is unclear what he was up to until you see him again in Rebels. So it makes sense that he would go back to creating his own gang, but I was surprised when I saw it.

 

[247cy]

I'm not sure how you can say Force Awakens wasn't fan service and referential to the original saga films. That was the biggest criticism it received. Of course TLJ seemed to purposely try to avoid that and steer the series in a somewhat new direction. That really pissed some fans off.

Maybe I should have clarified, there is good fan service and there is poor fan service. In my opinion, there was very little in TFA or TLJ that furthered the connection to what had been done in the universe previously. There were no ties discernible ties to any other cannon aside the fact that original trilogy characters are still alive.

I get TFA was a reboot, and it is debatable weather that needed to be done to the extent Mr. Abrams took it. I didn't need Starkiller Base for example. I didn't need 'replacement' heroes for the original trilogy big three, who had too similar traits or home worlds to characters I already know. The biggest two questions coming out of TFA were Rey's lineage and Snoke's backstory. TLJ doubled down on this despite having open ends provided by Abrams and some new cannon material that could've been tied in. The Aftermath and Bloodline novels had some tidbits to work into TLJ, but the decision was made to avoid them in favor of the 'swerves' preferred by Johnson's story.

They kicked all the "legends" material out and started fresh. Having consumed much of the legends material, this is a good thing for the continuity of the 'official' story and gets rid of much of the far fetched crap that should have been never been allowed in the first place.(If the Yuuzahn Vong ever appear in new cannon and are what they were in the legends stories, I'll probably be done.) There are some bits of gold to mine from the legends stuff however. I do think it would be wise to continue to cherry pick from those tales when/where appropriate.

There is a story group at Lucasfilm, and it seems the Abrams/Johnson movies have not leaned much on these folks at all. It is evident Rogue One and Solo leaned on them a great deal. Perhaps this will improve as time goes on for the saga films.

 

[SCNCY]

There is a story group at Lucasfilm, and it seems the Abrams/Johnson movies have not leaned much on these folks at all. It is evident Rogue One and Solo leaned on them a great deal. Perhaps this will improve as time goes on for the saga films.

I feel the same way. There is a lack of continuity so far in episode 7 and 8 while other stories do a great job at connecting the universe.

I hope other future stories will have better direction and planning from a story standpoint than the current triology.

 

[247cy]

I watched the clone wars and rebels series and was surprised that Maul was in at the end (I knew he was alive, but did not know what he was up to during this time period). After thinking about it afterward, it made sense to me. In the Clone Wars, he unites a lot of the gangs and is in control of Mandalore for a while. However, when Palpentine comes in and dethrones him, it is unclear what he was up to until you see him again in Rebels. So it makes sense that he would go back to creating his own gang, but I was surprised when I saw it.

Solo takes place around 10 years before Rogue One/A New Hope. Maul's arc in the Clone Wars has completed around 10 years previous - his return via Savage/Mother Talzin, takeover of Mandalore creation of the Shadow Collective, Sidious defeats Maul but allows him to live sending Maul into hiding. The comics have him returning to Dathomir (where he tells Qi'ra to come meet) after his defeat by Sidious. He is no longer Sith and drops the 'Darth' title, and is bent on revenge against anyone who did him in (both Sidious and Kenobi) and is trying to bend the crime syndicates to that end. The lightsaber he ignites in his Solo cameo is the same one he's got in the Rebels series - and Rebels is very near the events leading to Rogue One, and there are a few tie-ins to Rebels in the movie.

This is a deep cut.

Rumors of Kenobi and Boba Fett stand alone films coming, will Maul play an integral part in both stories? There are rumors of a Jabba film (this could tie in the Boba Fett story) and possibly Lando. With this cameo, Maul could be an integral part of all these films. Perhaps only in the shadows, but he ties everything together if he is atop one or more of the underworld factions. All the films would be set in this time between ROTS and RO/ANH, and Maul is active until his demise in Rebels so it all does fit nicely.

This is an excellent use of the story group, and new cannon thread.

 

[SCNCY]

@247cy I was unaware of the comic, so that helps. Makes sense that he is basically bent on seeking revenge through use of crime syndication.

As for future standalone movies, I feel that they need to include Maul in them now. It would be interesting to see how he transforms from Solo to the position he is in Rebels. However, I think he just needs to remain in the shadows and the be the master puppeteer. I think there was talk of a Solo trilogy, so you could probably do a lot of the stories on the gangster side through Solo. There is a lot of story and connections to be made through a trilogy.

 

[Triggermv]

Came up with my updated ranking of Star Wars movies...there's just no way around the fact that Solo is a good movie that fits well within the Star Wars universe and there is some weird manufactured outrage/negative spin on the web before it even premiered.

Excellent :
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Rogue One

Very Good:
5. Solo (I moved up Rogue One on second viewing, maybe this too?)
6. The Force Awakens (a rehash but it's what the franchise needed after prequels and very well executed)
7. Clone Wars/Rebels (from the perspective of an animated kids series it is very good)

Mixed bag of some very good and very bad:
7. The Last Jedi
8. Revenge of the Sith

Poor:
9. Attack of the Clones
10. The Phantom Menace

I'm pretty similar there. Flip Attack of the Clones and Phantom Menace and shift The Force Awakens above Rogue One and that is my list.

 

[BigBake]

I understand why people didn't like the film, but why do you always have to make it personal. You have constantly insinuated that anyone who doesn't agree with your opinion isn't a "hardcore" fan and otherwise make it personal. You are exactly the type of fan that has ruined fandom and given it a bad name.

You = they, Your = their

You just summed up the pissy nature of the fan who will hate anything that comes out that doesn't fit their preconceived story arc.

Did I like the story arc of Rose in TLJ? No, but not enough for me to spend hours on the internet trashing the film and bombarding Rotten Tomatoes with bad reviews. Yes, those people exist. And every time I see someone get all up in arms about a new SW movie I just picture the comic book nerd from The Simpsons. "The story did not align with my own authored fan fiction book so therefore I will hate it".