Solo: A Star Wars Story

[KaptKaveman]

make me wonder what the reaction to Empire Strikes Back would have been if it came out today

Lets see, it continues the story arc of the first movie beautifully and it doesn't try to shoehorn a corny joke into every. single. scene. Also there is no side plot where they go to a far off planet and wind up serendipitously saving a pair humpback whales. Probably most importantly the actors played there roles to the point we care about what happens to the characters. We care when Luke loses his hand and finds out Vader is his father, we care that Han Solo is a popsicle.

Empire would hold up fairly well if it were released today for all the reasons TLJ did not.

 

[KaptKaveman]

And originally they were to have three different directors for the three new movies. I can definitely be in agreement there that each director has a certain vision for a film or trilogy and have a different person do each movie can be a problem.

I hate to always bring up comparisons to the MCU but there have been a lot of different Marvel directors and somehow they seemed to stay on the story arc (roughly) and get us to where we are with IW. It shouldn't have been hard going from movie 1 to movie 2 to stay on message.

 

[rteetz]

I hate to always bring up comparisons to the MCU but there have been a lot of different Marvel directors and somehow they seemed to stay on the story arc (roughly) and get us to where we are with IW. It shouldn't have been hard going from movie 1 to movie 2 to stay on message.

I don’t necessarily know if MCU is a fair comparison. It’s a much newer franchise and there are tons of individual stories there that tie into the bigger Avengers movies. They also have the comics to base things off of.

Star Wars is a series mostly using the same characters based around the Jedi and the force. I almost think Star Wars works better with the same director doing all three rather than each having a different director.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I don’t necessarily know if MCU is a fair comparison. It’s a much newer franchise and there are tons of individual stories there that tie into the bigger Avengers movies. They also have the comics to base things off of.

Star Wars is a series mostly using the same characters based around the Jedi and the force. I almost think Star Wars works better with the same director doing all three rather than each having a different director.

but the original trilogy had different directors (Irvin Kershner directed Empire and Richard Marquand directed Jedi) - so I think you can have separate directors but I think more guidance over the overalls story arc is better. I think they just gave Rain Johnson too much free reign (though I still assume there was some oversight and in the end the movie is what the larger brain trust wanted, or at least was ok)

 

[jade1]

Sorry it would probably always be bad to make a second movie in a Trilogy, give the reins to a different director from the first movie and allow that director a free hand to make any changes to the story arc even if it totally screws up the plot of movies before it. Also..... I think that was a run on sentence......

Agreed. Rian has again admitted he used it as a "platform" for what he wanted out there discussed, good and bad I suppose-his right to do.

But a few minor changes to the FA story ie "part 2".

1) Kylo's mask. Was kinda cool to have a "voice" and "visual" villain following in ("I will finish what you started") Vader's footsteps. Then Snoke belittles JJ-I mean Kylo and neutered into a simple man we now have as the bad guy-count me as not scared for IX's villain.

Are we expected to shout "Take that stupid mask off" when we watch the Star Wars Stage show at DHS?

2) Vader and Luke's Light Saber. So much history here a movie could have been made out of it ("that's a story for another time"), Rey simply touching it showed her the past and scared her death. Yet Luke just tosses it away.

3) Spending the whole movie looking for Luke, all for naught plus he's dead (covered over and over).

4) Snoke killed with no back story/explanation. Again-who is the villain for IX?

5) Rey spends an entire scene underground to see who she is, again nobody (jury is out I admit).

6) Phasma-again no story or seeing who she is then killed (jury is still out I admit).

7) Knights of Ren flashback, is that gone for good? What a scene to see/expand on, and now Luke is gone to confront them.

8) Rey's flashback being left on the planet, why even have that then.

9) Animal abuse, child slave labor, capitalism is bad (sells arms to both sides), the women movement. Noble, but in Star Wars?

10) "Let the past die", but see Solo in a theater near you.

 

[TomServo27]

I think Empire would hold up pretty well today I don’t think ROTJ would though.

 

[jade1]

I forgot to mention one interesting/surprising thing from last night: People actually applauded at the end! I’m not so sure it deserved applause, but others apparently really enjoyed it and did.

Same, although it was the first showing on Thurs night but still. Its sad people are missing it, a loss of momentum (a disturbance) has occurred for sure.

 

[jade1]

Odd that TLJ theme was killing the past. Those of us that didn't like it were told to just give up and stop watching Star Wars movies after RoTJ. Seems like dumb marketing to release and movie with the intent of killing the past, only to come out with a movie SET. IN. THE. PAST.

No argument here.

Heck I will give it ("let the past die") a "Mission Accomplished".

I agree.

So basically TLJ was about "letting the past die", moving on to the new generation.

Can anybody really be surprised releasing movies about the "past" characters would take a hit?

I mean the trailer for Solo should have been, "Just kidding, please don't let the past die after all, come see our movies about the past".

 

[Toolulu22]

We're off to see this shortly with an open mind. I'm not as concerned with the details as others, but have seen all the trilogy movies and the recent stand alones. On this dreary day, hoping for some good galactic entertainment.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Lets see, it continues the story arc of the first movie beautifully and it doesn't try to shoehorn a corny joke into every. single. scene. Also there is no side plot where they go to a far off planet and wind up serendipitously saving a pair humpback whales. Probably most importantly the actors played there roles to the point we care about what happens to the characters. We care when Luke loses his hand and finds out Vader is his father, we care that Han Solo is a popsicle.

Empire would hold up fairly well if it were released today for all the reasons TLJ did not.

right, but those characters you refer to are the main characters of the middle trilogy and they ones you "grew up with" - the main characters of the new trilogy are Ray, Finn, and Poe - Luke, Han, and Leia are there to play the Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda roles - a piece of the prior trilogy that die out one film at a time. The goal is to "move on from them" - but I think fans of the original trilogy aren't connecting to the new characters. That said, I think kids are way more into Rey and Finn than they are Luke and Han

which makes the timing of Solo coming out now extra odd as it is sort of wanting it both ways - or maybe trying to make everyone happy - Solo is for the fans of the original trilogy and Last Jedi is for the new fans (but I don't think it is working as well as they wanted)

 

[jade1]

which makes the timing of Solo coming out now extra odd as it is sort of wanting it both ways - or maybe trying to make everyone happy - Solo is for the fans of the original trilogy and Last Jedi is for the new fans (but I don't think it is working as well as they wanted)

Exactly 100% correct.

Who sat in a board room and let this happen?

Why would the "new" fans even care about an old guy killed after bit part in FA?

Why would the "old" fans care after they were trampled on and told to let the past die? And your characters weren't so great by the way.

Obviously it's a broad brush and there would be a lot of crossover from each group, but there would have to a be an impact from such stupidity.

 

[TomServo27]

right, but those characters you refer to are the main characters of the middle trilogy and they ones you "grew up with" - the main characters of the new trilogy are Ray, Finn, and Poe - Luke, Han, and Leia are there to play the Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda roles - a piece of the prior trilogy that die out one film at a time. The goal is to "move on from them" - but I think fans of the original trilogy aren't connecting to the new characters. That said, I think kids are way more into Rey and Finn than they are Luke and Han

which makes the timing of Solo coming out now extra odd as it is sort of wanting it both ways - or maybe trying to make everyone happy - Solo is for the fans of the original trilogy and Last Jedi is for the new fans (but I don't think it is working as well as they wanted)

I was 7 when Star Wars came out I am so ready to move on from the old characters. Which was why I wasn’t super excited about solo but i went cause it’s Star Wars not gonna not see a Star Wars movie in the theater. And it was pretty good not he story I was dying to see but I enjoyed it anyway.

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

That’s just it. People are so invested now that they go in with one thing in their head and if they don’t get it they are angry.

I didn’t grow up with the originals like many did so maybe that’s why I don’t have these films ingrained in my life but I do really like Star Wars. I don’t know there is any film where I have walked away literally angry because of what was done.

Yes, this completely.

I also didn’t grow up with the originals, I maybe saw bits and pieces of the films growing up, but didn’t really watch all of them until I was an adult. I saw Revenge of the Sith in the theater while on a high school trip to Washington DC but I was only tagging along with the group and didn’t really know what was going on.

The idea of leaving a movie completely angry at what happened baffles me. I’ve had movies where maybe I was a bit disappointed at something that was done (i.e. Harry Potter being the main example) but I’ve never been legitimately angry. To each their own, I guess, but movies aren’t worth that level of investment to me.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Agreed. Rian has again admitted he used it as a "platform" for what he wanted out there discussed, good and bad I suppose-his right to do.

But a few minor changes to the FA story ie "part 2".

1) Kylo's mask. Was kinda cool to have a "voice" and "visual" villain following in ("I will finish what you started") Vader's footsteps. Then Snoke belittles JJ-I mean Kylo and neutered into a simple man we now have as the bad guy-count me as not scared for IX's villain.

2) Vader and Luke's Light Saber. So much history here a movie could have been made out of it ("that's a story for another time"), Rey simply touching it showed her the past and scared her death. Yet Luke just tosses it away.

3) Spending the whole movie looking for Luke, all for naught plus he's dead (covered over and over).

4) Snoke killed with no back story/explanation. Again-who is the villain for IX?

5) Rey spends an entire scene underground to see who she is, again nobody (jury is out I admit).

6) Phasma-again no story or seeing who she is then killed (jury is still out I admit).

7) Knights of Ren flashback, is that gone for good? What a scene to see/expand on, and now Luke is gone to confront them.

8) Rey's flashback being left on the planet, why even have that then.

9) Animal abuse, child slave labor, capitalism is bad (sells arms to both sides), the women movement. Noble, but in Star Wars?

10) "Let the past die", but see Solo in a theater near you.

I fully agree that some small changes could have had a big impact on improving the story arc. Especially after Carrie Fisher passed away I think they should have pulled an audible and not had Luke die - though I think they were trying to recreate Anakin's arc with him, he feels the Force as he knows it isn't good and turns away from it but then in the end has a change of heart and "saves the day" (I don't think it worked as well as they intended though)

As for Snoke, we don't get much of a back story of Palpatine in the original trilogy , Phasma is this trilogies Boba Fett (cool character that isn't a big part in reality), KNights of Red I think will be in Ep IX, and I suspect more of Ray's backstory will as well (guess we shall see)

As for who the "real villain is" - I think they tried to reverse what the original trilogy was. So in the first trilogy you first think Darth Vader is the big bad guy, only to find out there is someone above him in the Emperor ... in this trilogy, early on we find out there is someone above Kylo, but then it is flipped in that he kills Snoke and is, in fact, the real Bad Guy of the trilogy

As for the political commentary, I mean, of f Star Wars is about pushing back against an empire and "resisting" - is was fairly political at the time, I think they are just ore obvious with it now

I just don't think everything worked as well as they wanted. Heck, you have Laia sacrifice herself instead of Holdo and then after Rey leaves Achtu Yoda and Luke have another conversation and Luke realizes that he can't abandon Rey and that history does not have to repeat itself and then he is able to elevate his X-Wing (in a nice nod to Empire) and go after here, but can even have it that on the way he realizes he can't get there in time and he does the whole force projection from his X-Wing, but then is able to recover and continue on and find what is left of the resistance and doesn't' die until Episode IX.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Exactly 100% correct.

Who sat in a board room and let this happen?

Why would the "new" fans even care about an old guy killed after bit part in FA?

Why would the "old" fans care after they were trampled on and told to let the past die? And your characters weren't so great by the way.

Obviously it's a broad brush and there would be a lot of crossover from each group, but there would have to a be an impact from such stupidity.

well, a board room that, to date, hasn't really had a mis-step probably would look at it in the most positive outcome happening of the new fans being able to move on and at the same time the old fans are made happy by having Solo - so rather than cancelling each other out it is making two fan bases happy at the same time (obviously hasn't worked 100% as they wanted)

Sort of like when Eisner was building Euro Disney - everything had been working up to that point so no one was focusing on the potential negative outcomes, only focusing on "once this works what is next?", but then they had to change plans when that, um, didn't really work as intended.

I don't think this is as bad of a situation as it is just one part of their Empire now and I don't care how many people didn't like Last Jedi, Galaxy's Edge is still going to be ridiculously popular

 

[hertamaniac]

I don't think this is as bad of a situation as it is just one part of their Empire now and I don't care how many people didn't like Last Jedi, Galaxy's Edge is still going to be ridiculously popular

Yep, and they better start planning to put in a 3rd attraction right now.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Yep, and they better start planning to put in a 3rd attraction right now.

I think they have and there is an expansion area, I believe - plus the Hotel

 

[hertamaniac]

I think they have and there is an expansion area, I believe - plus the Hotel

Do we know if the expansion area is for both DL and WDW?

 

[umichigan10]

I fully agree that some small changes could have had a big impact on improving the story arc. Especially after Carrie Fisher passed away I think they should have pulled an audible and not had Luke die - though I think they were trying to recreate Anakin's arc with him, he feels the Force as he knows it isn't good and turns away from it but then in the end has a change of heart and "saves the day" (I don't think it worked as well as they intended though)

As for Snoke, we don't get much of a back story of Palpatine in the original trilogy , Phasma is this trilogies Boba Fett (cool character that isn't a big part in reality), KNights of Red I think will be in Ep IX, and I suspect more of Ray's backstory will as well (guess we shall see)

As for who the "real villain is" - I think they tried to reverse what the original trilogy was. So in the first trilogy you first think Darth Vader is the big bad guy, only to find out there is someone above him in the Emperor ... in this trilogy, early on we find out there is someone above Kylo, but then it is flipped in that he kills Snoke and is, in fact, the real Bad Guy of the trilogy

As for the political commentary, I mean, of f Star Wars is about pushing back against an empire and "resisting" - is was fairly political at the time, I think they are just ore obvious with it now

I just don't think everything worked as well as they wanted. Heck, you have Laia sacrifice herself instead of Holdo and then after Rey leaves Achtu Yoda and Luke have another conversation and Luke realizes that he can't abandon Rey and that history does not have to repeat itself and then he is able to elevate his X-Wing (in a nice nod to Empire) and go after here, but can even have it that on the way he realizes he can't get there in time and he does the whole force projection from his X-Wing, but then is able to recover and continue on and find what is left of the resistance and doesn't' die until Episode IX.

Spoiler

i will say that in solo the L3 droids political commentary was so heavy handed. And I wasn’t against the message at all but honestly there was no nuance to it. It was so in your face and obvious. Much like the rose storyline in TLJ, they could’ve done with some crafty way to message it then making it the most obvious thing in the world

 

[jade1]

I fully agree that some small changes could have had a big impact on improving the story arc. Especially after Carrie Fisher passed away I think they should have pulled an audible and not had Luke die

Heck, you have Laia sacrifice herself instead of Holdo and then after Rey leaves Achtu Yoda and Luke have another conversation and Luke realizes that he can't abandon Rey and that history does not have to repeat itself and then he is able to elevate his X-Wing (in a nice nod to Empire) and go after here, but can even have it that on the way he realizes he can't get there in time and he does the whole force projection from his X-Wing, but then is able to recover and continue on and find what is left of the resistance and doesn't' die until Episode IX.

So much better.

Mine would have been Leia walks out to buy time as the rest escape.

Ben says take me down there, they have some kind of Han moment but he still light sabers her. The audience is just pissed.

They blast the door, find everyone gone and take after them.

Luke arrives too late with the X Wing, they have a moment before she dies.

Now we have an OMG GOT type set up for IX.

Not a boy and girl skipping away hand in hand, him with a blue light saber, and her with a now reworked PINK light saber.