Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

[TVSpectator]

4 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Per previous posts:

 

 

So now I have to know several other things, not only  about the different movies but now all the books, comics, and TV show to understand this reference and how it all fits into place?

[Browncoat]

5 minutes ago, TVSpectator said:

So now I have to know several other things, not only  about the different movies but now all the books, comics, and TV show to understand this reference and how it all fits into place?

 

I had to look it up, too, if it makes you feel any better!  :)  I tend to be more of a, well, purist, I suppose.  The OT will always and forever be my favorites.  I barely remember the prequels (having seen each only once), and haven't delved into the EU at all.

ETA:  I am completely digging the new ones, though.

Edited May 28, 2018 by Browncoat

[revbfc]

1 hour ago, Crs97 said:

I had no interest in seeing, but we all went as a family and we all enjoyed it.  Chuckled a lot at the “I hate you.”  “I know.” exchange.  I am curious to find out who Qi’ra becomes.

One disappointing nitpick for me was the Kessel run.  I wanted it to be because the Falcon is fast, not because they found a shortcut.

Parsecs are distance, not time.

[Crs97]

I don’t understand that.  My ship is so fast it made the run in the shortest distance?

[scarynikki12]

I liked the Darth Maul reveal because it was a surprise if you didn't follow the series (the animation really didn't work for me so I only saw the first episode) and a thrill if you did.  I assume they'll explain how he survived in a subsequent movie because they have to know that a significant percentage of the audience (majority I'd bet) has only watched the movies and won't know how he's still around. 

I think Qi'ra was always planning to use the job as her chance to make a move to take out Bettany's character and she indulged in her old feelings for Han along the way.  I was expecting her to reveal that she'd been angry at him not returning so that not happening was a nice surprise.  I think what Beckett told Han applies to her as well: once she was in Crimson Dawn, no matter what context, she was in for good. 

What I loved most about this movie was the treatment of Han's relationships with Chewy and the Falcon.  Once he and Chewy started communicating they were pals and I thought they did a good job of showing how quickly they formed their bond so that Chewy choosing to remain with him after freeing the other Wookies felt earned on its own.  And when Han first saw the Falcon he fell head over heels.  The man was speechless and everything.  Love it.

[lilabennet]

The actor playing Han is too short.  Are we supposed to believe that Han Solo has a sudden growth spurt in his thirties?  He also looks nothing like Harrison Ford.  The difference is too jarring for him to ever be believable.  It would have been better for them to find a true lookalike that had never acted a day in his life and then train him to do the job over forcing the audience to squint/imagine throughout the whole movie.

[MrsR]

From what I understand they didn't even give Anthony Ingruber a screen test.

They were determined not to go that way.

[absnow54]

1 hour ago, TVSpectator said:

So now I have to know several other things, not only  about the different movies but now all the books, comics, and TV show to understand this reference and how it all fits into place?

They've been doing this since Episode VII, and it drives me crazy. I don't mind that they flesh out the universe with supplemental material, but you should be able to watch the films on their own without 100 hours of advance research. I watched Clone Wars and passively paid attention to Rebels in the media, so I know of the Maul arc, and how it ends, and I guess I don't really get the point of dropping him in here unless the Boba Fett and rumored Obi Wan movie are all going to tie to this one. (I know they contracted the cast for 3 films, but I don't know if the performance of this film is going to justify a franchise.)

[raven]

1 hour ago, lilabennet said:

The actor playing Han is too short. 

This is what I thought about Donald Glover.  He looked tiny.  He and Alden Ehrenreich are both 5'9" (says Google) while Billy Dee Williams and Harrison Ford are 6'0 and 6'1", respectively.

[wingster55]

10 hours ago, Browncoat said:

 

While it might be nice to have Lando in any future Han Solo movies, he shouldn’t be. When Han and Leia arrive at Bespin in the OT, Han implies that he hasn’t seen Lando since Han won the Falcon from him.

 

I always thought that whatever bad thing that happened between them wasn't the Falcon bet. So Lando could be in the sequels where they could become friends (I don't think they were friends in this movie). There's also the fact that Han knew Lando ran Cloud City. 

1 hour ago, absnow54 said:

They've been doing this since Episode VII, and it drives me crazy.

I never felt lost in these movies. I'm not sure what you think wasn't explained here or in the sequel trilogy. 

Edited May 28, 2018 by wingster55

[Cherpumple]

6 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

"I hate you." "I know." Ha!

I also loved Han's gleeful, "I have a really good feeling about this!"

[TVSpectator]

5 hours ago, Browncoat said:

 

I had to look it up, too, if it makes you feel any better!  :)  I tend to be more of a, well, purist, I suppose.  The OT will always and forever be my favorites.  I barely remember the prequels (having seen each only once), and haven't delved into the EU at all.

ETA:  I am completely digging the new ones, though.

 

Well, I do like the OT films (I literally grew up on them) and I not only like them but love them probably just as much as the next person. I have also seen the Prequels and I have caught them when they were being aired by Spike TV/TBS, etc... over the past two decades but honestly, I never liked them as much as the OT films. Now, I am aware of some of the EU stuff but I have never gotten into the comics, nor the books. I have also never watch Clone Wars nor Rebels so I have no idea how Maul survived. So, this came as a big surprise and I was a bit confused because as far as I knew he was dead at the TPM. Everything else made sense (on why he never bothered to show up again, in the later Prequel films) and I have also kind of forgotten about him as well. It' just I don't want to spend how many hours to get through the Clone Wars and also Rebels to understand why he appeared. 

4 hours ago, absnow54 said:

They've been doing this since Episode VII, and it drives me crazy. I don't mind that they flesh out the universe with supplemental material, but you should be able to watch the films on their own without 100 hours of advance research. I watched Clone Wars and passively paid attention to Rebels in the media, so I know of the Maul arc, and how it ends, and I guess I don't really get the point of dropping him in here unless the Boba Fett and rumored Obi Wan movie are all going to tie to this one. (I know they contracted the cast for 3 films, but I don't know if the performance of this film is going to justify a franchise.)

Oh, thanks and yeah seeing Maul has been driving me crazy as well. I have heard the same thing but they have been minor stuff in the background. Nothing like this where it became a plot device, like where did Emilia Clark's character went off too at the end of the movie.  Part of me was expecting to see Vader, Fett,  and/or the Emperor himself but yeah seeing Maul was weird, IMO. 

 

4 hours ago, MrsR said:

From what I understand they didn't even give Anthony Ingruber a screen test.

They were determined not to go that way.

Do you mean Alden Ehrenreich? From what I heard, it was something like he was the first to audition for the role and/or they hired him on the spot.  Edit: the part of the second video that deals with the auditions of Han start at 2:31 mark.

Edited May 29, 2018 by TVSpectator

[absnow54]

22 minutes ago, TVSpectator said:

Do you mean Alden Ehrenreich?

Anthony Ingruber is a YouTube star whose Harrison Ford impression was so uncanny, they cast him as a young Harrison Ford in The Age of Adalane. I understand Disney being reluctant of casting someone with so little experience. I think Adeline is his only major credit and he was barely in the movie 5 minutes. 

[cynic]

When making a $200M+ film, is it really a smart strategy to include major plot twists that will be super confusing to people who have only seen the films? Sure, Star Wars has a huge, dedicated fanbase, but it needs casual fans and new viewers if it wants to continue being hugely profitable. Apparently, Star Wars films already struggle in China due to the OT's lack of history there and with the international market being so important nowadays, requiring such a deep knowledge of Star Wars lore seems like a bad idea. With the disappointing numbers Solo is pulling even domestically, confusing people probably will just make a bad situation worse. 

On top of that, I've just been running into this attitude while reading various articles on the Maul twist that "real fans" wouldn't be confused. Way to alienate the people who will likely be the determining factor in whether we get more of these off shoot projects. These are people who actually shelled out money opening weekend to see Solo and then put in the effort to research something that confused them instead of just being disgruntled. If they get put off because they don't feel welcome by either the film itself or its "real fans", then maybe they won't turn up for Solo II or Boba Fett or whatever anthology movie is next. I consider myself a huge Star Wars fan. I own all the movies. I show up opening weekend and watch more than once in the theater. I spent over 24 hours in line at Comic Con to attend the Force Awakens panel and proudly display the light saber that I received there in my work cubicle. I've read several tie in books. I just could not get into the animated series though, so yeah, I was hella confused. Guess I'm not a real fan. Thanks for letting me know!

[TVSpectator]

1 hour ago, absnow54 said:

Anthony Ingruber is a YouTube star whose Harrison Ford impression was so uncanny, they cast him as a young Harrison Ford in The Age of Adalane. I understand Disney being reluctant of casting someone with so little experience. I think Adeline is his only major credit and he was barely in the movie 5 minutes. 

Oh, him. I have heard about him but I heard that they never bothered to look at him at all. 

[TobinAlbers]

2 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

I also loved Han's gleeful, "I have a really good feeling about this!"

 

2 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

  7 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

"I hate you." "I know." Ha!

These lines were absolutely great. And I'm down with the further adventures of Han and Chewy and Lando. Han and Lando one upping each other and alternately crewing over and helping each other was pretty fun in this movie. 

Loved during Han's first piloting of the Falcon, how he flipped the ship to spin and pop the Tie fighter into a rock and just kept on flying. It was such a cool move and totally Han.

On one hand I get some people's thinking that the Han of this movie doesn't end with him appropriately cynical, selfish and dark. Like had he tried to do the right thing but in the end everyone but him and Chewy ended up dead and he bitterly adopted the code of only looking out for himself because trying to do good in this galaxy is pointless, that would align with his outlaw attitude in ANH. But I also think Disney/Marvel is thinking (or we're thinking/hoping) of this as a trilogy with Han being broken in the second/third installments so he's at his 'low' point when we meet him in ANH. Then he's cycling back up towards his more hopeful self so that by RotJ he believes in love and family and loyalty again.

Until Kylo Ren screws him over and Tobias shakes his head from the beyond the grave saying 'Dude, what did I tell you?' 

Paul Bettany happily surprised me being a ruthless baddie. Still Thandie Newton was waaaaaay underused and it could've been interesting to have her in his role and his in hers. 

I found this movie bittersweet knowing Han's fate but it was a blast seeing his younger self's adventures.

Edited May 29, 2018 by TobinAlbers

[Joe]

12 minutes ago, cynic said:

When making a $200M+ film, is it really a smart strategy to include major plot twists that will be super confusing to people who have only seen the films? Sure, Star Wars has a huge, dedicated fanbase, but it needs casual fans and new viewers if it wants to continue being hugely profitable. Apparently, Star Wars films already struggle in China due to the OT's lack of history there and with the international market being so important nowadays, requiring such a deep knowledge of Star Wars lore seems like a bad idea. With the disappointing numbers Solo is pulling even domestically, confusing people probably will just make a bad situation worse. 

On top of that, I've just been running into this attitude while reading various articles on the Maul twist that "real fans" wouldn't be confused. Way to alienate the people who will likely be the determining factor in whether we get more of these off shoot projects. These are people who actually shelled out money opening weekend to see Solo and then put in the effort to research something that confused them instead of just being disgruntled. If they get put off because they don't feel welcome by either the film itself or its "real fans", then maybe they won't turn up for Solo II or Boba Fett or whatever anthology movie is next. I consider myself a huge Star Wars fan. I own all the movies. I show up opening weekend and watch more than once in the theater. I spent over 24 hours in line at Comic Con to attend the Force Awakens panel and proudly display the light saber that I received there in my work cubicle. I've read several tie in books. I just could not get into the animated series though, so yeah, I was hella confused. Guess I'm not a real fan. Thanks for letting me know!

I'm a hardcore SW fan, but I don't like excessive fanservice or meta references. While I knew what had happened to Maul, I didn't particularly care. When he popped up, I was surprised. Then annoyed. He just felt unnecessary.

[Chyromaniac]

16 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I don’t understand that.  My ship is so fast it made the run in the shortest distance?

From a certain point of view? Sure. Velocity is a function of distance over time- so if you drive 50mph, you travel 50 miles from A to B in one hour. But let’s say your car has a GPS that can get you different directions to B that only cover 25 miles- at 50mph, that trip would only take 30 minutes. So yes, (in the context of this film) Han was saying his ship could get them to Alderaan quickly because it could calculate the shortest route.

[Princess Consuela]

I loved this movie (and am planning on seeing it again) - I'm a big fan of the OT & also love the newer ones but LOATHE the prequels so wasn't all that impressed when they showed Darth Maul.    I thought Alden Ehrenreich was great as Han - I was okay that he wasn't the same jaded Han we see in New Hope - he's got 10 more years to become that Han - he has the swagger & the humor & that's what I was looking for.     loved all things Han/Chewie/Falcon/Lando - loved all the little nods to the OT

[benteen]

On the subject of the Kessel Run, Han was able to complete it in a record time because he took a route through it that no one was crazier enough to ever take before.  So he deserves credit for that.  It's his boldness for flying into the maelstrom (along with his pilot skill) and his ingenuity (I believe he's the one who thought about downloading L3 into the Falcon's navicomputer) that allows him to make the run.

Quote

(Preferably the mentor, because I am not a fan of Emilia Clarke or the idea of having this major lost love in Han's backstory.)

I've always been leery on the subject of Han having a major love interest too.  It was always clear to me that he was a ladies man and had been with a lot of women (a deleted scene from ANH even has him kissing a woman in the cantina) but that he didn't have a true love until he met Leia.  I don't mind him having an early love in Qi'ra as long as he's the one who puts the relationship behind him. 

Edited May 29, 2018 by benteen

[shrewd.buddha]

I was not exactly excited to see yet another prequel, but some of the previews looked fun, so  we went. The sets looked impressive. And the acting was as good as it needed to be. But the story was terrible (in my opinion). It felt completely farmed out to whatever director and writer were available to get their Star Wars product to market for the summer of 2018. 
The mission statement seemed to be : Take every memorable phrase that Han said and either reverse it or repeat it. Take everything that Han owned and make it iconic. Also, turn Lando's wearing a cape into a thing. 

There was no sense of time passing. Han looked and acted exactly the same before he enlisted in the Imperial Army and the three years afterwards - which transpired in about ten seconds. 

The great train robbery : We should put the highly volatile, highly valuable MacGuffin on the slowest, shakiest transportation as possible. Also we need to leave a body or two at the end of every caper. 
What was the motivation of Val (Thandie Newton) to sacrifice herself? She was a thief, not a rebel or a soldier. "I just want all of you to end up as rich as possible without me."  

The theme of "kill the female companion" was again repeated with the next caper and L3-37.  The grieving process took about ten seconds before the characters were back to making jokes. Ugh. And any character who was a pilot might as well have killed themselves because we all knew who was going to end up being the pilot before the end of the mission. 

And the Kessel Run was measured in distance instead of time?!? Why expound on what was probably a mistake on the part of George Lucas? Why would you brag about "the fastest ship in the galaxy" because it can find the best shortcuts? Everything about the mission was a factor of time : the  MacGuffin would go 'boom' if they could not make the trip quickly. 
And no one considered uploading the navigational system into the spaceship before L3-37 'died'? Did they not understand how computers/androids work? 

The Crimson Dawn (Tide?) leader 'reveal' meant nothing to me. I just figured it was another person of the same species, like another Wookie instead of Chewbacca. The idea of someone coming back from the dead seems a like silly comic-book type of development. Oh no, why did we kill off our super cool villain? Let's use magic to bring them back!

Edited May 29, 2018 by shrewd.buddha

[johntfs]

On 5/26/2018 at 5:28 PM, anna0852 said:

I'm majorly confused. We see Qu'ira talking to

  Hide contents

Darth Maul

at the end and we know

  Hide contents

Maul dies in Phantom Menace

when Anakin is 10 years old. At least 10-15 years before Luke and Leia are even concieved. Just how much older is Han than Leia? He's in his early 20's in this movie.

Edited to add: I am an idiot. We see Stormtroopers, Tie fighters and Star Destroyers in this. Clearly it is a post-prequel world and I did not think things through.

 

It's pretty simple, really. 

Maul did not die in The Phantom Menace.  Note the mechanical legs he got after Obi-wan cut him in half.  Maul has appeared in The Clone Wars and in Star Wars: Rebels, so he's quite active in the SW universe prior to the Original Trilogy.

Meanwhile, I'd love to see a movie with Erin Kellyman's character.

Spoiler

Maul ultimately meets his end at the lightsaber of Obi-wan in Rebels.

Edited May 29, 2018 by johntfs

[benteen]

The idea of Maul returning as a half-man, half-machine actually goes back to the early concept art for Attack of the Clones.  That was one of the things under consideration, along with Asajj Ventress.  Both concepts got dropped (I don't know how serious GL was about either) though they both ended up begin used in The Clone Wars.  In 2005, they released a comic book trade paperback called Star Wars Visionaries where they had a non-canon story where this version of Maul goes to Tatooine and threatens Luke in order to draw out Obi-Wan for a final duel.  Good story.  A few years later, GL made the decision to bring Maul back.  While supporting it, Filoni recently said he always had some mixed feelings about bringing Maul back because he felt it took away from Obi-Wan's victory at the end of TPM.

[Sakura12]

I enjoyed this movie. Was it the best, no but I liked it. 

I don't mind Han having a first love when he was younger. I could see him becoming the ladies man they intended him to be after Qi'ra's betrayal. Then he probably thought love wasn't worth it until he met Leia. 

I liked Qi'ra, she did care for Han but she wanted power more. Being a slum orphan to rising in the ranks of criminal enterprise is big step for her. I'm kind interested in how far she gets and what happens to her after Maul finally does get killed by Obi Wan. Does she work for Vader, does she start on her own criminal group. As for Maul being alive, being a comics fan I expect people to magically survive so it didn't bother me. 

While the actor looked nothing like Harrison Ford and is too short, he grew on me. I could see him as a younger Han that was growing into his swagger and cynicism. 

Edited May 29, 2018 by Sakura12

[MrsR]

Here's Anthony Ingrubers scenes from Age of Adaline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f33h8p9Bacc

 

He's a voice actor who has done the voices of the Joker, Larry Kenobi, and Han Singular.

 

16 hours ago, absnow54 said:

I understand Disney being reluctant of casting someone with so little experience. I think Adeline is his only major credit and he was barely in the movie 5 minutes. 

Two words:

Carrie Fisher

[Hanahope]

2 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I liked Qi'ra, she did care for Han but she wanted power more

I see it more that she had to save herself after she was pulled back from Han, and he was unable to get back to her pretty quickly.  So she did what she needed to do to survive and thrive in the crime society she was stuck in.  By the time she meets Han again, she's so involved with Maul/Crimson Dawn, that she could not leave with her life.  All she could do, to show she still cared for Han, was to keep his name out of her report to Maul.  If she had gone with Han, Maul would have found her eventually, probably, and Han as well.  Maul may not be a Darth anymore, but he still has the force.

I thought Ahren did a well enough job.  He certainly looked the part better than the lead in Valerian, for example.  He worked well with the other actors.  And yeah, if Tom Cruise can be Jack Reacher, Ahren can be Han Solo/Harrison Ford.

I too was confused by the timeline until I did computer research, as I too have not seen the animated movies.  Something I'll have to do at some point.  

[Sakura12]

5 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

I see it more that she had to save herself after she was pulled back from Han, and he was unable to get back to her pretty quickly.  So she did what she needed to do to survive and thrive in the crime society she was stuck in.  By the time she meets Han again, she's so involved with Maul/Crimson Dawn, that she could not leave with her life.  All she could do, to show she still cared for Han, was to keep his name out of her report to Maul.  If she had gone with Han, Maul would have found her eventually, probably, and Han as well.  Maul may not be a Darth anymore, but he still has the force.

I do think she did it partly for survival and partly to protect Han, but I also think she knew she would get a promotion once Vos was dead.  She was in life for good and she knew Han couldn't and wouldn't come with her. Even if he would do illegal things like smuggle and steal, he is a good guy. Rising up the ranks of a crime syndicate was not the life for him. 

[Crs97]

I thought Beckett nailed it:  she was a survivor.  She probably loved Han as much as she was as able, but in the end she would dispose of anything and everything that threatened her.  We never did hear what she did that would cause Han not to love her anymore.  He said his feelings wouldn’t change, but she wasn’t going to risk it.

[Sakura12]

I'm pretty sure Vos used Qi'ra to kill people that failed him. That's what she was afraid to tell Han, she became the person they were trying to get away from. 

[scottiB]

4 hours ago, MrsR said:

Two words:

Carrie Fisher

Two more:

Daisy Ridley

I will say I liked Alden in the role as much I liked Chris Pine as Kirk. Alden catches pretty well the, for lack of a better term, je ne sais quoi of a young Solo. Not to be cute, but I know Solo when I see him. By the middle of he film, I stopped mentally comparing him to Harrison Ford and was feeling it much like watching Pine and thinking "That sounds like Kirk" rather than "That sounds like Shatner". They both had difficult jobs with iconic characters. Solo, the character, is bigger than Ford, the actor, and imitating the actor does the character a disservice. 

That said, I believe no one could ever take the whip of Indiana Jones. But someone in the future probably will. And I hope I'm dead.

[lilabennet]

5 hours ago, Hanahope said:

 

I thought Ahren did a well enough job.  He certainly looked the part better than the lead in Valerian, for example.  He worked well with the other actors.  And yeah, if Tom Cruise can be Jack Reacher, Ahren can be Han Solo/Harrison Ford.

 

Jack Reacher may have a dedicated fan base, but he is nowhere near as iconic as Han Solo.  For a character like Han Solo, the appearance of the actor is extremely important.

[snickers]

Ok so I’ve read how darth maul lived (and I think I do remember hearing he was in the animated series) but if obi wan killed him in rebels that means this movie takes places before episode 3? 

 

Here’s another question- I thought the sith only went with 2, meaning the emperor only had one apprentice and count dooku replaced darth maul and anakin replacing dooku.....where would maul fit back in?

 

besides this confusion at the end, I liked the movie but not as much as other sw movies, I just thought the overall story was so so but I was actually very impressed by the guy who played solo-maybe those acting lessons payed off ?

 

while he looks nothing like Harrison Ford, I think he captured the character of solo well, unlike Glover who looked more Lando but like others said, seemed to be trying too hard

 

would have liked to have known what the original story was supposed to be, because this one was not that great

[Browncoat]

I just got back from seeing it again, and I liked it even better the second time.   Although, I really hated Woody Harrelson's hair.  But he was just so gleeful to be firing the cannon on the Falcon, that I suppose I can give him a pass on the hair. 

I love seeing these movies (and others like Black Panther and Infinity War) multiple times so I can pick up on little nuances -- glances, gestures, music cues, etc. -- that I might have missed the first time through.  I wouldn't mind seeing this one more than twice.

[johntfs]

2 hours ago, snickers said:

Ok so I’ve read how darth maul lived (and I think I do remember hearing he was in the animated series) but if obi wan killed him in rebels that means this movie takes places before episode 3? 

 

Here’s another question- I thought the sith only went with 2, meaning the emperor only had one apprentice and count dooku replaced darth maul and anakin replacing dooku.....where would maul fit back in?

Star Wars: Rebels starts up about five years before A New Hope.  Which means it takes place about 10 years after this movie.

As for where Maul fits in - he really doesn't.  His overall attitude toward the Emperor/Sith and the Jedi is basically "A plague on both your houses."  He'd like them both to crash and burn.  Maul hates Kenobi for taking his legs and he hates the Emperor for putting him in the position that allowed his legs to be taken.

[Joe]

Sith is a particular religious organisation. Maul is no longer part of the organisation. He's just a freelance user of the dark side of the Force.

I saw the movie again. Didn't like it any better, but I noticed that Vos seemed to have a Sith holocron in his office. A small pyramid. Though it was still larger than I expected a holocron to be. I don't know why, but I thought they were closer to tennis ball size than basketball size.

[Chyromaniac]

10 hours ago, snickers said:

Here’s another question- I thought the sith only went with 2, meaning the emperor only had one apprentice and count dooku replaced darth maul and anakin replacing dooku.....where would maul fit back in?

The “rule of two” is an idea rooted in the old EU, where some ancient Sith Lord believed that having a bunch of equally skilled masters running around would cause potentially devastating infighting. So, he decided to limit the practice to just one master and one apprentice.

However, since Sith are by nature untrustworthy, pretty much every master has kept at least one secret apprentice, just in case the main guy gets too powerful and needs to be put down. Similarly, apprentices are always looking to recruit a follower of their own to try and overthrow the master (that was basically Vader’s pitch to Luke in Empire). So there were always other low level dark siders running around- one book even actually had Palpatine as the apprentice through the end of Phantom Menace, meaning “Darth” Maul was never an official Sith in the first place. The EU was... complicated.

[TobinAlbers]

I keep going back and forth about the inclusion of Maul as because we know his ultimate fate but we don't know his play in this instance with Qi'ra, they're obviously opening up a whole can of worms that they obviously want to explore in the potential sequels. I like someone else's idea that if we don't get a Solo 2 that the thread is picked up in the Boba Fett standalone and culminates in the Obi-Wan standalone.

I feel like Maul's influence over Qi'Ra is interesting given we know that Han's life later turns in a big way in meeting Obi-Wan and Luke. There may be some Force puppetry going on here. I also love the idea that while we end the movie with Han and Chewie supposedly going to Tatooine to meet up with Jabba we all sense that it's too soon for that jaunt so maybe in the next movie we see they got sidetracked from that job and they end the second movie with no, for sure, we're gonna meet up with Jabba only to open the final movie in the trilogy again sidetracked with that movie ending with them finally meeting Jabba with some implication that all these 'sidetracks' being the Force working to keep Han and Chewy away (and relatively safe) until the 'right' time for them to finally go to Tatooine and cross paths with Luke and Obi-Wan.

[bijoux]

On 28. 05. 2018. at 1:27 AM, dkb said:

 

I wish that the Val and Rio characters had survived, they were interesting.  Also liked the little alien singer dude on Dryden's ship, that was cool.

Or at least have their deaths resonate more. I liked them both, so I would have at least appreciated their passing to make more than a 10 second impression on Beckett at least. 

On 29. 05. 2018. at 11:41 PM, Sakura12 said:

I'm pretty sure Vos used Qi'ra to kill people that failed him. That's what she was afraid to tell Han, she became the person they were trying to get away from. 

It felt odd not to get a reveal about that Qi’ra had done since it was allided to multiple times. Aside from the darkness, my main complaint is that some things, like this, are overlooked while other scenes are drawn out. But overall it was an enjoyable way to pass 2+ hours.

[afterbite]

9 hours ago, bijoux said:

It felt odd not to get a reveal about that Qi’ra had done since it was allided to multiple times. Aside from the darkness, my main complaint is that some things, like this, are overlooked while other scenes are drawn out. But overall it was an enjoyable way to pass 2+ hours.

I would have liked a reveal about what Qi'ra had done as well, or at least a few examples. They kept saying that she'd done despicable things in this really sleazy tone, and my mind defaults to her being forced to participate in various forms of sexual depravity because that's usually what those sort of allusions entail. I would rather they flat out tell us she murdered all kinds of folks, in part because I'd rather the shady lady character come with a history of committing violence than of having sexual violence committed against her (or being forced to weaponize her sexuality out of fear). The latter might be more likely, but I hate when it's implied. It feels like such a slimy insinuation. It's like saying 'Look at this female character who managed to survive this hive of scum and villany. Now let's say something that, juxtaposed with her setting and the clothes she's wearing, etc., invites you to uncomfortably ponder how many d*cks she had to suck to survive long enough to get here." 

ETA: My desire comes not from a need for exposition for the other characters so that they could react to her deeds but for me as a viewer. Whether rational or irrational, I generally prefer being able to watch female characters without having to ponder their possible sexual exploitation. It just makes for a less uncomfortable viewing experience for me, especially for a popcorn flick. 

Edited May 31, 2018 by afterbite

[Sakura12]

I went with assassin with her martial arts training, but she probably had to kill and use sex to survive. Because Vos was all creepy and leering around her. They probably didn't say what she did to keep it PG. I don't think Han would think differently of her if she had to use her body to survive, he'd feel awful she had to do that. He would probably be more upset if she went around killing  people for Crimson Dawn. 

I know people don't like Emila Clarke or Dany on Game of Thrones, but I like her and may have yelled dracarys in my head when Qi'ra threw those bombs setting everything on fire. 

[Joe]

My initial thought about Qi'ra was some kind of sexual thing too, but this is Star Wars. They do torture, sure. But not rape. Maybe it's for the best that they don't actually say what the deal was, to stop people from saying 'oh, it wasn't that bad' or 'Star Wars doesn't go there.' :)

[afterbite]

1 hour ago, Joe said:

My initial thought about Qi'ra was some kind of sexual thing too, but this is Star Wars. They do torture, sure. But not rape. Maybe it's for the best that they don't actually say what the deal was, to stop people from saying 'oh, it wasn't that bad' or 'Star Wars doesn't go there.' :)

They certainly do sexual exploitation (the infamous bikini and the dancing girl in ESB) and, at least in The Clone Wars animated series, they do rape. Pretty much everything about their Dathomir-centered episodes points to it as one of many ways the Night Sisters abuse the Zabrak males that co-inhabit their planet. They touch on all kinds of exploitation, though my faulty memory suggests this is more true for the movies after the OT than for the OT.

[absnow54]

I went with assassin with her martial arts training, but she probably had to kill and use sex to survive.

I thought maybe they were going for a Black Widow. I was disappointed that we never really saw her utilize many skills. The only moments I can think of aside from her ultimate betrayal was when she was feeding Han information for how to pay Vos back during their first meeting, and when she slammed the door on Beckett's face when he was trying to get in on the negotiations on Kessel. I feel like they were too focused in setting this up as a franchise that they neglected to develop Q'ira since they figured they would just do it later.

[Joe]

5 hours ago, afterbite said:

They certainly do sexual exploitation (the infamous bikini and the dancing girl in ESB) and, at least in The Clone Wars animated series, they do rape. Pretty much everything about their Dathomir-centered episodes points to it as one of many ways the Night Sisters abuse the Zabrak males that co-inhabit their planet. They touch on all kinds of exploitation, though my faulty memory suggests this is more true for the movies after the OT than for the OT.

Huh. I'd forgotten about the Dathomir stuff. Thanks.

[TVSpectator]

My initial thoughts on Qi'ra was that she somehow made Vos into her boyfriend and then used that to get a much hire position within his ranks and/or Vos either took her from that, water worm crimelord (either she was given and/or she saw an opportunity and went with him), marked her, then was pimping her out (initially), and later she became one of  his commanding "generals" in his criminal empire. The mark on her wrist does kind of implies that she was his property (as much as I don't like slavery I can see the Star Wars expanded underworld having slaves. Hell, didn't Jabba have slaves as well in RoTJ?) in some way and that she was clearly trying to manipulate him for a much higher position within his ranks, IMO. Even when she betrayed him he was going to let her live by having her kill Han so clearly he thinks that she is worth keeping around. All, in all, I really do think that Qi'ra probably did some terrible things to survive and that maybe killing was something that she could live with but wanted Han an arm's length away, during the second half of the movie, because of her new "relationship" with Vos?

 

Overall, the film never explicitly stated what and how she got there with Vos but I think it was implying a lot with her character. Especially with them always focusing on Vos' mark on her wrist. 

Edited June 1, 2018 by TVSpectator

[raven]

11 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I went with assassin with her martial arts training, but she probably had to kill and use sex to survive. Because Vos was all creepy and leering around her.

This was my thought as well; she was skilled enough to kill him and she was PISSED at him.  Plus the tattoo on her wrist made me think of branding.

I think she cared for Han; she essentially let him go with a fortune because she didn't want to mix him up with the Crimson Dawn and knew she couldn't get away from it.

I liked Emilia Clarke's portrayal and hope to see more of her if there's a sequel.  This interview says she is signed for more but all that means is that they are keeping an option open with her, not that anything is guaranteed.

[VCRTracking]

Here’s How Bruce Springsteen Influenced A Storyline In ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I am gobsmacked that there has not been a significant social media uproar around slavery and stereotyping of the L3 character.  With so much ignorance in this world and the apparent consuming desire of many to create distractive noise, it is stunning that Disney is not taking any heat.  I am super pleased that this movie is allowed to be.... a movie!   Same as Black Panther.

Han's naming was an all-time great SW moment for me.  It was taken directly from real-life experiences at Ellis Island.  Many came without a surname and it was left to the intake personnel to create and give them to individuals.  This was depicted in The Godfather (Vito Corleone).  It also "brands" Han  psychologically.  He will always have the reminder that he was basically abandoned like an outdated droid.   It helps him to make up his life and his "code" as he moves on in his life.  That he remained essentially sweet is an endearing, and quite profound, trait.   

Solo's depiction of how most existed under the thumb of the evils of the time (Crimson Dawn, Sith, Empire) was marvelous.  If you ever wondered how so many Germans and Italians, and any number of folks who labored or fought for evil countries justified their lives, remember how these folks, like the Empire Induction Officer, went about their lives.  It sure looked to me that most of them knew they were trapped in evil.  It takes some special courage, like Han's and Qi'ras' to risk by rebelling or escaping.  

The romance truly worked for me in this movie.  Qi'ra is the best female lead of any SW movie by a far piece.  She rose by her wits yet still retained, somewhere deep, that righteous spirit she once had.  I would believe whichever way she proceeds from here.  TPTB, and Clarke, deserve plaudits for this.  I also LOVED the music theme, however short it was, which was created for their love.  Gorgeous while being purely and perfectly in keeping with Williams' scores of the past.  More, please.

Oh yeah...HAN SHOT FIRST!!!!!!!!!!

Dryden would have made for a fantastic Bond villain.  That makes him a phenomenal villain by SW standards.  Each scene he was in was a great treat for this old school codger.  My guess is Ron Howard had a lot to do with this.

I can't stand Woody Harrelson, but the man deserves props for his portrayal of Beckett.  

Lando did not work well for me.  Yes, he was ultra smooth and charismatic.  Those boxes were checked.  But, his antipathy for Solo was cray cray.  Calrissian would have had a great appreciation of the odds they had all faced.  Transference?  Not from a bottom-line grifter such as Lando, imo.  Glover failed to provide any real depth to these eyes.   Billy Dee had such gravitas in abundance.  

The landspeeder chase to open the film was also a very welcome callback - what was the first action scene we ever saw in ANH?   Luke bopping around in his.  I still want one!!!!!!!!  Memo to Elon Musk - make it happen.

Despite the obvious turmoil, Howard delivered a classic American oater in the style and context of Star Wars.  He managed to incorporate profundity and light-hearted moments pretty much seamlessly.  I am well convinced that the real problem regarding the lack of acceptance by the masses is that some truly difficult themes are explored and those are never "fun" to genuinely examine.  It's been one thing in most of Star Wars to see massive technology and typically sanitary death and destruction.  It is quite another to see the incessant, dreary, and near-hopeless existence of most folks as we see in Solo.  Slavery, indeed.

[johntfs]

On 5/30/2018 at 2:00 PM, TobinAlbers said:

I feel like Maul's influence over Qi'Ra is interesting given we know that Han's life later turns in a big way in meeting Obi-Wan and Luke. There may be some Force puppetry going on here. I also love the idea that while we end the movie with Han and Chewie supposedly going to Tatooine to meet up with Jabba we all sense that it's too soon for that jaunt so maybe in the next movie we see they got sidetracked from that job and they end the second movie with no, for sure, we're gonna meet up with Jabba only to open the final movie in the trilogy again sidetracked with that movie ending with them finally meeting Jabba with some implication that all these 'sidetracks' being the Force working to keep Han and Chewy away (and relatively safe) until the 'right' time for them to finally go to Tatooine and cross paths with Luke and Obi-Wan.

Actually, I have no problem with Han and Chewie going to Tatooine and going to work for/with Jabba.  The indications made in A New Hope were that Han had done a lot of work for Jabba but recently screwed up and failed to deliver a really expensive shipment of glitterstim and also failed to compensate Jabba for the cost of that loss, which is why Jabba had a price on Han's head/body.  Figure working for Jabba would be somewhat spiritually corrosive, grinding Han down into the somewhat amoral person we meet in A New Hope.  Figure something bad happens to/because of Qi'Ra to add to that.

That all said, I'd be more interested in an Enfys Nest movie.  Or really any movie with Erin Kellyman.  She was adorable.

[VCRTracking]

I liked it for the most part but I agree with Mike Ryan at Uproxx:

‘Solo’ Is Officially The Least Interesting ‘Star Wars’ Movie To Talk About