Solo (SPOILERS)

[Phrubruh]

I guess that Willow sequel is being delayed yet again.

[Nicklab]

I guess that Willow sequel is being delayed yet again.

Warwick Davis just can't catch a break, can he?


Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice... er, at Pinewood Studios....

'Star Wars' Firing Reveals a Disturbance in the Franchise.  The short version?  Miller and Lord seem to have been totally out of their depth on this production.

[Jeff]

I feel like I should say this again...

Please, please, please don't ruin Han Solo, Disney.

If things were as out of control as the article Nick linked says, I guess I'm glad that KK stepped in when she did.  Sounds like the Lord/Miller improv, easy going style didn't mesh with Disney/LFL studio machine...  also really disappointing to hear about all the acting/coaching issues with Han Solo guy.

It's pretty nice that KK has a direct link to the Spielberg/Amblin pipeline so she could get someone like Ron Howard in there to get stability back.  Does highlight how bad things were that she had to bring in Ron Howard... but at least it's not bad enough to have to ask Spielberg himself to step in and take over.

[Nicklab]

Principle photography has wrapped, and director Ron Howard has this message for fans.  We also have a title:

SOLO - A Star Wars Story

[Scockery]

That's so low...so low...

[McMetal]

This is definitely shaping up to be the worst Star Wars movie ever.

[Matt_Fury]

This is definitely shaping up to be the worst Star Wars movie ever.

With all the behind the scenes drama, you may be right....even if they make this movie great, the fact still remains that this is a movie that very few actually wanted.  We've already got a young Han Solo movie....it's called Star Wars!

Kathleen Kennedy and company are missing a huge opportunity to tell stories about the larger Star Wars universe.  Give me a remake of The Seven Samurai made up of a group of Jedi that survived Order 66!  Option my friend's story about the crew of the Star Destroyer Avenger who mutiny against the Empire after Vader kills Captain Needa!  Stop writing stories about the main characters.

[Nicklab]

I'm going to reserve judgement until I see the movie. 

Ron Howard got handed a pretty challenging project.  He wasn't in there from the pre-production phase, and had to pick up the pieces while the movie was already in principle photography.  And he's dealing with the backstory of one of the most beloved characters in the past 40 years of film, and we already know a good deal about Han Solo.

Where I have some optimism?  Ron Howard's ability to get you invested in the story of a character that you may already know something about.  People knew that NASA's Apollo 13 mission was a near disaster, but the crew got home safely.  Yet, Ron Howard was still able to get people emotionally invested in that story.  And when Cinderella Man came out?  That film came out in 2005, and the audience was fully capable of googling Jim Braddock and learning the details of his career as a professional boxer.  But through solid storytelling and some excellent actors, Ron Howard brought us an excellent film.

In some of the images that have been shared on social media, things look right.  And it seems like he's gotten into some of the lore.  It looks like we get more insight into Chewbacca's backstory.  I've seen hints of Kessel.  And now RH is even teasing the inclusion of Tag & Bink.  All of that plus an interesting cast have got me hopeful for this movie.

Plus, where will the Clint Howard cameo pop up?  Star Trek/Star Wars crossover?

[Darby]

I remain cautiously optimistic on it. This is the movie that was least necessary, and I don't know that anything will change that. There was a clear need from the get go of this run to make movies around the most recognizable aspects of the universe, which is understandable. We all want to branch out though and you get the sense here and there from Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams that the franchise will as it goes forward. It will have to, if there's going to be endless SW movies.

I think Ron Howard is doing everything he can to make the movie work, and engage the fans. Considering he came in cold, and apparently, reshot most of the movie, that's amazing.

[Jeff]

There was a clear need from the get go of this run to make movies around the most recognizable aspects of the universe, which is understandable.

Yeah, to me its like the super-hero movies.  You're going to get Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman movies before  Aquaman and Martian Manhunter movies.  You are going to get your Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man movies before Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.

A Han movie was probably the least needed/wanted in a lot of ways, but it's probably the safest in some ways.  (Especially since it's the only way to keep cashing in on Han Solo after he got killed in TFA).  I won't be surprised if they are planning Boba Fett, Yoda, Obi-Wan, or Vader movies before we get a Rogue Squadron movie or Magnificent Seven Samurai Jedi style movie.

Like Nick and Darby, I'm going to wait to judge it until after I see it.

[P-Siddy]

And now RH is even teasing the inclusion of Tag & Bink. 

Is that those Imperial Officers are supposed to be?  If so, that's cool, but one of them just doesn't look right.

[Jesse James]

I go into no SW film with anything but some anticipation and little expectation. 

TPM is ass and doesn't hold up well, nor does AOTC, but both have elements I like too.  I learned from those two movies to temper my expectations of a new SW film and just enjoy myself and the films for what they are. 

I know if I go in with my wide eyed 1999 attitude, I could be disappointed.  At the same time there was a lot of "Rogue One is gonna suck!" going on with certain sites and I didn't buy that tripe and it ranks with ANH and ESB to me.  Better than ROTJ in ways.  TFA gets a lot of **** and while the era is never as good to me as the OT, I still liked it as much as ROTS and even a little more.  Every new movie has so many new possible outcomes because of the new way of things, I don't think any of them can be judged early.

After the TLJ trailer drop I saw lots of judgment being thrown, and I just don't agree on the pre hate for a film not out.

[Darby]

I've never been disappointed watching a SW movie in the theater. I didn't hate TPM, or any of them. I have severe problems with a few of them (all documented somewhere here on JD I'm sure), but that generally is something I can separate from my enjoyment of the overall movie. Time and distance factor a lot for me. TPM has aged well; it ages better in contrast to the sequel films. The more of an echo chamber the new films become, the more idiosyncratic and iconic TPM becomes, at least in its design and production choices. It will always fall down flat on some story beats. AOTC has aged the worst. In the moment, it felt like the perfect tonic to the staid TPM. That glossed over the fact the movie is a barely held together jumble of two very different movies, neither of which is very good. ROTS worked from the start. TFA gets better for me, but Starkiller Base gets worse. RO has serious structural issues, but that last 45 minutes? Wow. TLJ I'm excited for, Solo kind of. I'm prepared to be floored or disappointed by both.

[P-Siddy]

One issue I have with TFA is how characters' fates are left open.  Maz: she hands Finn the lightsaber and disappears.  A simple, it's time for me to leave would have sufficed.  Phasma: isn't she in the trash compactor still when StarkillerBase Base went nova?  Yeah, I know, the new boom or comic explains it, but the average viewer will be stumped when she shows up in TLJ... unless there's an explanation in there.  Kylo?  Last we saw he was laying in the snow on StarkillerBase.  Do they have transponders?  I don't think Hux (who also conveniently cowarded away but at least it was explained) would have bothered picking up the man he's at odds with).  Even in the beginning with Poe.  Not in the TIE, but he escaped Jakku sand shows up later with no explanation of how he got off a planet that had full FO attention.

These are just little things but legitimate concerns that could have made the movie more solid.

[Darby]

Now that you bring it up, that is a very odd feature of TFA. I'll say it didn't occur to me really; would have been nice to see a small scene with Phasma indicating she's alive. Maybe she's in the shuttle when Hux and Kylo bolt.