Does Star Wars need more films like Solo?

[Creepy]

Bashing Solo; A Star Wars Story seems to be the "in" thing to do these days on the internet.

My son posted an interesting article on my web-site arguing that to stay relevant, we need more films like Solo, not less.

http://thehauntedcinema.com/interviews-and-reviews/f/for-star-wars-to-stay-interesting-we-need-more-movies-like-solo

[Anton Phibes]

As much as I like Star Wars.....it should just retire. The tales have been told. That's a wrap.

[aura of foreboding]

Haven't seen Solo.  I don't think Episode 8 deserves the hate it's getting.  It actually kept me interested and surprised throughout.  I do think Skywalker would act that way after all he'd been through, so I disagree with Hammel.  It was a decent movie, and it did not inspire fatigue from me because of all the surprises. 

[Big Bad Wolf]

I liked Solo more than I thought I would. While it is indeed all about the younger days of a classic character, it doesn't feel like the whole movie is one long Easter Egg for the other films, or some kind of "hey, remember this!?" Of course there is one pretty big moment that might not be so easily understood unless you've seen the animated shows or at least read up on them a little, but otherwise the best thing I can say about Solo is that by and large, it truly is a stand-alone film that doesn't piggyback on the other films to justify its own existence.

And if the Star Wars franchise is to continue, I think it may be a good idea to make other films that stand on their own as well as this one does.

[zombiehorror]

Whether anyone wants them or not there will be more; Disney isn't done milking the cash cow yet.  I think Solo will get an extended life on dvd/Bluray and a lot of fans that rejected it will discover what a fun ride it is.  I think one of the problems with the Star Wars Universe is that a large portion of its fans have prelaid storylines from comics, novels, fan fiction, etc. and parts of the new films aren't lining up to those expectations; certainly more so with The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi than Solo.

[marsattacks666]

No! Please stop!

[ChristineBCW]

I haven't seen these modern waves of STAR WAR films because, with these prequels coming out, I think I'm AS INTERESTED in seeing the Solo's Granddad Story first.  THAT should be the next prequel, and then have Solo's Dad's movie - Maybe Dad 1 & 2?  Then what if Solo had a most interesting Great Great Uncle?  We probably need to see THAT film, too.

I could imagine 100 prequels arriving, and every one of those could claim an equal level of interest in me. 

Of course... if someone knocks these add-on's and prequels, they should SHUT UP and calculate that "next cash cow" alternative:

REMAKES.

So shut up.  No more complaints about these films: there is definitely a far far worse alternative.

[zombiehorror]

Nothing wrong with remakes; there are plenty of well done remakes/reboots.

[Mord]

No! Please stop!

My view since the first one. Enough. The teddy bear village in the 3rd film should have sunk  the franchise. Now it's just, how low can you go?  Jar Jar was a hint.

[BijouBob8mm]

I have to admit, right up front, that the idea of doing a young Han Solo film filled me with dread when I first heard about.  (Especially since I had been less than impressed with THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES, way back when.)  Like the role of Inspector Clouseau, the actor who initially brought the character to life brought a lot of himself to the part.  Between that, and the film being a problem-plagued production with a change in directors in the midst of filming just didn't bode well.  But I knew a lot of my buddies and coworkers were going to see it, and that I'd probably tag along.  And I did...and came away pleasantly surprised.  Thought the actor who played Lando did a top notch job.  It's not my favorite film from the STAR WARS universe, but thought it was a pretty sturdy story that held together well throughout the film's running time.  I also thought ROGUE ONE was a pretty decent film (putting aside the mixed feelings of how Governor Tarkin was handled...that's all been discussed in depth elsewhere).

As for Episode 8:  THE LAST JEDI...overall I enjoyed it, but felt it was a little too self-indulgent in places.  For example, that 20 minute side trip to the casino planet.  They're there to meet a guy, allegedly the only guy in the galaxy, who can help them with a specific technical task.  They zip right past him and never even make eye contact.  Then, by sheer coincidence, they just happen to get arrested and put in the exact same cell with a guy who can do the very same job.  Just shows up when he's needed, and then takes off.  Talk about luck.  If it weren't for that, I'd say we'd been given a tightly told tale, but that sequence is too much like the droid factory scene in Episode 2; lots of running around just for the sake of running around.  Like Ernest Hemingway once wrote, "Never mistake motion for action."

[zombiehorror]

They're there to meet a guy, allegedly the only guy in the galaxy, who can help them with a specific technical task.  They zip right past him and never even make eye contact.  Then, by sheer coincidence, they just happen to get arrested and put in the exact same cell with a guy who can do the very same job.  Just shows up when he's needed, and then takes off.  Talk about luck.

I assumed on first watch that Benecio was the code breaker all along and the other guy (a red herring) had possibly won the red plom bloom from Benecio as it appeared to be a rather large/expensive brooch.  Just rewatched the parts about it and it really isn't clear and my deduction was completely unfounded...although I'm still going with that theory.

[BijouBob8mm]

An interesting thought, actually.

Nothing wrong with remakes; there are plenty of well done remakes/reboots.

Prime example:  THE MALTESE FALCON.  The Humphrey Bogart classic was the third attempt to put the tale onscreen.  And then there's Cary Grant's HIS GIRL FRIDAY, one of several film versions of Ben Hecht's play "The Front Page."

[aura of foreboding]

I assumed on first watch that Benecio was the code breaker all along and the other guy (a red herring) had possibly won the red plom bloom from Benecio as it appeared to be a rather large/expensive brooch.  Just rewatched the parts about it and it really isn't clear and my deduction was completely unfounded...although I'm still going with that theory.

I also had that same feeling, though I knew there was nothing in the film to confirm my theory.  It just seemed like the casino story was intended to be much longer than it was and that, for the sake of saving time, they just left that unexplained plot hole.  I don't get why this casino planet story gets so much hate.  Did I like the casino story?  Let's just say it wasn't my favorite part of this film.  Did it bother me extensively like it does some folks?  No.  Did it seem out of place?  Yes.  Did the characters seem out of place?  Yes.  Did it kill the movie for me?  No.  Star Wars has often taken weird side tours and it just seemed like an overdone homage to the original Mos Eisley Catina. 

[zombiehorror]

Did it seem out of place?  Yes.  Did the characters seem out of place?  Yes. 

It felt more akin to something out of the prequels than either the original trilogy or the new Disney Star Wars flicks.  It definitely wasn't my favorite moment.

[BijouBob8mm]

Star Wars has often taken weird side tours and it just seemed like an overdone homage to the original Mos Eisley Catina.

That's my point; the self-indulgence of the filmmakers.  There's a difference between having a show-stopping moment and a sequence that simply stops the plot.  As you point out, the scene and characters "seem out of place."  While I really enjoy THE LAST JEDI, at times I felt I was watching multi-million dollar fan fiction.

It felt more akin to something out of the prequels

"I've got a bad feeling about this!"   

Overall, I've really enjoyed the Disney entries (in spite of a few quibbles about superfluous segments).  I do feel, however, that many of the new characters in the current trilogy aren't quite as endearing/engaging as they could be.  Poe has had his moments, yet I feel more could be done with both he and Finn's characters.  I feel much the same way about Captain Phasma.  If you see the Blu-ray of LAST JEDI, there is an alternate version of her final scene from the film that gave her a bit more to do than what we ultimately got.  I'd like to have seen that used instead, especially since her character had so little screen time in this episode to begin with.