Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)(re-reviewed). The Never-Continuing Story.

[@marcusjackson9076]

Solo is fine. But feels like a TV film. Should have been a mini series in hindsight.

[@Althea-M]

I saw this in the theater all by myself and I loved it. It was a shame that the theater was empty. The only other person in there with me left about 40 minutes in

[@lpquagmire3621]

I enjoyed it, too; it felt like a nice throwback to the original trilogy. How people trash this one and embrace THE RISE OF SKYWALKER I'll never know...

[@jonhall3151]

Well, there’s the first clue…

[@RustyKeys72]

Another triumph! These reviews are always insightful as hell and just bloody awesome. Thanks, Stam.

[@tomsenior7405]

Bonus! Two in one day. Is it Christmas in the antipodes? Cheers Stam, a wonderful treat.

[@alanmoss3603]

Cocaine Wookie! Now THAT'S the star wars film we've all been waiting for!

[@Inignot12]

I would actually pay good money to see that Godzilla Barbershop Quartet prequel.

[@aaronleverton4221]

I'd pay bad money to see it.

[@mallninja9805]

As a kid I probably would have liked it OK. As an adult, is really is grating that everything important in Han Solos life happened over the course of this one weekend. Not to mention all the ridiculous contrivances. I wonder if they even noticed the irony of a droid that clamors for freedom & droid rights having her voice box removed and being forever enslaved as the navigation computer of a small freighter.

[@Ocker3]

What? That's Absolutely intentional!!

[@randomobserver8168]

It was a defective piece of equipment. They repaired and repurposed it.

[@shannonbayley3684]

You lost me at the droid losing her voice and being integrated into the ship's computer. Who cares, it's a machine. It's AI.

[@williammartinez6381]

I did not like it at first, but after repeated watchings it has grown on me. Once I remembered this is young Han and looking at it that way the actor did a find job. I had to do that for a few movies over the years. Some movies take a few watchings before you can connect to it.

[@adrianvanleeuwen]

I enjoyed Solo the movie for its story. The actor playing Solo was good, however he did not appear to have the famous swagger and cocky confidence of Harrison Ford as Solo in my opinion. However it is hard to find someone to replace a young Harrison Ford as Solo. Once I got past that this is a new actor and does not have to be Ford, then I could let loose and enjoy the movie for what it is. It does have some great story beats and the ending is strong. Emilia's character has a twist in direction. Worth watching!

[@esporev]

The lottery simile you made about the director change was spot on and hilarious haha

[@greyinvader]

Needed more Therm Scissorpunch.

[@noahheninger]

Woody sang the Cheers theme song, and Blanche Devereaux sang the Golden Girls theme song.

[@pablosonic892]

That Entertainment Tonight correspondent doing his side hustle as a waiter was an on air personality of local news and sports here in the Bay Area and still is as of 2023. As well as his thriving side hustle server career. 😃

[@saltytexasranger6301]

You know, when I was a kid I always pictured Woody as the singer for the Cheers theme...

[@pablosonic892]

I grew up here in the Bay Area and when I saw this movie opening weekend in San Francisco as a teen, that moment the crew decide where to land their cloaked Klingon bird of prey and decide on Golden Gate Park, and then they do, clearly on location at the very place, which was literally ten blocks away from the theatre we were watching the movie, the audience burst into riotous applause. That was the exact moment the film won over this skeptical crowd and turned us into easy to impress trained applauding circus seals.

[@neiltaylor6645]

Well it proved that you could not make Han Solo with out Harrison Ford

[@georgegiorgio]

If they hired Anthony Ingruber then would be different story

[@plissken2156]

Should've had Harrison Ford play the old Han Solo telling his 'star wars' story as a reminiscence to someone (like the old gunfighters did in westerns) - then change to Anthony Ingruber as the younger version of Solo in the flashbacks. Oh well. Another infamous missed opportunity by Disney.

[@AndrewLakeUK]

I quite enjoyed Serenity II, a Solo story. I think "Troy and Chewie in the Morning" could be a big hit.

[@leonptr]

I really enjoyed this. A lot of Star Wars fans are almost rabid if they don't particularly get what they expected.......or wanted. It is what it was. An enjoyable sci-fi romp where you could disengage your brain for a couple of hours. It never was and was never supposed to be a bloody Shakespearian masterpiece.

[@cloverfield911]

Solo: The very very very very dark backsory -- where they forgot to turn on the lights.

[@DWor-]

Thank you, I enjoyed this movie too, easter eggs to find and all of that. And as any Ron Howard movie is so good at: one of the easter eggs is finding a hired family member, he IS in there! (Clint)

[@DiRtYLaWs2007]

I’d still be intrigued to see how Lord & Miller’s version would have looked. Overall though I thought Solo was pretty good. One of the more underrated Star Wars movies.

[@mccallosone4903]

its not terrible. the train setpiece is awesome

[@konsumterra1]

i love bridge chase where ppl after them get ahead and a light phobe villain living under a fragile window

[@wopjohn]

Disney was smart enough to hide "the force oversleeps" away from jurassic world

[@oldoldmeme]

I was initially part of the whole boycott surrounding this film because I was totally against Disney's use of Star Wars at this time, but after watching it on DVD a few months later I honestly felt really bad that THIS film had to be the unlucky bugger that just so happened to come out *just* when Star Wars fans had had enough. I have many, *many* issues with Solo, but it's much more entertaining than anything Disney had done with Star Wars up to that point, and the fact that we'll probably never get that sequel with Darth Maul upsets me to no end.

[@cwam1701e]

It is sad that it didn't work; I thought Alden Ehrenreich did a good job and would have been happy for him to play Han in any subsequent movie or TV show. It went OTT in explaining everything that had been mentioned about Han, and it needed a bit of work to the script to tighten it up a bit. That being said, given that they had to change directors the finished product was not too bad. I wonder what it would have been like if they had hired Ron Howard to begin with. And Woody Harrelson - even if he only starred in Cheers rather than sing the theme song - always does a good job.

[@lordcthulhu627]

I watched this movie in a mostly empty theatre, it was pretty fun. 2/3 were empty.

[@alancrane4693]

Hence the title SOLO

[@B-A-L]

I watched this movie in a cinema that had only 11 people watching, including me, and that was on the opening night!

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

I love how a lot of people complain that Han's origin story actually covers his origins, lol. Anyway, if the best Star Wars movie since 1980 lost money, I can live with that,... especially in a world where the internet is filled with people who actually like the PT. Another big screen adventure with young Han and Lando would be great, but I ain't gonna hold my breath.

[@damonappel]

Solo is an awesome Star Wars movie.

[@iansaint3503]

I fully agree with your summary. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it paid just the right amount of lip service to the Star Wars universe history. It mainly bombed due to the timing of its release.

[@JFinSD2]

Yep.....I watched the movie in an empty theater. I also enjoyed the movie and I especially liked how you learn why the older Han was so cynical.

[@geraintwilliams531]

wasn't a bad film, but the mute colours and dark picture irritated me no end. and it didn't help that I did not understand why Darth Maul was behind it all. isn't "Gary Pourtnoy" one of Woody Harrelson's pseudonyms? ;)

[@tskmaster3837]

Cocaine Wookie? I'd watch that. That's the direction some of these Star Wars projects should go, have fun with comedy... Ah.

[@ShamrockParticle]

I think they did that in 1978...?

[@tskmaster3837]

@@ShamrockParticle Nah, nah, nah. That wasn't funny or fun, that was just made ON drugs.

[@thoughtfuldevil6069]

I wish we could see the original version. Not saying it must have been better but I wish we could compare them.

[@TheRealKaiProton]

Ive never got around to watching this, but the way describe the plot, it makes me think the pitch was Smokey and the Bandit in Space!

[@k2sworld]

Until Mando and Andor, all of Disney Star Wars has felt like fan fiction. Solo especially feels that way.

[@troubadour723]

It's all fan fiction.

[@ShamrockParticle]

​@@troubadour723 you're surprisingly and ironically passionate over this Star Wars product! 😁

[@troubadour723]

@@ShamrockParticle I'm more passionate about people coming up with their own sh*t.

[@Bryzerse]

Yes and especially Kenobi, just way worse than Solo

[@martoto77]

Favreau and Filoni have stated that Mando and TBOBF is them making up stuff like you would if you were playing with all your big brother's cast off SW toys. Practically the definition of fan service.

[@frippp66]

really enjoyed this movie

[@kirk1701]

Some people wanted Anthony Ingruber to play a young Han Solo because he looks like a young Harrison Ford and even did a few impressions on his KZbin page. Ingruber portrayed a young version of a Harrison Ford role in the movie _The Age of Adeline._

[@scottlarock7924]

Nicely done.

[@preachercaine]

I always wondered if Woody sang the theme to Cheers, sounds like him

[@GrandFunker]

The whole thing blows me away. The movie looked like a mess. The previous Star Wars movie was hideous and I was sure this one would be too. I didn't want to see it despite Han being my favorite Star Wars character and a childhood hero. My son asked me to take him to see it. A week after release, we're sitting in a theater with one other person, who fell asleep during the movie. My son and I both thoroughly enjoyed it! 😂

[@comentedonakeyboard]

To be fair, Godzillas Karaoke version of "Good Vibrations" was quite nice.

[@Scimarad]

lol, have only just noticed that blindingly obvious crystal skull in the background.

[@fredkelly6953]

They should have made Han a generic Robin Hood. As long as he was a swashbuckling scoundrel the face wouldn't be so important. But by the time of it's release the fan base had gone sour on the franchise and the attitude of Lucasfilm only made things worse. I have yet to give it a proper watch, as much from the bad taste of TLJ gave me (which is still there) and the fact that it is mediocre at best from what I have seen. They needed to hit it out of the park with Solo and they did not so this movie will be relegated to a Star Wars fail by history.

[@JoJoJoker]

I saw Solo on its opening week and was the only person in the theater!

[@tonypalmentera7752]

To me, believe it or not, I think it is the best Star Wars film, because it lives up to Space Western, complete with a train robbery, even more than the original. You don't even notice the lack of Jedi and Sith, until the end when they show one. THAT is proof it immerses you, deeply, into the story. And THAT is how I judge movies...immersion and fun.

[@WaverBoy]

It IS a great side film. In fact, I rate it by far the best of the Disney Star Wars films, and plenty of people came to see it, just not quite enough to make it profitable because of all the firings and reshoots that added expense. Excellent heist film and a great back story for Han Solo. Much better than any of the new trilogy.

[@pottedrodenttube]

This was a no-brainer, indeed.

[@RighteousBrother]

Not a fan of this film but I would like to see Alden have another shot at playing Han Solo, maybe in the mooted Lando Calrissian series?

[@tommylakindasorta3068]

I think I enjoyed Solo more than the last two mainline Star Wars films. It was likeable and fun, and nothing about it angered or depressed me.

[@RepublicTrooper125]

As someone who didn’t care for Han growing up, this movie actually made me like Han as a character. I liked him in TFA but I chalked it up to older Harrison Ford.

[@lbricks7631]

Solo is great. Just more proof that initial reactions are not one and done.

[@jamesl4857]

I liked SOLO as a film in spite of its inconsistencies in continuity. Some dialogue in Episodes 4-6 of the main films is contradicted in SOLO, much like the Ferengi episode of STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE does the same for STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. Still, the film was fun to watch. All The Best, James Heath Lantz Freelance Writer Staff Writer for Back Issue magazine 2021 Eisner Award nominee, 2019 winner, "Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism"

[@thebasementfilmgroup]

Speaking of theme tune singers. ...I always thought that "rodney" sang the theme tune to "only fools and horses"..... he didn't... it was the writer...... and I can't not hear Rodney..... Sorry... u opened old Wounds here.... Good video btw

[@CorvoFG]

Same here. I thought it was Nicholas Lyndhurst for years.

[@RighteousBrother]

Same !

[@exidy-yt]

I'm ambivalent on this movie. Didn't love or hate it. It pretty much slid off me like a mid-tier MCU movie. I thing my biggest beef was how little Alden whatshisface resembled, sounded or acted like Han Solo. If you've ever seen Hunter Thompson or heard his voice and then saw Johnny Depp in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"....holy hell THAT'S how you imitate someone! Admittedly a real person not a character, but still. Alden did not nail it. (Danny Glover however had Lando Calrissian's mannerisms down great, even if he looks nothing like Billy Dee Williams.)

[@lemdixon01]

Don't forget Holiday Special

[@VincentGuastini]

Even with the flaws I loved it. Seen it over 20 times.

[@agl1138]

Solo is coherent because its almost completely RH's work

[@daveautzen9089]

I enjoyed it, but I certainly understand why many did not. Yea, it could have been better, but very few SW projects even before Disney took over could be. Well, except Empire Strikes Back…i don’t think any improvements would be needed. But I could be wrong.

[@brunoportodesign]

Nah, it's still bad. Could have made an interesting series, but not having actors that already played their parts (TBOBF and Obi-Wan) might not have the emotional viewer investment necessary to pull it off

[@blethigg9320]

I didn't bother seeing this simply because Solo's back story was already covered brilliantly in A. C. Crispin's trilogy. I knew this film would supplant it with the Disney continuity, and I was just fed up with the changes the Mouse had been making. But if anyone wants a great origin story for Han Solo, read the trilogy. It's awesome.

[@TankUni]

I've seen this movie and can't remember a thing about it.

[@jasonblalock4429]

I know this is a hot take, but this is actually my least-fave of all the Disney Star Wars movies. It just didn't work for me at all. Outside of specific gripes (like the ugly visuals or its bizarrely mean-spirited treatment of L3) my biggest complaint was its utter lack of ambition. It was exactly the sort of safe, formulaic, focus-grouped tentpole flick I was always afraid Disney would start making. Except for Donald Glover. I'd honestly love to see him come back as Lando someday. Aside from that, I really don't have any desire to ever watch this one again. Twice was enough.

[@xiaoka]

Lando was my least favorite part of the film.

[@robertdanker6193]

1 100% agree with this review. 👍

[@kirk1701]

This film was Disney continuing to milk the franchise. As a Harrison Ford/Han Solo fan, I was okay with the role still having a bit of mystery about him even after _Return of the Jedi._ Yet, _Solo_ did what Lucas did with the Jedi in the prequels and what _The Matrix_ sequels did with films two and three: Explain stuff we didn't need to know, and doing it poorly.

[@nutherefurlong]

I liked it but I feel like for a lot of people it was burnout. I felt it going in, it felt like it was too close to the prior film. Some of the TV series helped renew my belief that Star Wars burnout doesn't HAVE to happen but for big films it kind of needs to be spaced out more. Also feels like the film industry as a whole has lost itself and we have to wait for brave filmmakers to start new trends that the bigger houses will exploit. I guess they were trying to set something up with Maul but I really resented that scene, and I think Newton would have been a great foil if they'd kept her in the movie longer, or just expanded her role in some way.

[@B-A-L]

The reason why I hated the So Low movie is that I went to see a movie about Han Solo and ended up watching a movie about some guy called Harn.

[@preachercaine]

better than the majority of the "new" Star wars films

[@ZeusAmun-pt9dc]

Man I thought for sure that woody was the one who sang the song

[@whaguitars]

I couldn't even finish this film. It's so dark and muddy looking. And the actor playing Han was terrible. He looks and acts nothing like Harrison Ford and he's too short.

[@kenmercadante4565]

It was an okay film, it just wasn't a film we needed to see (clearly Disney has never heard of the adage, "less is more"). I would much rather have seen Disney adapt the "Star's End" trilogy. Same cast (more or less), but Disney could have booted a whole new franchise about Han's pre-Jabba days that would have been a great watch, the same way Rogue One gave us a new story with new characters but didn't feel like a paint-by-numbers endeavor.

[@rodneyclarke6477]

I liked it. I would've dropped the whole Lando fembot thing, but that's just me. The production values are excellent & Alden Ehrenreich does a competent job as Solo. Emilia Clarke is very easy on the eye & Paul Bettany does add some menace to the antagonist role. Overall it's a three star movie ( good but not great ) but on the other hand, it's not a big pile of hot steaming crap either. Keep up the good work Stam👍

[@dmitch1983]

Everyone I knew who skipped it was definitely influenced by how much they hated The Last Jedi

[@TheBeird]

I’ve been done with Star Wars for years now. But, I definitely would see Cocaine Wookie 😂

[@whaguitars]

Sign me up!!

[@Booger414]

I also didn't dislike Solo, but it wasn't a great movie.

[@rushmore3927]

I thought both Solo and Rogue One were FAR better than the last awful, awful, awful trilogy.

[@whaguitars]

Yup Disney took a big steaming dump on Original Trilogy characters. I agree it AWFUL. I'd call it dogshite but I don't want to insult dogshite.

[@wopjohn]

Why they even bothered to have the scene where chewy is hanging off the side of the train about to be crushed was pointless. Every one knows nothing going to happen to Han Chewy Lando

[@marklechman2225]

I liked it. It’s a fun flick.

[@AnitaLife27]

Couldn’t make it through Solo. It’s physically painful! There are 3 Star Wars movie and a Life Day Special and that’s all.

[@jamesclarke8564]

While not as good as Rogue One, better than Episodes 7-9. Alternative Title "When Han(ie) met Chewie". I got over it wasn't Harrison Ford by about 1/2 through the film on the first watch and subsequent viewing it didn't bother me at all.

[@BradGryphonn]

This is the most Star Wars related stuff I've bothered to sit through since Return of The Jedi. When Phantom Menace was released, I managed to watch up until a certain long-eared thing appeared.

[@troubadour723]

Yeah, but at least that one was written by the guy who actually came up with Star Wars in the first place.

[@BradGryphonn]

@@troubadour723 Yep. I lost interest after the true first three.

[@reddchan]

I enjoyed Solo, but when I first heard they were making a young solo movie I didn’t like the idea and still don’t. After the initial announcement I thought why don’t they make a Cassian movie or someone like dash rendar but the solo movie is not bad at all. Uninspired but still decent.

[@contrabandresearch8409]

I didn't hate it, but it just didn't do anything for me. All the action felt flat. i don't know what it was missing.

[@koneill123]

It's a solo Solo series

[@TheToonMonkey]

I liked Solo. I get the feeling people hated it because they wanted to hate it and thus, never gave it a chance. My favourite part was during the Falcon Kessel run when they find out that Woody Harrelson did sing the theme to Cheers.

[@whaguitars]

Yeah holy shite Stam ruined this for me!! Next he's going to say theirs no Easter Bunny.

[@jollyjakelovell6822]

If you watch Solo thinking of it as say a spaghetti-esque B western it's alright, not the worst thing ever.

[@SommersetStriker]

Solo's greatest flaw is that it is simply unnecessary.

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

Or that "the future is female".

[@DenkyManner]

​@@TheRadioAteMyTV Stop watching so many KZbin videos presented by alpha incels

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

@@DenkyManner Don't know what that means, but it was Kathleen Kennedy who printed the teeshirts that said "the Force is female". Your issue is with her if you don't like it, no one else.

[@RighteousBrother]

​@@TheRadioAteMyTVactually The Force is Female is a Nike slogan part of an advertising campaign for their Air Force trainers and had nothing to do with Kathleen Kennedy.

[@troubadour723]

@@TheRadioAteMyTV No, sounds like your issue is with her.

[@valmarsiglia]

I don't keep up with the gossip, but why didn't they give it to that other actor who looked and sounded just like a young Harrison Ford? No way I could buy this actor as Han.

[@bensneb360]

An underrated flick, it’s not perfect, but a lot of fun. I wish it had gotten a sequel, just so I could of gotten a crime film with Han working for Jabba & Bobba Fett… I need more Jabba Disney

[@mtrich8113]

I thought this movie was Star Wars done right it was just hard not seeing Harrison Ford. But it did fail at the box office but received the good and healthy cult status.

[@masonmunkey6136]

I kind of forgot about this movie. Felt like it got more hate than it deserved

[@matthewwagner8854]

The problem I had with this movie was that there was a great trilogy about Han's youth that was completely disregarded. Normally I can get past that if the new material is better but this hands down was not.

[@aaronleverton4221]

Why would you expect Kennedyfilm to pay any regard to the works of either Brian Daley or A.C. Crispin when they completely disregarded the work of Timothy Zahn years earlier?

[@contrabandresearch8409]

It might have been more interesting if it took place after the original trilogy.

[@Barot8]

Ron Howard was a totally wrong choice as a director for Solo. A better pick would have been his daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard. She's better at directing action, and emotional scenes as witnessed on her Star Wars work as a director. I think Alden Ehrenceich did a good job, as did Donald Glover. The story needed a script doctor to go over the script. Doing a heist was probably the only remaining thing from Lord and Miller's attempt. Too many call backs to Han's backstory. Because of the lighting, all the sets look horrible and cheap.

[@jeffnettleton3858]

I don't think it was horrible, just too inconsequential for me to care. Bad caper film, not particularly reminiscent of Han and just the same rehashing of stuff that Disney kept doing. The tv stuff is more entertaining and less beholding to a Skywalker (mostly) and feel more like the material you got, pre-Empire, in some of the Marvel Comics stories, from Archie Goodwin. Archie wrote a damn good Han Solo and more of that could have been included in the film. Brian Delaney's trilogy of Han Solo books were also better material. That's half the problem in these things, the convoluted and dull scripts. The originals had stilted dialogue, but fairly streamlined plots.

[@Amphy002]

I like Ron Howard's work, but I feel he could be improved if he hired a different cinematographer. And editor. And director.

[@toddnolastname4485]

While I'm sure there are better Han Solo replacements out there, I think Alden does a ... Stam Fine job in the role. I'm pretty sure the problem is that the morons who are fine watching someone other than Tom Seleck play Magnum hate the idea of anyone else playing Han Solo. Oh, but they're also fine having Bucky play Luke.

[@connycontainer9459]

Portnoy ? Like in 'Meet the Portnoys' ? That fart film advertised in Tropic Thunder.

[@kamandi1362]

The film had loads of bad points, but in my opinion Alden Ehrenreich wasn’t one of them. If they’d amped up the colours and brightness, cut out the stupid “member berry” callbacks (even the bloody dice get an origin story), ditched the Fleabag droid, and just had it as a heist film with Han, Chewie and Lando it might’ve worked. It might even have made money.

[@MultiTesseract]

I didn't really find that much wrong with the movie, except that the kessel run was kind of stoopid, and I did NOT buy the lead as being Han solo in any way, shape or form. He was NOT Han solo, end of story, and with that established, the movie's main draw was completely negated for me. I did not see it in theatres, and when I finally saw it on TV.... I was glad I missed it in theatres. I have no idea why Disney apparently decided to cast a person who, for me at least, was nearly as far from being able to believably evoke Harrison Ford as humanly possible.... The chosen actor negated a movie that could have probably done fairly OK, otherwise. Hollywood...! Stop trying to (stoopidly) subvert expectations! (I hate that term)