CT Do you agree with Harrison Ford's opinion that Han Solo in the OT is "Dumb as a stump"?

Harrison Ford has been quoted a number of times disparaging Solo's character, in one case calling him "dumb as a stump." This was one of the reasons he was reluctant to return as Han even in the OT.

I've always thought of Han as one of the more intelligent characters in the OT. He's smart enough to hide inside the asteroid, he's the first to recognize that they're in the space slug, and he comes up with the plan to hide behind the bridge of the Imperial star destroyer and float away with the garbage, giving the impression they've already escaped into hyperspace.

That's my view of him. A pretty intelligent guy. Ford's is that he's dumb as a stump. Where on along the spectrum of intelligence would you place Han?

 

Probably dumb as a stump, considering it's his portrayal of the character. That said, I personally view him as smart, but not the most rational thinker.

 

I consider Han to be seasoned and instinctive within his world of piloting, smuggling, and associated activities. Beyond that, it's hard to say. He doesn't really do anything to suggest he's stupid. He might be a little irresponsible and maybe not the type you'd want give an important leadership role, but not stupid. He's definitely clever in his element.

 

Aside from running gung ho into a room full of stormtroopers....

 

First, Harrison is entitled to his views. If he isn't keen on him so be it.

I haven't really ever liked Han in the films. The fact he's anti-faith is a huge turn off. Reactive and brazen is how I see Han hopefully he'll finally mellow in TFA.

 

Ha! Well, he just chased the 4-5 troopers originally. He turned around when he ran into a room full of them.

 

Intelligence can take many forms. Is Han an intellectual giant? Probably not. Is he a scholar of great repute? I doubt it. Is he a resourceful, street-wise survivor? Absolutely.

Well he's survived until now...

 

Han is the man. Can't believe Ford would think that of such an awesome character, but eh...

 

He's a skilled survivor, let me put it to you this way. From what I've seen, he's the sort of guy that shoots first and asks questions later. He may have learned a thing or two while being with the Rebellion, but he isn't exactly leadership-quality.

 

I can't really see where Harrison was coming from. Like most other posters have said, while he might not be a genius or anything he doesn't do anything which makes him look stupid, and he's certainly streetsmart.

 

He was probably comparing Han's decision to what he himself would've done in those situations.

 

Makes it a bit more realistic don't you think? Not everyone on Earth believes in a God after all.

 

I'd never categorize him as "dumb". He'd have to be very savvy to be a smuggler and last as long as he has against fierce opposition. Of course, as someone once said there's a "difference between knowledge &wisdom."

And I wouldn't say Han remained "Anti-faith". It seems by the end of ANH alone, he began to accept there were greater concepts out there such as The Force that he never considered before.

 

I wouldn't say dumb. He has street smarts, good pilot, and all.

 

I've always seen Han as one of the more clever characters in the saga, so I was surprised by Harrison Ford's comments. Maybe he's a bit reckless at times, but I'd hardly call him dumb.

 

Exactly, not to mention that there's a different between not having faith and being anti-faith. Han was the former, not the latter.

 

Reckless, yes. A poor judge of character, sometimes. Dumb as a stump? Hell, no. He's a smuggler and a fighter and one has to have some degree of smarts and wit to survive that path.

 

From what I've heard I don't think Ford really likes SW in general. (Didn't he want Han to be killed off before ROTJ?) Maybe that has something to do with his opinion of the character. I know he's back for more in TFA, but he's also at a point in his career where he's too old for many of the standard action and leading man roles that made him a movie star in the '80s and '90s.

 

I agree. I'm not sure why Harrison Ford says some of the things he says. I usually like his comments. I remember he said that Han Solo was a "thin character" compared to Indiana Jones. I was like, "Whaaa?" Indy is not that complicated. Ford should look at the prequel trilogy, especially AOTC, for bad dialogue and dumb characters. The OT, by comparison, is much smarter in terms of writing and characterizations.

 

Compared to Obi-wan or Yoda, Han is certainly lacking in wisdom, and very lacking in self-discipline. He's a creature of the moment, not one to plan for a future that he probably won't live to see anyway. I think he relies more on quick wits than he does on conventional intelligence.

 

I'd imagine he is also more of a creative thinker than the Jedi. Trust Han to come up with the insane plan that somehow works.

 

I don't think Han Solo is very smart.

He's rash, arrogant, and sometimes inconsiderate.
He may be good at piloting, but he lacks wisdom.

 

Why do people repeat that he has no wisdom? Because he is an egotist? He knows enough to realize the run on the Death Star is a suicide mission or that Lando is not being completely honest.

He knows more than the PT Jedi, to be quite frank.

 

The reason I don't think he's wise is because his lifestyle and profession are foolish: self-centered and likely to get him killed. Risking your life for a quick buck is not the way of wisdom.

It's kinda cool, though.