Solo Complaints/Criticisms of Solo

Very sure.

 

I didn't read the Han Solo books from Legends, but wasn't Han also portrayed there as having a bit of an altruistic side?

 

It’s been said for ages. Going back to ANH, by Lucas, and ESB, by Kasdan. Han is the classic Humphrey Bogart from Casablanca character. He’s always had an altruistic side. He’s just crusted it over with a facade of apathy and cynicism (and both become that way, it seems, based on a perceived betrayal by a lover). It’s an old, lovable character type. And the Kasdan’s both understood this for Solo. Why so many fans continue to insist that Han was supposed to a one-dimensional rogue before he met Luke is beyond me. They’re simply wrong about the character. Period.

 

I wouldn't say one-dimensional. My take of the OT was that before meeting Luke Han was a quite pragmatic guy who's perhaps a bit cynical, who considers money as prioritary with respect to ideas and... well, nothing, that's pretty much it. From the way I got it, he appeared to be a simple guy, who learns the importance of fighting for the greater good only after meeting Luke. From the OT it seemed that there was not much to say about pre OT Han, and this is why I was so puzzled about a spinoff like that. Isn't it like making a prequel about Jessie Pinkman from Breaking Bad? Who cares about what he was doing before meeting Walt? The interesting part starts after that moment.

 

The idea that Han had a soft side to him all along has been around since 1977. It’s a common interpretation, and one shared by Lucas and Kasdan. That’s all I’m saying.

 

One thing that bothers me is the very high number of cuts in the movie. I don't think that there is a sequence longer than 3 seconds, which makes it difficult to read (without mentioning the darkness), even in slower pace scenes. I have surprisingly not seen any complaints about it, and I was wondering if anyone felt the same.

 

My biggest criticism of Solo is the most oft-complained about, the lighting. The picture was generally too dark and gloomy. A brighter look throughout the whole movie would have lifted it no end I feel.

 

If the cinematography was to try and convey the seedy underworld of the GFFA, you only have to look at the lighting used within Jabba's palace in ROTJ to see that this can be done and still make the movie details easy to see.

 

I found it too dark as well, I bought the 4K version and that is even worse, almost unwatchable. I think it has to do with it being upscaled to 4K, luckily the Blu Ray disc comes with the 4K pack and that is the same as the cinematic version.

 

This would have been better, other than some of the lighting I loved this film.

 

Random aside but I'm confused at accusations this movie didn't pass the Bechdel test.

Yes, one of the women is a droid but it's science fiction.

Her actress is a woman and that's all that matters.

 

It may be all that matters to you, but not to others.

I don’t think L3 counts as a representation of women, but even if she does, the one conversation she has with Qi’ra is about Han and Lando.

 

I like the fact that the Qi'ra and Han's relationship is doomed. Also, she's a great character for the fact she made a choice that was unexpected: choosing wealth and power over love.

She made the Bria Tharin choice of career over man.

And you know what? Good for her.

 

Right. Though one could argue (as Ron Howard himself has) that Qi’ra also - in part - made that decision as a means of protecting Han from Crimson Dawn. Note her lie to Maul about what happened.

 

Yeah. I don’t think she chose wealth and power over love. It never came off that way. I think she chose not being killed by Crimson Dawn and protecting Han from being killed by Crimson Dawn over a life with Han she believes is not possible.

“Everyone serves someone” is an expression of resignation and the feeling of being trapped. It’s pessimism. She doesn’t believe that life of love and freedom they dreamed about on Corellia is possible. She thinks everyone has their dreams crushed. Everyone has to settle for something less. Everyone has to compromise.

The balance between selfish survival vs living/sacrificing for others is a recurring theme.

 

I think the movie made a few missteps in the fact that they didn't make it clear whether Qi'ra is lying or not when she says that, no, Voss and she really are just employee and employer. I do think that Voss was attempting to assert his ownership over her in front of Han as a power move but I don't necessarily think that he had made a move on her. My inclination is she is his Bib Fortuna and not his mistress despite his attraction to her. That's why she's able to step up and take his place with Darth Maul as well as is trusted with business like the coaxium heist.

 

I have a complaint about "Solo". I never saw the need to change Han's backstory to that of an orphan with no surname. Or that he had acquired his surname from an Imperial recruiting officer. His backstory as an orphaned member of a Corellian family struck me as more interesting.

 

I think if you watch the RLM Solo predictions video you see how and why a lot of the hack writing decisions were made. There wasn't much to work with, and what little there is must be made significant because movie.

 

I am also not a big fan of this insistence in taking every single moment even remotely mentioned in the OT and put it on screen.

They had to show the sabacc game... they had to show the Kessel Run... they had to make a long shot at the iconic blaster... they had to explain the name... they had to explain the surname for Chewbacca... they had to show him shooting first... they had to make him say "I know"... they had to mention Tatooine... they had to recall us that he is the good guy... they had to stress that he will join the resistance.

This might be controversial in a forum for fans of SW, but I would have been totally satisfied watching a Solo movie without any of that, or at least not over-explained and under the nose.

 

I think the phrase is “on” the nose.

And though I agree that the above list is a tad much, non-SW fans who I watched the film with saw these moments as a natural part of the story. The scenes didn’t rely on their relationship to the OT/ ST to be understood.

 

You are right, thanks!

I agree on this. My complaint was purely from a fan's point of view.

 

This great movie gets such a bad rap. I absolutely loved it. Not as good a RO, but still fantastic.