Since we are celebrating 40 years of Empire Strikes Back, let's take a minute as well to appreciate the backstory to what set up Han as the "roll into a banquet, see Darth Vader, and shoot him immediately without thinking" rogue that we all know and love. That being, Solo, A Star Wars Story.

This is the Solo Appreciation Station, a place where we can discuss what ships / squadrons we would like to see included in the game. Where we can discuss the cool things we got to see in that movie. And where we can talk about how underappreciated the movie actually was, after the perhaps overdone reaction to of The Last Jedi.

To start, Han shooting Beck first at the end, giving us actual character building in a prequel where we knew what the basic outcome had to be in advance (Han and Chewie are okay, and wind up with the Falcon) was probably part. Going from a cocky idealist to a streetwise rogue, where we can see how he will eventually have his heart of gold melted by a beautiful princess years in the future.

2 minutes ago, BiggsIRL said:

Since we are celebrating 40 years of Empire Strikes Back, let's take a minute as well to appreciate the backstory to what set up Han as the "roll into a banquet, see Darth Vader, and shoot him immediately without thinking" rogue that we all know and love. That being, Solo, A Star Wars Story.

This is the Solo Appreciation Station, a place where we can discuss what ships / squadrons we would like to see included in the game. Where we can discuss the cool things we got to see in that movie. And where we can talk about how underappreciated the movie actually was, after the perhaps overdone reaction to of The Last Jedi.

To start, Han shooting Beck first at the end, giving us actual character building in a prequel where we knew what the basic outcome had to be in advance (Han and Chewie are okay, and wind up with the Falcon) was probably part. Going from a cocky idealist to a streetwise rogue, where we can see how he will eventually have his heart of gold melted by a beautiful princess years in the future.

I mentioned Lando in this thread before it was cool.

1 minute ago, geek19 said:

I mentioned Lando in this thread before it was cool.

The best part of Solo is that Lando didn't need character development. Save that for Solo 2, I guess.

Finding out Han isnt even a good pilot. L3-37 did the kessal run in 12 parsecs not Han....

5 minutes ago, BiggsIRL said:

The best part of Solo is that Lando didn't need character development. Save that for Solo 2, I guess.

2 Solo 2 Wookieeus

I hadn’t seen any of the Clone Wars series or Rebels when I first watched Solo , so I was all kinds of confused when Maul showed up at the end.

You know what, I'll go ahead and say it:

David Filoni said in the making of the Mandalorian that Star Wars is about Family. Anakin needing a father figure, and a mother and having both denied to him. Luke trying to be like who he imagined his father to be, and not giving up on who his father is. Rey, rejecting her biological family, in order to save the family she wished she was a part of. Among many, many other family themes too numerous to mention here.

Solo finally gives us what The Last Jedi was potentially setting up (before Ray's parentage actual reveal in RoS). A person without a family. No longer an illegitimate son of a well-to-do Corellian family, Han is now truly nobody. His "family" name is given because he has no family at all. The movie is about him building up to finally having a family of his own, not from Qira - his childhood sweatheart, who has found her own family in organized crime. Not from Beckett his "father figure" who he realizes doesn't care for him in the least. It sets him up to embrace the Solo name, until he has a chance to find and make a family of his own.

It also deepens the tragedy of his death in The Force Awakens. This is a man who hasn't had a father figure to look up to, ever. He has no idea how to connect with his son. In one defining moment, he puts everything he has into the hands of his son, and like his "father figure" Beckett, is betrayed. Bringing him back in RoS, with no recrimination, no hatred for his boy. Just a push for him to make a new future - that is the ending that Han deserved.

A movie about a man without family, who will one day redeem the family he made.

A note on Alden Ehrenreich, on my first viewing of Solo, I had no idea how I felt about Alden. It was clear that some parts needed more work.
As to what was done by the original director and the new director before and after he got an Acting coach. I don't know.

After the 3rd and 4th viewing of the movie though, I love that it is clear that Alden embraces the essence of Han and does his best to convey that. Honestly some of the smaller tip offs that he "gets" it are harder to notice, but I love it all the more as I found more and more of them on reviewings.

32 minutes ago, Ginkapo said:

Finding out Han isnt even a good pilot. L3-37 did the kessal run in 12 parsecs not Han....

He never said *he* did it... The ship did it of it's own accord... 😛

"You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

14 minutes ago, Benmartin said:

He never said *he* did it... The ship did it of it's own accord... 😛

"You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

All credit where credit is due. If people want to think HE did it, then by all means.

9 minutes ago, BiggsIRL said:

All credit where credit is due. If people want to think HE did it, then by all means.

24 minutes ago, Benmartin said:

He never said *he* did it... The ship did it of it's own accord... 😛

"You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

So you're saying its true.... from a certain point of view?

I love the scene where Han is being fed to “the beast”... and that’s how he meets Chewie! (Spoilers)

Some comedy gold moments in this film. I am a big fan.

I'm glad this movie is getting some love!

Why did Lando dare to gamble his Falcon again at the end of the movie, if L337 whom he cared about is living as AI in the ship already? He still had whatever he needed and didn't have to agree to Han's request(and he knows that Han knows about his card trick and so wouldn't confidently play him again without a plan)

I don't think it was obvious Han knew about the card. Plus, Lando just got shafted on a job with Han. Busted up ship, no money, so he is trying to gamble his way back... Winning that one vial of coaxium from Han was going to be more than just a huge payday for him, it was payback.

It is also one of the best Bar movies out there. No sound needed to understand almost everything in the movie. The performances are very visual.

It’s part of my routine play list. I enjoy it a lot.

16 hours ago, Mundo said:

I love the scene where Han is being fed to “the beast”... and that’s how he meets Chewie! (Spoilers)

It stands to reason then that Chewbacca has eaten people (the ones thrown in before Han). Just... yep. Haha.

Solo was fun. Had some good visuals. Not a life-changing kind of movie but overall it was enjoyable.

I was originally worried about someone besides Harrison Ford playing Han, but I think Alden nailed it. He wasn’t doing HF’s jaded Han, he was still young and idealistic. It let him show the characters growth and development into the scoundrel we all know and love, without awkwardly trying to replicate the character we see in 4/5/6.

Loved the movie, watched it many times and will watch and enjoy it many more!

My favorite part is the deconstruction of Beckett’s carbine into the iconic DL44 he gives Han. **** that thing is gorgeous with the stock and scope on it

To be honest Solo was the only Star Wars film I've been alive during theatrical release that I didn't see in theaters. Conceptually speaking I had no real appeal for the film. Part of Han's charm for me was that his past was shady. Throughout the OT and ST we grew to understand that his stories were often true but were heavily inflated. Going back and writing a definitive episode in Han's past conflicted with me.

That said , I think it's a pretty good movie by any standard.

I think Donald Glover's Calrissian was the unsung hero of this film. He really channeled the character.

Donald Glover is probably one of my favorite actors out there right now. He was great in Solo and again in Lion King Community. He needs to be in more films

I really enjoy Solo . I find it entirely unnecessary, mind you, but it's still a wonderfully enjoyable yarn, with some great special effects (and terrific performances by Woody Harrelson, Glover, and Paul Bettany). Since it hit Netflix, it's become one of my most-watched Star Wars films, because it's so easy to throw on and enjoy while you're doing something else.

I really enjoyed it the first time, which really surprised me, because I was not at all excited about it. It was just a straight-up fun movie. I didn't get the same excitement on the second viewing though. It definitely needs another viewing, but I just didn't feel that like there were any particular memorable scenes or lines that stuck with me. Essentially, it was great, then I forgot about it. I'll re-watch it this weekend to see if anything changed.

In my opinion, one missed opportunity with the film: When the Imperial Star Destroyer comes out of the Ion(?) Storm during the Kessel Run, I really think that would have been an excellent opportunity to get an Interdictor on the live-action screen instead, as they would have needed to escape the Grav Well Projector as well as the TIEs. That would have been just amazing.

3 hours ago, Admiral Calkins said:

In my opinion, one missed opportunity with the film: When the Imperial Star Destroyer comes out of the Ion(?) Storm during the Kessel Run, I really think that would have been an excellent opportunity to get an Interdictor on the live-action screen instead, as they would have needed to escape the Grav Well Projector as well as the TIEs. That would have been just amazing.

At the time, Imps were still inescapable by turning up and to the left, so I'm not sure a Dictor would have helped much

1 minute ago, geek19 said:

At the time, Imps were still inescapable by turning up and to the left, so I'm not sure a Dictor would have helped much

I mean, of course not if it was a Combat Retrofit...