Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

I didn't not enjoy the film, I was just kinda "meh". I felt bored at times. But, to be fair, I had the same reaction when I saw Rogue One the first time, and I like that film a little bit more now that I've seen it a few times. So I think it's possible the same could happen here. But I think "Solo" will be the first SW film that I only see once in theaters. I am perfectly content to wait for the 3D Blu-ray import from the UK.

There were brief moments throughout - certain camera angles, lines of dialogue, the way certain interactions happened - where I'd feel like I was watching something that felt cut from the same cloth as Lucas' 1977 original. And I enjoyed those moments, however fleeting. But that tone was not consistent throughout the film.

 

[TravisR]

I guess I'm in the minority but I enjoyed Solo.

I don't think you're in the minority because I think people are enjoying the movie overall. The problem is that it's 'merely' an entertaining movie and there's no BIG moment for people to love (TFA- the return of OT characters, RO- the Vader scene, TLJ- entire movie) so the reaction seems more muted than is usual for a Star Wars movie. On the plus side, at least Solo isn't going to lead to a bunch of guys with giant mangy beards making daily You Tube videos crying about Kathleen Kennedy, Rian Johnson and SJWs for months on end.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

I guess I'm in the minority but I enjoyed Solo. I thought it was a lot of fun. Glover was outstanding as Lando IMO. I'll gladly add it to my collection when it gets released in 4K BR.

Doesn't surprise me that the gross is low for this. The theater I saw it in last night was about half full, unlike previous Star Wars films which were sold out.

This sums up my reaction. I enjoyed it as a fun "adventure movie". Our theater was probably only half full. I will add it to my collection when it comes out, but I can't say I'm in a rush to re-watch it. I second Glovers performance. I sense a Lando movie in the future.

 

[Jake Lipson]

the silver lining for me and some others I imagine Is that hopefully Disney will stop strip mining the SW brand

While I can't comment on the quality of the film until I see it tomorrow, I do think that this will definitely cause some reevaluation of the future spinoffs, which is a good thing.

Even if it's good, I don't think they need to be taking so many spinoffs directly out of the original trilogy, as opposed to newer fresher ideas and areas of the galaxy that are heretofore unexplored.

Like I said over in the Boba Fett thread, the announcement of that film and Mangold's attachment to it (via the trades) prior to seeing how Solo performs seemed really bizarre to me. It seems like that is the sort of project they would double down on if Solo was a resounding smash, and something they may reconsider in the event of its underprformance. So why announce it beforehand? It only increases the image of behind-the-scenes turmoil if they com out and say later that it's not happening, which they wouldn't have to do if the idea of it hadn't been floated yesterday.

 

[TravisR]

Our theater was probably only half full.

I casually know the manager at my theater and he told me that that they had pre-sold only about 25% of the IMAX theater. When he told me that, it was waaaaaaaay before the movie started (I was very early to nab good seats for me and my friends) but by the time movie played, I'd guess the theater was about 75% full. There was also a line for the 10 PM show cued up as I left the theater. All that being said, the crowds were all certainly smaller than they were for TFA, RO and TLJ.

 

[Tino]

Full disclosure.

I was really tired when I saw this last night and not in the best of moods. I nodded off a few times during the film and not sure if it was due to being bored or tired or both. And not sure if my bias unfairly tainted my opinion.

I think I’ll see it in Dolby Cinema before it leaves to see if my opinion improves.

It’s happened before.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Deadline has a good interview with Ron Howard:

http://deadline.com/video/ron-howar...ted-development-genius-behind-the-lens-video/

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Just for the record, I viewed the movie last night in a sold out theater, and thought it was a lot of fun.

The crowd I viewed the movie with was really into it. They cheered at all the introductions to the classis characters; the Millennium Falcon; and even the “We just did the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs” line. They also gasped at the reveal which solidly tied the movie into the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars: Rebels” series.

I also liked the way they did the music: We barely heard any of the iconic Star Wars music cues until the Millennium Falcon was on the screen.

The movie seemed to be trying for a bit of a “Firefly”-type Sci-Fi/Western/Comedy mix in the first third of the runtime. I have a feeling that Ron Howard dialed the comedic tones down a bit during that part of the movie.

All in all, a fun romp through the Star Wars universe. I’d give it three stars out of four.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

The "Firefly" vibe played big for me. If we can't have that series back, at least we got this entertainment in that western sci fi caper wheelhouse.

 

[joshEH]

I dont want any Star Wars film to fail
at the boxoffice, but if this one does as it looks like it may underperform dramatically, the silver lining for me and some others I imagine Is that hopefully Disney will stop strip mining the SW brand by putting out inferior SW films like Solo.

Bob Iger can just shrug and glance at the upcoming Marvel receipts. That said, all this box-office stuff is really just a waste of time, to be honest. Am I supposed to be happier if a corporate behemoth makes an extra billion one particular year, and sadder when their stock drops by 3% when one movie has a softer opening? Who gives a crap? I'd be way more concerned if Criterion or Arrow Video lost tons of dough on some obscure box-set and announced they were cutting down their releases as a result, but no one tweets or cares about how they're traveling.

 

[Carabimero]

I didn't want to post until I saw it twice. I enjoyed it. It wasn't a jumbled mess like the first half of Rogue One. It didn't have characters doing and saying irrational things like The Force Awakens. It didn't have an undramatized fundamental shift in character like The Last Jedi. Granted, Solo also had nothing truly memorable in it either. It took few risks. But it was solid, something I don't think any Star Wars movie under Disney has been before.

Not even The Last Jedi. If Rian Johnson had taken all the time and money he spent on Canto Bight and used it to give me fifteen minutes of dramatized backstory for Luke and Kylo Ren, and shown me emotional blow by emotional blow what broke Luke, made me feel his pain and angst every step of the way, it is likely I would consider TLJ one of the greatest Star Wars films ever. But Johnson didn't. He violated the one essential maxim of storytelling: show, don't tell. He told me why Luke was a completely different person. If he had spent more than a few brief moments showing me, I might have bought it. But he didn't. So I didn't. Neither did Mark Hamill. Or a ton of other fans, who are heartbroken (and I think always will be). But the majority of fans are not mad at Rian Johnson because he turned their lifelong hero into a grumpy old quitter. They're mad at Rian Johnson because he deprived them of Luke's journey to get there.

For all its crazy production problems, Solo had none of the above mentioned problems for this viewer. I look forward to owning it on BD, something I have yet been able to say about any of the other three movies.

I hope Solo does enough business to warrant a sequel. I'd much rather see that than Boba Fett. But both nights I saw Solo, neither theater was full. Both crowds seemed to laugh and enjoy themselves a great deal, as did I. I believe it was the legit backstory to Han, something I never truly felt about the distant characters and partial mess of Rogue One--at least until the last 40 minutes or so. But even then I didn't care about any of the characters (except the robot).

I think I may go back for thirds on Solo...there wasn't one single mention of The Force in it. I found that very refreshing because I think Disney overuses the Force; they don't respect the Force the way Lucas did.

Sad to me that in a fundamental way this might be the best Star Wars movie yet under Disney, but flash, not substance, appears to rule at the box office (and in other places too).

 

[Robert Crawford]

I remembered watching an interview of Ron Howard before a baseball game at Yankee Stadium when they were having a Star Wars promotion. During the interview he said this film would be a lot of fun with some wild rides as they try to give the audience an Indiana Jones feel to it in which the characters constantly finds themselves in different situations to overcome throughout the film.

 

[Rodney]

I watched it yesterday, in a theater that was not full. I give it a thumbs up.
I think others in this thread have captured how I feel about it. It was fun. And that was enough. It wasn't profound, it was just a fun adventure movie and I enjoyed it for what it is.

 

[Atari]

Saw it Thursday night in a 90% full theater. The crowd was really into it and made watching more enjoyable. Looking forward to seeing it once more this week.

 

[Tim Glover]

We have our tickets for tonight. Looking forward to it! Expectations are low but they were low when it was first mentioned they were making one. I also feel the same low expectations for any character spin off film. Whether its Solo, or even Obi Wan. I love those characters. But less is more in my book. I LOVE the character of Gandalf. But don't want to see a stand alone film.

That said, Hell yeah we going! Will the lower expectations play a role in my enjoyment ? Surely it will...just like over hyped expectations can decrease the joy too.

I'm not expecting nor should anyone, any re-inventing of the wheel or really any new SAGA tidbits to make it richer. A film about Han Solo should be fun and exciting; some witty humor/ him getting in and out of jams.

And Han kind of being adorable in the process.

 

[benbess]

Liked it but had some issues. Still thinking about it. I guess that's a good sign. My overall rating right now: "B+"

 

[ScottHM]

I'd agree with the general consensus that it was completely unnecessary...

You keep repeating that this film was "unnecessary". Virtually all films are unnecessary -- that doesn't keep some of them from being enjoyable.

---------------

 

[Carabimero]

Methinks if this film had come out around 2010 or so, many Star Wars fans, perhaps even those who now dismiss it as unnecessary, would be grateful to have it.

Speaking for myself, I'm very grateful for this movie. It's honest. No BS dialogue. No overbearing artistic conceit.

If I had to label some Star Wars movies unnecessary, I'd start with TFA, then I'd turn to Rogue One, and finally to TLJ. To me I could easily label those as totally unnecessary movies because, IMO, they don't ring true to Lucas's vision of Star Wars (the last 45 minutes of R1 not withstanding).

Solo did. If anything, this is the ONLY necessary movie for me.

I learned how Han and Chewie met. I saw the backstory about Lando and the Falcon. I learned how Han made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. This is big stuff. And it's believable. Unlike the bipolar disorder fest of VII and VIII.

IMO Solo is pound for pound a better written movie than any Star Wars film under Disney, but because it doesn't have a flashy scene to woo viewers, or Skywalker gravity, it's unnecessary?

Just the thought that someone would deem a fine movie like this unnecessary makes me sad.

And BTW: I don't think the movie's quality has much to do with the low box office. If interest has waned, it's because we just had a freaking Star Wars movie five months ago. Not enough time has passed. Releasing in May was a mistake. Also, a lot of fans I know are still pissed about the way Luke (and Mark Hamill) was treated in TLJ and don't feel like giving this repeat business. So blaming it on Solo being bad doesn't jibe with me. Seems to me, people who think this is a bad movie are in the minority.

 

[Tino]

Man I wish I felt that way Carabimero. Unfortunately I feel the opposite of every one of your points.

And I don’t agree that virtually all films are unnecessary. Wouldn’t it be dull if we all agreed all the time?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

As far as Solo box office goes...

I had mentioned earlier that for previous Disney-era SW films, the IMAX theater at AMC Lincoln Square - the largest screen in the country, and the company's flagship location - had such demand that they ran the IMAX version 24/7 through opening weekend. (They've done the same for Marvel films as well.) The demand for Solo never reached those heights, so they had scheduled 10:30pm showings and 2am showings, but not 5am showings. I've just noticed that the 2am showing for Solo tonight in IMAX has been canceled.

This would have been unthinkable for a Star Wars movie (or a Marvel movie) at this location. But "Solo" is behaving like an ordinary studio tentpole and not like a major special event movie. It's one thing that demand hasn't been there to justify running it on a fully 24/7 basis, but I can't recall an instance where a showtime which had been onsale for weeks was canceled the day of the show due to lack of demand. The 7pm show is only about 2/3rds sold out tonight, and the 10:30pm show tonight is only about 1/3rd sold - again, given this particular theater location and how these films historically have played, that's an unthinkable outcome.