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Fireside Chats, Episode 40: The Divisive 'Solo' (Patreon)

Published:
2018-06-05 16:00:01
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2026-06
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Content

Late last year, my brother Dagan Moriarty -- Lead Animator and Designer at Sesame Workshop (for which he and his team recently won an Emmy!), and co-host of the retro/nostalgia podcast CLS: KnockBack -- sat down with me for a discussion about the Star Wars film The Last Jedi. To follow that up, Dagan and I went to see the new Star Wars movie Solo while we were recording Wave III of KnockBack in Philadelphia, and sat down to record a Fireside Chat chronicling our thoughts. Don't worry: We won't hold you to a life debt if you agree with our opinions.

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Comments

Jason Stafford

Just started listening, but I wanted to say that Han Solo was supposed to be in his early 30's in ANH, and this movie appears to be about 10-13 years before ANH, putting Han in his early 20's. Remember that there are 19 years separating Revenge of the Sith and ANH. Traditionally there were 3 years separating ANH and ESB. 1 year separating ESB and RotJ. Can't wait to listen to more!

Matthew Ward

Man this is the one that I have been waiting on since I saw the movie. I can't wait to hear Colin and Dagan's perspectives!

Brad Bury

Simply put, I agree with both of your sentiments. Great episode!

Adam Niksch

When this movie was first announced, I thought the best it could do was just be fine. I think I ended up feeling it was just fine, maybe a little better than I expected. I think my biggest complaint is that it, aside from the stuff on Kessel, it didn’t really feel like a Star Wars movie. I thought that the movie got way more interesting when Lando and L3 were introduced. It’s definitely better than the last Jedi, but I still feel like it wasn’t a movie that needed to be made. I do think Ron Howard saved this from being a total disaster, and I’d like to see what he’d do being in charge from day 1.

Matt Kuryloski

I'm only 6 minutes in but I'm so glad you guys liked it. It's such a bummer to see that the movie isn't doing well at the box office, and sitting considerably lower on rotten tomatoes. This movie is so much better, and makes me excited for Star Wars again. I do not want more movies like The Last Jedi, I want more like Solo-- albeit maybe not make every movie about a character or event we already know. Edit: Also, to add on, the main part of the movie is 10 years before ANH. It does not butt up like Rogue One does.

Leo Maniscalchi

Love when you guys talk Star Wars! Just saw Solo and thought is when good, not great but much better than I thought it would be with some fantastic moments.

Josh James

Quick fact check Maul in the film is acted by Ray Park but voiced by Sam Witwer who provides the voice for Maul in the animated series. Love the content btw.

Andrew Lee

I made it a point to avoid any and all trailers in the lead up to both Solo and Avengers: Infinity War and I definitely think that helped my overall enjoyment of both movies. I wasn't weighed down by my own preconceived notions based on the trailer footage, nor did I have any important scenes or plot details spoiled either. I'm definitely sticking with the "stick my fingers inside my ears and yell lalalalala every time a tv spot plays" strategy for the foreseeable future.

Owen

So for more //pushes glasses up on his nose// moments - Maul was killed 2 BBY - Solo takes place somewhere around 10 to 13 years BBY (supposedly). With Jabba, Han works for Jabba for a while as a smuggler, so the bounty that Jabba places on his head isn't right away. Think the events that lead to the bounty were actually pretty close to New Hope.

Owen
>>12870043

Also the concept of the Life Debt that Chewie owed Han came from the Han Solo Adventures novels. Was never mentioned in the films.

Jason Stafford

I'm really sad that we probably won't get sequels to this movie. The way the ending is set up we would have gotten to see Q'ira working for Maul's crime syndicate, potential future run-ins between Han and Lando, and the ongoing process of Han losing his ability to trust before eventually regaining it in the OT. Han Solo has always been my favorite character. I just want more Han. I used to roleplay in an mmo called Star Wars Galaxies and my character was the perfect mixture of Han and Lando. I just can't get enough! Roleplaying that character actually gave me the charm and courage I needed to woo my wife. Before that I couldn't access that part of my personality.

Peter Campbell

Enjoyed the podcast. Don't agree with you on it at all. It was pretty weightless and had very meh action which had no drive, which was the problem with the story. I've been souring on the film a lot since I saw it due to its essential laziness of showing stuff that was referenced and doing it in a boring way. I think the actors carried the film a lot through horrible rough spots (the beginning and end especially). To me, this is the weakest of the new films save Force Awakens. That Lando robot sidekick was so, so awful. That was probably the breaking point for me. Worse than JarJar. Anyway I'm glad you liked it.

Will Hahn

Great chat! I’m so glad you two liked Solo, considering you said it was going to be bad before you saw it!

Jeshua Anderson

The movie was fine to me. Not good or bad just...*shrug* fine. It felt unnecessary. But you guys brought up something i never considered, and may be a possible reason some see it so differently. If you went in and came out thinking it was supposed to be a one off movie, its kind of a weird mess. However if you see it as the first of 3 movies, you accept it more for what it is.

Jeshua Anderson

OH MY GOD! The PM Dawn break was the fucking BEST!!! You EARNED my $10 this month sir!!! SO good!

LastStandMedia
>>12867097

I agree it didn't feel like a Star Wars movie, but truthfully, I didn't think Rogue One did, either. It just had the trappings of one. But it wasn't one. I think Solo is a bit more off the beaten path, for sure, but part of what I liked about it was that it felt distinct.

LastStandMedia
>>12867707

It's weird what a "bust" is considered, y'know? It'll make its money back, after all is said and done, with international box offices, long burn domestically, and home/VOD release, not to mention toys and all the rest. I think they took a risk, and I don't think their marketing or their seeming lack of confidence did the film any favors.

LastStandMedia
>>12869223

Shockingly, I didn't see any Solo trailers either. I'm weird with the media I'm looking forward to. I very rarely need to see much of anything to get sold on trying something. I just need to hear the idea, usually.

LastStandMedia
>>12872661

I really do wonder. I wonder if Disney will just push forward, anyway. It would be weird to leave all of that unresolved.

LastStandMedia
>>12876274

Thank you! I assumed it'd be bad, but I felt like it wouldn't be the closer I got, if that makes any sense.

LastStandMedia
>>12876560

Yeah. I mean, I think the ending really wasn't great, and I think it was a little strange with all of the double-crossing. I'm also not sold on the cameo at the end. But... I did like it. More than any other Star Wars movie not called Rogue One or from the original trilogy.

Michael Ferrari

I’m curious. I just thought of something while you guys were discussing the end, specifically Han killing Woody Harrelson, Han SHOOTS FIRST. I wonder if this was intentionally done to counter act Lucas changing the Greedo scene. Hmm....

Phil Walker

Hey guys. Loving your work together, really really great chemistry together. Only criticism is that there isnt more! Ive gone through all the episodes now so far and now I dont know what to listen to on my walk to work! I wasnt a big fan of the movie. It just dragged a lot for me. To my suprise nothing about the characters or acting irked me! I just though the movie was a bit long and the 3 main sequences could have been snappier and more exciting. I never really felt much tension. Hooking up the train car, dragging the fuel back up the mine and Beckett injecting the fuel are the three instances I felt like 'this is going on way too long'. I did however hate Darth Maul in this movie. I agree he should never have been killed off to begin with but forcing him back into the universe (I hated it in the Clone Wars aswell) is just so cheap. It cheapens the whole notion of death in the Star Wars storytelling. He gets sliced in half, falls down some endless pit in what looked like some reactor complex, smashing into the walls as he falls, but he survives. Really really bothers me and as I said, cheapens any kind of death. I love Woody Harrelson's character (as I do in all his movies). He is the kind of actor who brings a genuine charm and realness to Star Wars that I feel like the new trilogy is severly lacking. I thought Han comforting him was genuinely touching moment. Han was ruthless, but still not wanting him to die as Beckett wasnt a bad guy, he was just doing what he had to do to survive in his line of work. Keep up the good work

Eric S

I have to say the bad Luke is something I agree with Dagan on it just does not make sense to me as I see Luke. For the the side EU movies Solo is my favorite followed by Rogue One. They both in my opinion far outclass the main line movies. For me I liked Solo so much because I cared about all the characters even Lando’s droid L3-37. Such a great character in my opinion and like you said the part where she is telling the other droid you don’t have to do this you can choose is just classic. I also liked finally seeing how Han won the Falcon and the Kessel run part. It just really I guess brought me back to the original trilogy which has really good memories for me. I could listen to you and Dagan talk Star Wars anytime!! I also would really enjoy a Obi Wan movie with Ewan McGregor. I think that would be a great movie and in it I wish they would show more Qui-Gon at some part because that was one of my favorite Jedi characters. Any way thanks again for another great listen!

Eric S

Also Kylo Ren is not a good character to me and too emo in my opinion.

Josh Brown

I think the soundtrack to this movie was great. John Powell did a great job.

Josh Brown

I also thought it was weird that he had to turn his lightsaber on but have since heard that they filmed it with the lightsaber because it was hard to tell who it was without it.

LastStandMedia

Thank you for your feedback! I'm not excited about Episode IX for the same reason it sounds like you are: I have no idea what the stakes are, or why I should even care. That's a problem for me.

LastStandMedia
>>12884831

Nice feedback. Y'know, I'm troubled by Maul, too, and I think you expressed why in a better way than I have up to this point. Nothing is sacred in this universe, and it's strange. It's just like that Leia-floating-through-space scene in Episode VIII. Like, really?

LastStandMedia
>>12885760

Seeing more Qui-Gon would be rad. Like I said in the show, that intro sequence in Phantom Menace is so, so good. It's such a shame that the movie unravels from there. But in that moment, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are like the coolest things ever.

Anonymous

Great episode, I'm glad you guys seem to have enjoyed the movie as much as I did. I can't believe you didn't mention Han shooting first in the final confrontation with Woody's character, that was such a highlight for me, totally bought Alden as a young Han.

Taylor Laduron

Figured you guys would be presently surprised! Glad you guys liked it.

AndyofCT

I'm glad you guys liked it, but I was actually really bummed out by Solo. I really wanted to like it, but for me it was a huge letdown. Donald Glover's Lando was great and Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra was a strong addition to the Star Wars universe of character (plus the hidden mastermind was a fun treat) and there were a number of fun pieces, but I was really disappointed by sum of the parts. Finding out that Ron Howard reshot 70% of the scenes, I honestly feel like it would have served the film better to just scrap all the Lord & Miller scenes and reshoot the whole thing as a "Ron Howard" film. Based on the low box office returns, if the extra $30m could have garnered a better prerelease response, it probably would have been money well spent. Instead, the movie that does exist feels like two different visions hacked together in editing with CGI filler scenes to add low stakes "danger" to the Kessel Run and certain characters seemingly hanging chads from a previous iteration (not unlike Superman 2). For me, Solo is a throwaway and hopefully the next anthology movie will have more care put into the storytelling than hitting a predetermined release date... but that's just me¯ \_(ツ)_/¯

AndyofCT

Sidenote- the cut out in the front of the Falcon is the escape pod the Han dislodges.

Brock Thomas Walsh

Listened this morning. Absolutely love this episode. I could legit listen to you and Dagan talk about star wars forever. I really love all of your content with him and sooo glad Knockback is a thing. One of my favorite things you have ever done. Thank you Colin

LastStandMedia
>>13010401

I'd love to see the original cut. That's for sure. I can't help but wonder what was original and what was reshot.

AndyofCT
>>13010401

I know everything with Paul Bettany, because the original villain was a mo-capped Michael K Williams (from The Wire). Got to assume the droid cage fight, too, since Clint Howard was the ringleader. Who knows what else though...

Christian Doolan

Hi guys! I’m glad Solo and Rogue One exist as they are both impressiiive prequels to ANH.

Christian Doolan

At this rate, how long until Disney go full circle and give us the Vader movie/s he deserves? It doesn’t have to be a hexalogy. Do you think he should or could appear in the Kenobi film? Great show again fellas!

Christian Doolan

Oh and I hope you had or are having a great vacation Colin!

Tony Palylyk

I just listened to the first half of this where Colin and Dagan debate the timeline of the movie. The fact that Darth Maul is in it makes the timeline pre-Episode 1. So assuming Episode 1 is 20ish years from Episode 4, Han must've been quite young in this movie, maybe even around 18 years old.

Kenny Gutzler

4 months later, finally able to see it - loved it. Glad I can finally listen to this.