RotS has a special place in my heart since I grew up with the prequels. Getting to watch Anakin’s fall into becoming Darth Vader was incredible. It really felt like the whole series had been building up to that one moment.
Solo is my favorite of the Disney offerings since it recaptured the fun of Star Wars. It’s stupid and schlocky and I love every minute of it. Really wish it hadn’t bombed and I blame TLJ entirely. We could be in a golden age of standalone Star Wars movies like Solo and Rogue One if not for TLJ and ROS ruining everything.
I’m surprised to see Solo so high. It was definitely way better than 8 or 9 and I 100% agree with you that the movie was punished for the sins of 8. Han meeting Chewbacca and getting the Falcon was great. The Parsec Run was made well and I’m glad they included it.
For me, the movie just has too much fan service. Han getting his gun, his vest AND his name in the movie was too much for me. Maybe it sounds nitpicky, but it was so much fan service that I felt disrespected as a viewer. It is almost like they wanted to bribe me with nostalgia so I like the movie, and that backfired. The overall pacing of the movie was alright, but every 10 minutes they had to add a “oh remember this from Star Wars?” moment and that was too forced for me.
“Fun” means something different to everyone. In general, I would say that if Star Wars ever had a consistent tone, “fun” isn’t it. The OG trilogy is “fun” in the sense that there are brief moments of comic relief, but some may say the inventiveness and the world-building made it fun. The prequel trilogy is “fun” because it has rad lightsaber battles, but otherwise, they’re terribly dull films.
I don’t disagree that experiencing SW is fun, but the movies aren’t really fun in my opinion. At the films’ best, they’re thrilling adventures, but incredibly dark in tone. A swashbuckling heist movie sounds like great fun and that it could fit inside the SW universe, but it doesn’t seem like it has any of the hallmarks of any of the films.
When I think of Star Wars I think of a fantasy adventure in SPACE!
Luke swinging across a pit to escape the Stormtroopers and save the princess. The ear candy that is Jango Fett’s seismic charges. R2 firing a lightsaber out of his head from Jabba’s yacht. Yoda lifting the X-wing out of the swamp. Podracing.
These were the things George Lucas was really good at. Quotable, cheesy dialogue. Intense action scenes. Over the top drama. Eye candy.
I don’t think of it as dark or complicated. It can tell dark stories, and I love what the EU has done in that space, but it’s ultimately an optimistic setting where light triumphs over darkness.
That’s probably where Solo belongs in terms of quality.
It just scratched an itch for me. Like they went out of their way to make a movie that catered specifically to my tastes and the things I enjoy in Star Wars.
Best to Worst
3, Solo, 5, R1, 6, 4, 1, 2, 7, 8, 9
RotS has a special place in my heart since I grew up with the prequels. Getting to watch Anakin’s fall into becoming Darth Vader was incredible. It really felt like the whole series had been building up to that one moment.
Solo is my favorite of the Disney offerings since it recaptured the fun of Star Wars. It’s stupid and schlocky and I love every minute of it. Really wish it hadn’t bombed and I blame TLJ entirely. We could be in a golden age of standalone Star Wars movies like Solo and Rogue One if not for TLJ and ROS ruining everything.
I’m surprised to see Solo so high. It was definitely way better than 8 or 9 and I 100% agree with you that the movie was punished for the sins of 8. Han meeting Chewbacca and getting the Falcon was great. The Parsec Run was made well and I’m glad they included it.
For me, the movie just has too much fan service. Han getting his gun, his vest AND his name in the movie was too much for me. Maybe it sounds nitpicky, but it was so much fan service that I felt disrespected as a viewer. It is almost like they wanted to bribe me with nostalgia so I like the movie, and that backfired. The overall pacing of the movie was alright, but every 10 minutes they had to add a “oh remember this from Star Wars?” moment and that was too forced for me.
My List is 5, 3, 4, R1, 6, 1, Solo, 2, 7, 8, 9
“Fun” means something different to everyone. In general, I would say that if Star Wars ever had a consistent tone, “fun” isn’t it. The OG trilogy is “fun” in the sense that there are brief moments of comic relief, but some may say the inventiveness and the world-building made it fun. The prequel trilogy is “fun” because it has rad lightsaber battles, but otherwise, they’re terribly dull films.
I don’t disagree that experiencing SW is fun, but the movies aren’t really fun in my opinion. At the films’ best, they’re thrilling adventures, but incredibly dark in tone. A swashbuckling heist movie sounds like great fun and that it could fit inside the SW universe, but it doesn’t seem like it has any of the hallmarks of any of the films.
Personal opinion. Not here to start a war.
All fair points!
When I think of Star Wars I think of a fantasy adventure in SPACE!
Luke swinging across a pit to escape the Stormtroopers and save the princess. The ear candy that is Jango Fett’s seismic charges. R2 firing a lightsaber out of his head from Jabba’s yacht. Yoda lifting the X-wing out of the swamp. Podracing.
These were the things George Lucas was really good at. Quotable, cheesy dialogue. Intense action scenes. Over the top drama. Eye candy.
I don’t think of it as dark or complicated. It can tell dark stories, and I love what the EU has done in that space, but it’s ultimately an optimistic setting where light triumphs over darkness.
Haha yeah Solo was just good old Star Wars fun. R1 honestly stands as my 3rd favorite.
This list is accurate although I would place solo behind 4
That’s probably where Solo belongs in terms of quality.
It just scratched an itch for me. Like they went out of their way to make a movie that catered specifically to my tastes and the things I enjoy in Star Wars.
It wasn’t just TLJ - they released it at basically the same time as Infinity War. It is almost like they wanted it to bomb.