J.F. Sebastian
Well-Known Member
The EU background story of Han being a former imperial pilot was worked into a story element in '99 (if I remember correctly) , the chapter was called 'Turrdko OR Break with tradition'. Snapped a pic for you :
Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Thread starter Vivek
- Start date
I'd rather have Han be an exemplary Imperial pilot, one of the best, then someone screws him over and that sets him on the path of only looking out for himself. He's honorable, even heroic, but something happens to make him say "Screw everyone!"
joshvanrad
Sr Member
Thank God the EU is dead!
My greatest fear remains this film is going to rip away too much mystery with senseless Disney exposition.
They could easily ruin the character for me, I need to be damn careful if I see this or not.
They could easily ruin the character for me, I need to be damn careful if I see this or not.
That’s quite a bit of hyperbole. Not sure how a film could possibly ruin a beloved character but YRMV.
Lord and Miller touch upon their removal...
http://www.slashfilm.com/lord-and-miller-solo-firing/
My imaginings of Solo pre-SW77 are pretty much as a self-centered (other than caring about Chewie), money obsessed bad azz. Start showing him
getting upset that mommy didn't love him, or where he got dis-illusioned with the galaxy, or where he learned to fly or someone holding his hand showing him the ropes
it tears down that considerably. Again, broken record I know, very much the Eastwood man with no name type, we never learn those things because it removes the magic of the character. The past should not be explained too much or it becomes.... oh that's why he says "I got a bad feeling about this" Because he is just repeating a Woody Harrelson mentor line. Ugh. If Solo has some backstory.. hint at it. don't show it for gawd sake.
Once something is seen it's in my head, I can't necessarily remove it. Dead Hicks and Newt for instance. Rather would never have seen that. Indy being thrown a live snake rope and acting sissy. Really rather would not have that in my head.
joshvanrad
Sr Member
Man, I'm about as pessimistic as it gets about movie franchises tanking, but it must be hard for some of you guys to see something and have it destroy the entire franchise. Wow.
I may not like the prequels and the holes they introduce in the OT, but I still love the OT on its own.
I may not like the prequels and the holes they introduce in the OT, but I still love the OT on its own.
If this movie turns out that bad, I doubt it'd take much to disassociate this "Han Solo" with the original one. How much do you associate Vader with the whining Ani?
Whereas I love and have re-read many times Brian Daley's Han Solo trilogy. He's a loner, even though he let Chewie in. It's by choice, not native instinct. He works hard at pushing people away, even though they see through it. Han Solo and the Lost Legacy gets into a little of his backstory, in the form of an old instructor of his pointing out to a companion who thinks little of Han "Did you see the piping he has on the shipboard trousers he wears? They don't give out the Corellian Bloodstripe for perfect attendance."
I can't remember where it was originally established, but the EU was pretty consistent throughout that he stopped a superior officer from beating Chewbacca, and was thus drummed out of the service. I love Ann Crispin's Star Trek writing, but was less impressed with her own Han Solo Trilogy of the late '90s. One thing I still maintain is that "how Han got the Falcon" should be alluded to, maybe even described, but still never happen onscreen. He should go from knowing Lando, who has the Falcon, in one installment, to having the ship himself in the next one.
I am withholding judgement on this until we know more or until I go see it. So far, I don't know whether they've nailed down anything specifically. Lando's in it, the Falcon's in it, Chewie's in it... but we don't know who owns what, or how much else we see -- before or after.
--Jonah
I see Han starting out as an 8 or 9 year old orphaned, cocky little street urchin, stealing food to live then maybe learning some skills from Woody's character after getting caught trying to steal from him. Then jump forward 10 years as we don't need too much of that. But definately show him as always being independent and capable, if always getting I to trouble. WHICH HE TALKS HIS WAY OUT OF.....EVERY TIME!
Admittedly yes, I have that gift in my head, it's the fact I am able to remember SW77 when that was ALL the SW there ever was. So I can go to that place and time
and imagine away the prequels, even ESB and ROTJ, and get back into the mystery of Vader again, and all the wonderings and conjecture of that time can come to life a little bit.
If I could change anything about the OT, I might prefer that things not be a family affair so much. Vader just a damn mean horrible warlord and I don't need to know or care why he is.
It's a nice place. But I was a kid back then and remember the three years before ESB and all the fan guessing.
As a jaded adult, after truly trying to digest the prequels for some time, and other film disappointments, I've decided it's not always worth trying to eat
that nasty fruitcake just because it's Christmas and maybe I will like it this year. I'll know when the reviews hit and some spoilers.
"the film opens with a teenage Han Solo at the local space malt shop betting his speeder is faster than Space Fonzi's....." Ugh.
Instead of "The film opens with a closeup of a blaster muzzle still smoking as held by a younger Han Solo, as he growls to his friend...
Come on Chewie, the mynocks will take care of the bodies for us."
Toadmeister
Sr Member
I can envision the opening scenes being a homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy steals the idol!
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robertsonick
Well-Known Member
Han isn’t The Man With No Name. Like at all! He’s not Harmonica in Once Upon a Time in the West and he’s not an Aladdin-esque street urchin. I understand this stuff, for some reason, makes characters more ‘bad ass’ to people but all Han is is a character in a Star Wars movie. And here comes another Star Wars movie with another of his adventures. There’s no curtain being pulled-back, he’s not an inherently mysterious character. The only reason we don’t know more is because understanding his entire life wasn’t necessary to his function in the other films he’s appeared in thus-far.
Now he will have his own movie so the time is right to see a cool guy **** **** up across the galaxy... ask me, that’s awesome.
The pedestal some of you guys put these characters on is mind-boggling sometimes.
It’s just a movie.
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Now he will have his own movie so the time is right to see a cool guy **** **** up across the galaxy... ask me, that’s awesome.
The pedestal some of you guys put these characters on is mind-boggling sometimes.
It’s just a movie.
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Sure he is, Lucas has called him a cowboy.... He isn't as much a loner as Eastwood's character but he's out for himself, chasing money, gunslinging when needed.
It's not a pedestal. It's the same box and he's right in there. Now it's not exact obviously we see smuggling, overly cocky, the pirate aspect, but pre-Leia it fits.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
"Sorry about the mess". "Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution. I’m not in it for you Princess. I expect to be well paid. I’m in it for the money."
“Better her than me,”
The only thing that's given me hope is the western aspect they have said they are trying to emulate.
robertsonick
Well-Known Member
I agree with all of that, Cessna - except that Eastwood’s character isn’t the only kind of ‘Cowboy’ - and Han is VERY far away from No Name. If it’s anyone, it’s Boba Fett.
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joshvanrad
Sr Member
Han always came off as more unpolished to me. He's not perfect at what he does, and sometimes he doesn't even do a good job of it. He's a smart-ass with a big mouth and it gets him in trouble. He usually finds his way out of trouble by cheating and using whatever means necessary to escape. I've never viewed him as some cold calculating badass mastermind. It's more like he's just always had "luck" on his side.
Things Han is to me:
A Liar
A cheater
A racer
A gunslinger
Resourceful
A Chance-taker
A smartass
A loudmouth
Sometimes a goofball
Someone who surprises himself from time to time
A loner
A reluctant friend
Things he is not:
Clint Eastwoodesque cowboy
Things Han is to me:
A Liar
A cheater
A racer
A gunslinger
Resourceful
A Chance-taker
A smartass
A loudmouth
Sometimes a goofball
Someone who surprises himself from time to time
A loner
A reluctant friend
Things he is not:
Clint Eastwoodesque cowboy
Absolutely, and this is strongly supported by the new canonical post ROTJ material and TFA. His marriage fell apart, he was estranged from his son and wife, he lost his ship, and was relegated to flying a cargo ship with dangerous contraband while screwing over various gangs. What’s with all Han hero worship? He’s a charming screw up.
Yes, the Clint Eastwood bit is definitely Boba Fett, not Han. Can you Eastwood's character in the Mos Eisley cantina scene bragging about his fast ship outrunning the imperials? No.
I mentally roll the characters of Han Solo & Indiana Jones together. Indy is Han with more book smarts and more cuts & bruises.
Harrison Ford would probably be annoyed to hear me saying this.
I mentally roll the characters of Han Solo & Indiana Jones together. Indy is Han with more book smarts and more cuts & bruises.
Harrison Ford would probably be annoyed to hear me saying this.
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Keycube
Well-Known Member
I think maybe it has something to do with (me) getting older, but I'm more interested in watching a character's internal struggle, in lieu of being outright whiz-bang entertained. I know we're probably not going to get that here, or maybe ever in a SW film's totality (although the catwalk scene in TFA and the post-Eadu raid dialogue between Jyn and Cassian in R1 was convincing to the point of chilling, IMO), but I miss that depth. I thought even Han's facial expressions and ambiguous vibe post-DS escape made him a much more complex character (though I'm not sure how much of that was intentional). Less is more, and all that. I don't need to have things thrown at me non-stop, let me marinate in the character a bit, you know? It only takes a couple minutes of "action" to get that wow-factor, but it takes serious time and exposition to make that action mean something.
Just praying for a little bit of depth. :-\
Just praying for a little bit of depth. :-\
Yeah, I get the feeling Harrison and Marcia Lucas were responsible for giving Han Solo more worth/depth than the character ever had on paper in ANH.
Imagine the Yavin medal ceremony scene without the shots of Han's expressions in there. A few seconds of stuff made a huge difference. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of that was just cutting-room-floor stuff, bits of blown takes where the actors started losing their straight faces. The editing turned it into some actual character-building work. The honor & respect of the ceremony was affecting Han. That stuff alone probably did a lot to smooth out Han's transformation from a freelance smuggler on Yavin to a rebel alliance member on Hoth.
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