While watching this film, I couldn't help but feel that it was more like a television show than a motion picture. It doesn't really strike me as a Star Wars movie. Instead, it's something different.
Although the cast members did a really good job with what they had to work with, this came off as yet another prequel that lifts idea after idea from the movies that preceded it. For example:
As for the elements of the story that actually were somewhat original... those too were problematic. In particular, the liberties that were taken with the character of Lando. Despite this, Donald Glover did a great job of duplicating Billy Dee Williams' line delivery and mannerisms. Too bad the script and its interpretation of his character didn't rise to the same level.
There are a number of twists in the story that are a bit too pat. And relationships that clearly took a long time to develop only took mere hours or a few days to develop in this film's interpretation of Han. Chewie, and Lando's earlier years. Too many things just seemed a bit off -- enough so that I can't accept this as canon.
Finally, there's the score. Pretty much everything that wasn't composed by John Williams just didn't fit. It put me in mind of Back to the Future. Don't get me wrong.... I like Back to the Future. But if that's what I wanted to see, I would have just played that film instead.
I don't envy Ron Howard for the task of trying to patch this movie up and complete the project. Clearly, he and the actors did the best they could with what they were provided. However, it just does what so many of the recent films have done to this saga. And that is, they've made it a smaller and less awe-inspiring universe with changes to characters that go a long way to demystify something that should never be demystified.
Although the cast members did a really good job with what they had to work with, this came off as yet another prequel that lifts idea after idea from the movies that preceded it. For example:
- 'Got to get off of this planet'.
- 'I've got your money'.
- Thermal detonator.
- 'Watch this' followed by turning the ship sideways.
- The 'Fed to the beast in the pit' scene.
- 'I don't have it here, now'.
- Homing beacon attached to the Falcon.
- Interrupted kiss.
- The 'envoy with slaves' routine.
As for the elements of the story that actually were somewhat original... those too were problematic. In particular, the liberties that were taken with the character of Lando. Despite this, Donald Glover did a great job of duplicating Billy Dee Williams' line delivery and mannerisms. Too bad the script and its interpretation of his character didn't rise to the same level.
There are a number of twists in the story that are a bit too pat. And relationships that clearly took a long time to develop only took mere hours or a few days to develop in this film's interpretation of Han. Chewie, and Lando's earlier years. Too many things just seemed a bit off -- enough so that I can't accept this as canon.
Finally, there's the score. Pretty much everything that wasn't composed by John Williams just didn't fit. It put me in mind of Back to the Future. Don't get me wrong.... I like Back to the Future. But if that's what I wanted to see, I would have just played that film instead.
I don't envy Ron Howard for the task of trying to patch this movie up and complete the project. Clearly, he and the actors did the best they could with what they were provided. However, it just does what so many of the recent films have done to this saga. And that is, they've made it a smaller and less awe-inspiring universe with changes to characters that go a long way to demystify something that should never be demystified.