So Low
Today is Star Wars Day ("May The Fourth Be With You"). So let's talk some Star Wars.
You used to wait three years for new Star Wars films, but since Disney took over, they're an annual event. (As opposed to Marvel films, which come out about every three months.)
Solo is still three weeks off, but I'm not feeling a lot of excitement. When I went to see Avengers: Infinity War--which itself had a lot of buzz--they showed some trailers for upcoming action films. And while the new Deadpool got the crowd going, they barely applauded Solo. Of course, I live in LA, where people are too hip to live.
It certainly doesn't mean Solo won't be a hit. In fact, it'll be a surprise if it doesn't make big money. And what matters most in the long run is still the quality of the film. But I think the early poor buzz, including the issue of replacing directors, has caused trouble.
But there's a bigger problem. So far, only one actor has played Han. A very charismatic actor. But the one chosen to play young Han, Alden Ehrenreich, means nothing to the audience. A couple years ago he was an up-and-comer, so perhaps the filmmakers figured they were getting him at the right moment. But he never up-and-came, at least not yet. (On the other hand, the choice of Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian seems more and more like a good idea. Though we'll see with that, as well.)
I'm not saying Ehrenreich is another Dane DeHaan (though they both have last names a lot harder to spell than Ford), but he really needs to prove himself. Solo looks like it has a decent cast, but it rests on his shoulders. So good luck. I know that hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster, but it looks like you'll need all the force you can get.
posted by LAGuy @ 10:07 AM
4 Comments:
But there's a bigger problem. So far, only one actor has played Han.
When Phantom Menace came out, viewers offered a long list of its flaws and awful aspects, and I agreed with pretty much all of them. But one of my biggest objections wasn't one that I heard much: The guy playing the young Obi-Wan was totally boring, and didn't remind me of Alec Guinness at all.
Ewan McGregor improved a lot by Episode 2 (which was awful for various reasons, but not because of him). In fact, I was pretty sure McGregor had been studying Guinness' work, because in Episode 2 he occasionally seemed to be mimicking the young AG. (Whom, in the interest of full disclosure, I know only from The Bridge Over the River Kwai.) This was a great thing to do, but he should have done it before Episode One.
The difficulty in Solo will be worse. Obi-Wan in the originals is an old man, so it's perfectly reasonable to expect his young self to be different in many ways. But Han Solo in the originals is still fairly young, especially in spirit -- so the new guy will be expected to seem a lot like him.
Hey, LAGuy, SWMBCg here. Speaking of too hip to live, what do you think of Bosch? Do you do those shows? ColumbusGal and I are loving it. (I'm liking the show much better than the books.)
I don't watch that show. For one thing, it's on Amazon, which I don't get. And I don't read those kinds of books.
Hey CG, please comment on Ohio primaries on Tuesday!
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