This isn't going to be like other reviews, mostly. Instead of just saying why this disappoints and was pointless, I'm going to suggest something to read instead, as a direct replacement, since this fell so far short of earning its place in the canon of Star Wars fans' hearts.
Excepting Rogue One (which had its own problems, but I still consider to be the only Disney Wars film that has any place alongside episodes IV and V) this is the only Disney Wars film with a director that could have created a good Star Wars film. In fact, Ron is the one George wanted to direct the Prequels. (Dammit, Ron! Why now?!)
Unfortunately, the script is, of course, rubbish, giving uncompelling backstories and is almost entirely concerned with answering stupid questions no one cared about, while being used as a fix-it setup for badly written sequel lore in the main series, while being insultingly and obnoxiously "Hello, fellow kids" with hollow corporate social pandering.
It's not entirely without anything good. The acting is almost all good, unlike the main series. I don't remember why they fired the black actor and hired Paul Bettany to replace him, but that's a thing that happened. Woody Harrelson is always good, but most everyone else was just kind of there.
The plot? I barely remember it. There was some backstabbing, some ret-conned fuel nonsense, and some premature Darth Maul cameo that is now extra pointless since this film bombed.
Also, this film just didn't feel like Star Wars. Rogue One felt like Star Wars, which is why people loved it, if perhaps with too little reservation. There were just too many rubber-stamped franchise inclusions handed down by a corporate committee for this to feel like a genuine effort. Thus the blehhh.
Now, here's the point where I tell you what you may want to read if you want to see an actual Han Solo origin story with an interesting plot and characters, and compelling social/civilizational science fiction concepts. A.C. Crispin wrote a book called Paradise Snare that serves as an origin story for Han Solo. It covers his childhood as a gang street urchin, but the main story chronicles his misadventures on a mind-control cult's drug producing colony. It's both fun and serious, while serving as a great introduction for Han's history, character flaws, and cynical, disaffected persona. Han's a character that I'm kind of ambivalent towards, but the book makes him more sympathetic and compelling.
Review by LNeroBlockedParent2022-11-07T01:58:18Z
This isn't going to be like other reviews, mostly. Instead of just saying why this disappoints and was pointless, I'm going to suggest something to read instead, as a direct replacement, since this fell so far short of earning its place in the canon of Star Wars fans' hearts.
Excepting Rogue One (which had its own problems, but I still consider to be the only Disney Wars film that has any place alongside episodes IV and V) this is the only Disney Wars film with a director that could have created a good Star Wars film. In fact, Ron is the one George wanted to direct the Prequels. (Dammit, Ron! Why now?!)
Unfortunately, the script is, of course, rubbish, giving uncompelling backstories and is almost entirely concerned with answering stupid questions no one cared about, while being used as a fix-it setup for badly written sequel lore in the main series, while being insultingly and obnoxiously "Hello, fellow kids" with hollow corporate social pandering.
It's not entirely without anything good. The acting is almost all good, unlike the main series. I don't remember why they fired the black actor and hired Paul Bettany to replace him, but that's a thing that happened. Woody Harrelson is always good, but most everyone else was just kind of there.
The plot? I barely remember it. There was some backstabbing, some ret-conned fuel nonsense, and some premature Darth Maul cameo that is now extra pointless since this film bombed.
Also, this film just didn't feel like Star Wars. Rogue One felt like Star Wars, which is why people loved it, if perhaps with too little reservation. There were just too many rubber-stamped franchise inclusions handed down by a corporate committee for this to feel like a genuine effort. Thus the blehhh.
Now, here's the point where I tell you what you may want to read if you want to see an actual Han Solo origin story with an interesting plot and characters, and compelling social/civilizational science fiction concepts. A.C. Crispin wrote a book called Paradise Snare that serves as an origin story for Han Solo. It covers his childhood as a gang street urchin, but the main story chronicles his misadventures on a mind-control cult's drug producing colony. It's both fun and serious, while serving as a great introduction for Han's history, character flaws, and cynical, disaffected persona. Han's a character that I'm kind of ambivalent towards, but the book makes him more sympathetic and compelling.