Solo: A Star Wars Story

[rteetz]

Jon Kasdan’s tweet says it all.

He admits the movies are political and he’s not sorry about that.

Aren't a lot of movies political?

 

[adam.adbe]

Jon Kasdan’s tweet says it all.

He admits the movies are political and he’s not sorry about that.

You can beat on it all you like, but that horse is dead.

Of the top 50 grossing movies, maybe 15-20 of them aren't wearing their politics on their sleeves.

 

[umichigan10]

Aren't a lot of movies political?

Exactly. Could it be more subtle? 100%, and the best movies are more subtle about it. But most art is a product of the times

 

[tlmadden73]

Aren't a lot of movies political?

Exactly -- art over time (books, plays, etc.) often challenge some social/political issue of the time.

But, It feels overly forced in Star Wars (in Last Jedi specifically) because the political statement isn't within the plot of the story .. it is just over-compensating in character choices to push a "women can be powerful too" narrative. So you end up alienating your primary fan base (white males) by putting characters in the story purely to meet a quota, not to tell a compelling story.

You can push a political viewpoint and still have a good movie. Avatar for example - "Nature is good - greedy corporations bad", but surrounded by great visuals and a unique world to frame that worldview.

Solo, oddly, didn't seem to push a political viewpoint (I mean .. gasp .. all the main characters besides the leading lady where males!). The problem is that the Last Jedi was so obviously political to some (and just a mediocre movie with a ton of plot holes), that it hurt Solo.

That . .and releasing it weeks after Avengers and weeks before Incredibles 2 just seems like a dumb decision.

 

[DVCcurious]

Aren't a lot of movies political?

50 shades of grey wasn’t.

But I do think it was religious because I think I heard “Oh God, oh God”

 

[rteetz]

50 shades of grey wasn’t.

But I do think it was religious because I think I heard “Oh God, oh God”

That has absolutely nothing to do with this discussion. I suggest if you have nothing constructive to add to this discussion that you stop posting in this thread.

 

[Chef Louis]

Exactly -- art over time (books, plays, etc.) often challenge some social/political issue of the time.

But, It feels overly forced in Star Wars (in Last Jedi specifically) because the political statement isn't within the plot of the story .. it is just over-compensating in character choices to push a "women can be powerful too" narrative. So you end up alienating your primary fan base (white males) by putting characters in the story purely to meet a quota, not to tell a compelling story.

You can push a political viewpoint and still have a good movie. Avatar for example - "Nature is good - greedy corporations bad", but surrounded by great visuals and a unique world to frame that worldview.

Solo, oddly, didn't seem to push a political viewpoint (I mean .. gasp .. all the main characters besides the leading lady where males!). The problem is that the Last Jedi was so obviously political to some (and just a mediocre movie with a ton of plot holes), that it hurt Solo.

That . .and releasing it weeks after Avengers and weeks before Incredibles 2 just seems like a dumb decision.

The funny thing about TLJ is the Woman narrative didn't bother me nor the fact that Rey is a bit of a Mary Jane. I think it makes sense to diversify the cast as much as possible to pull in the most audience. Plus I like my heroes to be and look different from other movies and my daughter sure enjoys to have a hero that isn't a male.

The politics that bugged me were the anti-captilism message in the casino. I mean it's Star Wars made from Disney how much more capitalism is there those two companies, look at your local Target for that answer.

Anyways beating a dead horse on that one..still haven't seen this yet, hoping to soon.

I agree with rteez that most movies have a bit of politics in them, impossible really not to.

 

[Disneymom1126]

But, It feels overly forced in Star Wars (in Last Jedi specifically) because the political statement isn't within the plot of the story .. it is just over-compensating in character choices to push a "women can be powerful too" narrative. So you end up alienating your primary fan base (white males) by putting characters in the story purely to meet a quota, not to tell a compelling story.

Alienating white males by having strong female characters = making a quota...wow...gotta admit I'm a little taken aback by this viewpoint. If the movies aren't doing well for this reason than I think it reflects more poorly on the fan base than it does on Disney/LucasFilms...

Honestly, society is very different in 2015-2018 then it was in 1977-1983...thank goodness...representation matters and I for one am glad that they have taken steps to include more diversity among the characters/cast. Perhaps the 1977 fan base was primarily white males...you know all us women were at home raising the children and doing the laundry and couldn't head to the movies...but that certainly is no longer the case. History may be told/written from the viewpoint of white males, but that doesn't mean that current storytelling needs to be. The idea that only white male jedi are or could be important to the story line seems pretty misguided to me.

 

[umichigan10]

Exactly -- art over time (books, plays, etc.) often challenge some social/political issue of the time.

But, It feels overly forced in Star Wars (in Last Jedi specifically) because the political statement isn't within the plot of the story .. it is just over-compensating in character choices to push a "women can be powerful too" narrative. So you end up alienating your primary fan base (white males) by putting characters in the story purely to meet a quota, not to tell a compelling story.

You can push a political viewpoint and still have a good movie. Avatar for example - "Nature is good - greedy corporations bad", but surrounded by great visuals and a unique world to frame that worldview.

Solo, oddly, didn't seem to push a political viewpoint (I mean .. gasp .. all the main characters besides the leading lady where males!). The problem is that the Last Jedi was so obviously political to some (and just a mediocre movie with a ton of plot holes), that it hurt Solo.

That . .and releasing it weeks after Avengers and weeks before Incredibles 2 just seems like a dumb decision.

How is female leads “alienating” white males? As a member of that demographic I was completely fine with Rey being the lead. It’s not like daisy ridley is a terrible actress. She kills it in that role.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Aren't a lot of movies political?

I ignore the politics in movies. Otherwise I might become as cynical as some of my friends.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Solo, oddly, didn't seem to push a political viewpoint

well, they had L3 - but it was done by a side character and with humor so maybe didn't bother people

 

[BrianL]

How is female leads “alienating” white males? As a member of that demographic I was completely fine with Rey being the lead. It’s not like daisy ridley is a terrible actress. She kills it in that role.

I'm not sure either and as a male, I often enjoy female leads (though I prefer Jyn Erso to Rey - but Rey's okay too). Not to get too deep into it, but ALL of the Star Wars movies have had some political observations and messages. The OT was a response to Vietnam era and the idea of imperialism. The PT definitely had a response to the wars at that time and the idea of sacrificing freedom for security. Lucas didn't write those stories the way they are by accident. These kinds of things can and should change with the times too. They're what connect the present audience with the story. I'd hardly call any of the Star Wars films "preachy" or anything, but the message has always been there.

 

[Disneymom1126]

I'm not sure either and as a male, I often enjoy female leads (though I prefer Jyn Erso to Rey - but Rey's okay too). Not to get too deep into it, but ALL of the Star Wars movies have had some political observations and messages. The OT was a response to Vietnam era and the idea of imperialism. The PT definitely had a response to the wars at that time and the idea of sacrificing freedom for security. Lucas didn't write those stories the way they are by accident. These kinds of things can and should change with the times too. They're what connect the present audience with the story. I'd hardly call any of the Star Wars films "preachy" or anything, but the message has always been there.

Yes...absolutely this...episodes I-III get a lot of flack, but the politics are what make them enjoyable to me.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Exactly -- art over time (books, plays, etc.) often challenge some social/political issue of the time.

But, It feels overly forced in Star Wars (in Last Jedi specifically) because the political statement isn't within the plot of the story .. it is just over-compensating in character choices to push a "women can be powerful too" narrative. So you end up alienating your primary fan base (white males) by putting characters in the story purely to meet a quota, not to tell a compelling story.

You can push a political viewpoint and still have a good movie. Avatar for example - "Nature is good - greedy corporations bad", but surrounded by great visuals and a unique world to frame that worldview.

Solo, oddly, didn't seem to push a political viewpoint (I mean .. gasp .. all the main characters besides the leading lady where males!). The problem is that the Last Jedi was so obviously political to some (and just a mediocre movie with a ton of plot holes), that it hurt Solo.

That . .and releasing it weeks after Avengers and weeks before Incredibles 2 just seems like a dumb decision.

i don't think that was the politics in the new trilogy - I think it is much more about the New Order representing the far Right and the resistance being the #Resist movement in the U.S.

 

[BrianL]

Yes...absolutely this...episodes I-III get a lot of flack, but the politics are what make them enjoyable to me.

Yeah, I never really understood the hate for the PT in general, but also the accusation that there were too many scenes in the Senate. Not that much time is really spent on it, and what is there is actually pretty interesting. I thought so anyway.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

Exactly -- art over time (books, plays, etc.) often challenge some social/political issue of the time.

But, It feels overly forced in Star Wars (in Last Jedi specifically) because the political statement isn't within the plot of the story...

Yeah this over politicizing is a problem in this generation's Disney films; from Zootopia to The Last Jedi. The only franchise that has mostly avoided it is the Marvel films. ...but if it's a Disney film, or a Lucasfilm product, you can bet your movie ticket that you're going to have to slog through some social justice signaling.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

Yeah, I never really understood the hate for the PT in general, but also the accusation that there were too many scenes in the Senate. Not that much time is really spent on it, and what is there is actually pretty interesting. I thought so anyway.

My problem with the PT (apart from Jar Jar) is the directing, and as a byproduct, the acting. It's bloody awful. If Lucas had just hired directors for the three films, they probably would have been much better.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Yeah, I never really understood the hate for the PT in general, but also the accusation that there were too many scenes in the Senate. Not that much time is really spent on it, and what is there is actually pretty interesting. I thought so anyway.

well, some of the acting is terrible in the PT, they killed off two of the most interesting characters in the first one, some of the senate scenes get a bit tedious, the "love story" just comes off awkward ...

I still maintain that a really good editor could take the content of the PT and make 1 or 2 really good movies as there are definitely some good parts

 

[BrianL]

My problem with the PT (apart from Jar Jar) is the directing, and as a byproduct, the acting. It's bloody awful. If Lucas had just hired directors for the three films, they probably would have been much better.

Well, that's all fair, but a common criticism is that there is too much "boring senate stuff" and there really just isn't that much. Now, certain arcs of The Clone Wars...maybe, but the movies themselves. It's just a few minutes here and there, and actually they're very strong scenes. Padme shines in the Senate as opposed to in her screen time with Anakin. Ian McDiarmid obviously crushes it as Palpatine. It's just a strange aspect the people seized on that I just do not see.

 

[umichigan10]

I'm not sure either and as a male, I often enjoy female leads (though I prefer Jyn Erso to Rey - but Rey's okay too). Not to get too deep into it, but ALL of the Star Wars movies have had some political observations and messages. The OT was a response to Vietnam era and the idea of imperialism. The PT definitely had a response to the wars at that time and the idea of sacrificing freedom for security. Lucas didn't write those stories the way they are by accident. These kinds of things can and should change with the times too. They're what connect the present audience with the story. I'd hardly call any of the Star Wars films "preachy" or anything, but the message has always been there.

I will say I think the message has become a bit heavy handed in the last couple of films. TLJ was pretty transparent with their message and I honestly like it more of a nuanced look at things where the message is there but more hidden in plain sight