Going Solo

I walked to the local theater last evening and took in the latest Star Wars movie, Solo.  Didn't write about it last night because I'd already posted an entry yesterday and didn't write it earlier today because I spent most of today writing Saturday's post.  Got all that?

I don't have much to say about the movie.....other than a somewhat enthusiastic "meh".  It wasn't terrible.  It wasn't great.  It had some decent action sequences, an interesting twist at the end.  I wouldn't go back to see it again in the theater, but I'd give it another look when it's released for home viewing.  The best way to sum it up is by pointing out there was no part of it even remotely close to making my list of favorite/least favorite Star Wars moments.

I knew the movie wasn't projected to do well at the box office, and indeed it is on its way to becoming the first bomb in the Star Wars franchise.  After seeing the film I was curious why crowds are staying away - it wasn't that bad.  So when I got home I started reading through articles about the movie, not having done so prior to viewing for fear of stumbling into spoilers.  Some writers enjoyed it, some hated it, and many shared my "meh" reaction.  Interesting to me, though, was an explanation for why Star Wars fans weren't loving the movie, a reason that kept appearing in article after article.  Apparently many fans don't believe this is a movie that needed to be made.

Wait - what?  Am I reading that correctly?  The film didn't need to be made.  As opposed to all the other films in the Star Wars family that did NEED to be made?  Or, for that matter, all the films ever released that NEEDED to be made?  Should I still be asking questions, or were those statements?  For the life of me I can't think of a single movie that really needed to be made.  That, were it missing from my life, would leave a hole in my being were it taken away.  I have news for you, whiny Star Wars nerds who seem to think you're the Alpha and Omega for green lighting any and all Star Wars projects - no movies need to be made.  No movies need to be watched.  No movies need to be bought.     A movie is what it is - a story told loudly on a big screen.  Good ones, bad ones....movies are nothing but an option for how to spend our money and time.  None of them are needed.

So love it or hate it, Solo was made, is tanking, and will probably be remembered for only one thing - the first Star Wars movie to fail.  It took forty years and ten movies, but there's finally a chink in the Star Wars armor.  Let's hope whatever movie comes next restores balance to The Force of the franchise.