Spoilers Star Wars: Solo - Grading and Discussion Thread

[fireproof78]

The more I think about it, they really screwed up the Kessel Run. And now I'm gonna have to do something I hate: typing more than twenty words in a single post.

The original intention: The Kessel run is a route flown by Spice smugglers transporting Spice from the Spice mines of Kessel to wherever it ended. It's a well traveled route hence the term run and many pilots enjoy boasting about the number of parsecs in which they can do it under.

The new intention: The Kessel run is a route that seems to have been imrovised by a desperate Han Solo as a means of getting an unstable cargo of Coaxium from the Coaxium mines of Kessel to a specific location on the planet Vandor, by any means necessary before it exploded. Aside from that or a suicidal desire to be eaten by giant space Rathtars, there probably aren't many pilots willing to take that kind of risk on a regular basis. And since all Coaxium smuggled from Kessel would be unprocessed, they would have to. And finally, seeing how much death and destruction our gang had to go through just to get this batch, it's highly improbable that there would be an ongoing Kessel run to brag about.

The Disney Intention: There was one word in my first paragraph that's just as missing from my second as it is from the film itself: Spice. From what was originally intended, Han Solo was a Spice smuggler who smuggled Spice from the Spice mines of Kessel. Unfortunately that would make him the Star Wars equivalent of a drug smuggler and they can't have that. So what is Disney to do? Drop the Spice and invent Coaxium, the Star Wars equivalent of Dilithium crystals and the stuff that makes space travel possible. Ironically if this was Dune, we would just be right back to calling it Spice again.

So remember kids, Uncle Walt says: Always shoot first and just say no.

Did we know what Solo was smuggling when he dumped his cargo? And no, I'm not talking about the EU-I'm talking in the films. All the references seem to be "dump the cargo" without stating what the cargo is.

Secondly, I am ok with removing the spice angle. It's too generic of a term, and a deliberate Dune reference. Besides, as you alluded to, it makes Han a drug smuggler. Let's not have Space Narcos-yet.

 

[Owain Taggart]

So, saw it tonight. The trailers were doing nothing for me. That said, I was coming in with low expectations both due to the trailers and the word surrounding the movie, and honestly, I quite liked it. I think the criticisms towards the movie are way overblown. Not the best SW movie by a long shot, but it was quite entertaining. In fact, the only real criticism I have is towards the length. It was quite long, and I would have been happy with it ending earlier than it had.

I was initially skeptical of the choices for the roles of Han and Lando, but by the end, they had me convinced. Emilia Clarke was also quite good in this.

 

[Set Harth]

In the book Jedi Search of the old EU - from which the Kessel Run concept as seen in Solo is basically stolen - spice happens to be a mind-reading drug, like something out of the Dune series. It's like a combination of the Ixian Probe and the Truthsayer drug.

Did we know what Solo was smuggling when he dumped his cargo? And no, I'm not talking about the EU-I'm talking in the films. All the references seem to be "dump the cargo" without stating what the cargo is.

I'm guessing Ent-draught from Fangorn, to explain how the dude grew four inches since the last time we saw him.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The new intention: The Kessel run is a route that seems to have been imrovised by a desperate Han Solo as a means of getting an unstable cargo of Coaxium from the Coaxium mines of Kessel to a specific location on the planet Vandor, by any means necessary before it exploded. Aside from that or a suicidal desire to be eaten by giant space Rathtars, there probably aren't many pilots willing to take that kind of risk on a regular basis. And since all Coaxium smuggled from Kessel would be unprocessed, they would have to. And finally, seeing how much death and destruction our gang had to go through just to get this batch, it's highly improbable that there would be an ongoing Kessel run to brag about.

In fairness, I don't think what you've got here is accurate.

The Kessel Run was a circuitous charted path through the area of space near Kessel, representing a corridor that was safe to travel along. IIRC, this safe route was 20 parsecs long, and it was figuratively a gauntlet that smugglers leaving Kessel ran to get away with their spice, hence the name "Kessel Run." In Solo, Han got the Falcon out of that area of space by taking a more direct route only 12 parsecs long and change.

Is that how I imagined it? No. But there it is.

 

[fireproof78]

I'm guessing Ent-draught from Fangorn, to explain how the dude grew four inches since the last time we saw him.

That's Corellians for you

 

[Kirk Prime]

Regarding the Kessel run, it looks like Solo, with some good piloting and a good nav computer, managed to plot a better course through. Ok, that's fine, but that doesn't make the ship fast. It sounds like any ship with a good computer can do what the Falcon did. It wasn't speed. It was efficiency.

Trying to figure out the purpose of showing Maul, when this movie isn't likely going to have a sequel. We also know where Maul ends up and how he dies, and that wouldn't work on the big screen either.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Regarding the Kessel run, it looks like Solo, with some good piloting and a good nav computer, managed to plot a better course through. Ok, that's fine, but that doesn't make the ship fast. It sounds like any ship with a good computer can do what the Falcon did. It wasn't speed. It was efficiency.

Yeah, well, the idea seems to be that the speed of the Falcon is demonstrated by getting out of the gravity well that caught the space monster, and without that speed it would not have been able to survive the 12 parsec course.

Again: is this the sort of thing I had in mind? No, but, there it is.

 

[Jedi_Master]

The more I think about it, they really screwed up the Kessel Run. And now I'm gonna have to do something I hate: typing more than twenty words in a single post.

The original intention: The Kessel run is a route flown by Spice smugglers transporting Spice from the Spice mines of Kessel to wherever it ended. It's a well traveled route hence the term run and many pilots enjoy boasting about the number of parsecs in which they can do it under.

The new intention: The Kessel run is a route that seems to have been imrovised by a desperate Han Solo as a means of getting an unstable cargo of Coaxium from the Coaxium mines of Kessel to a specific location on the planet Vandor, by any means necessary before it exploded. Aside from that or a suicidal desire to be eaten by giant space Rathtars, there probably aren't many pilots willing to take that kind of risk on a regular basis. And since all Coaxium smuggled from Kessel would be unprocessed, they would have to. And finally, seeing how much death and destruction our gang had to go through just to get this batch, it's highly improbable that there would be an ongoing Kessel run to brag about.

The Disney Intention: There was one word in my first paragraph that's just as missing from my second as it is from the film itself: Spice. From what was originally intended, Han Solo was a Spice smuggler who smuggled Spice from the Spice mines of Kessel. Unfortunately that would make him the Star Wars equivalent of a drug smuggler and they can't have that. So what is Disney to do? Drop the Spice and invent Coaxium, the Star Wars equivalent of Dilithium crystals and the stuff that makes space travel possible. Ironically if this was Dune, we would just be right back to calling it Spice again.

So remember kids, Uncle Walt says: Always shoot first and just say no.

A few points:

"Intention" Kessel was depicted in the Expanded Universe, and various details were discussed, including what a "Kessel Run" included. That wasn't "intention" that was a group of authors expounding on the handful of lines referencing Kessel and Kessel runs in the canonical films.
The Expanded Universe was deep-sixed by the new fictional universe - runners, although they have a right to borrow characters and events from said EU.
Thus all we "know" about Kessel and Kessel Runs is no longer valid.
As per the film, the "Kessel Run" is a path that ships (both legal and illegal) take to ship coaxium from Kessel to refineries. Smugglers take a variety of routes, but the shortest route between Kessel and the refinery planet is 20 parsecs, too long of a distance for the Falcon to take the coaxium without specialized storage equipment.
The heroes were able to find a route that was just slightly longer than 12 parsecs due to L3 knowledge, Han's Piloting skills, and the timely infusion of Coaxium.

As for "Disney's intention" - it seems silly to remonstrate them for elaborating on what KIND of smuggler Han was, when canonical references never directly say WHAT it was that Han was taking from Kessel that he had to dump due to Imperial activity.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

it makes Han a drug smuggler. Let's not have Space Narcos-yet.

What makes you think Han wouldn't smuggle drugs? There'd obviously be a LOT of money in it. And It wasn't until the end of ANH that he ever grew a conscience.

 

[The Wormhole]

Smuggling drugs is probably one of the more tame assignments someone employed by Jabba could end up with.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Not directly referencing any drug smuggling in ONE movie does not fundamentally alter any character traits of Han Solo, particularly as he NEVER directly mentions smuggling drugs, nor does anyone else refer to him as smuggling drugs. It's almost like some folks haven't actually seen the movies.

 

[urbandefault]

I've never really been much of a Star Wars fan. That said, I enjoyed this movie. Thought it was well done.

 

[EnsignRicky]

"Spice in any of it's dozens of varieties, was the plague on the galaxy; A horribly addicting DRUG that it's victims would lie, steal, assault and murder for."
-Reflections of Eli Vanto

Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, April 11, 2017

 

[Campe]

"Spice in any of it's dozens of varieties, was the plague on the galaxy; A horribly addicting DRUG that it's victims would lie, steal, assault and murder for."
-Reflections of Eli Vanto

Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, April 11, 2017

Thrawn is canon. Okay, cool. But, where in that quote does it suggest that Han smuggled drugs?

 

[fireproof78]

What makes you think Han wouldn't smuggle drugs? There'd obviously be a LOT of money in it. And It wasn't until the end of ANH that he ever grew a conscience.

I didn't say I didn't think he wouldn't. I just stated my personal preference that there wasn't the assumption that he did.

 

[EnsignRicky]

Thrawn is canon. Okay. But, where in that quote does it suggest that Han smuggled drugs?

To the bitter end eh?

"Han, Han. If only you hadn't had to dump that shipment of SPICE. I just can't make exceptions. Where would I be if every pilot who smuggled for me dumped their shipment at the first sign of an Imperial starship? It's not good for business."
- Jabba the Hutt

Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope Special Edition, January 31, 1997
And every edition since.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

There are now four Hans.

Original mercenary Han from 1977.
Nerfed Han from 1997.
Revised nerfed Han from 2004.
And now "Solo" Han from 2018.

Depends which Han we're talking about.

To the bitter end eh?

"Han, Han. If only you hadn't had to dump that shipment of SPICE. I just can't make exceptions. Where would I be if every pilot who smuggled for me dumped their shipment at the first sign of an Imperial starship? It's not good for business."
- Jabba the Hutt

Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope, Special Edition, January 31, 1997
And every edition since.

But all that tells is that he dumped a shipment of spice. For all that tells us, he never carried any other spice shipment ever.

 

[EnsignRicky]

But all that tells is that he dumped a shipment of spice.

And that's all it has to tell. Spice is an illegal drug and Han is known to have transported it. What is so confusing here?

 

[Campe]

To the bitter end eh?

"Han, Han. If only you hadn't had to dump that shipment of SPICE. I just can't make exceptions. Where would I be if every pilot who smuggled for me dumped their shipment at the first sign of an Imperial starship? It's not good for business."
- Jabba the Hutt

Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope Special Edition, January 31, 1997
And every edition since.

To be fair, that's not the line:

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However, according to Wookiepedia apparently somewhere a canon references it as a spice shipment, so I'll give you that one.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

And that's all it has to tell. Spice is an illegal drug and Han is known to have transported it. What is so confusing here?

Well, what we know is that Han dumped it, so it's still an open question whether he intended to dump it all along. There's no proof that Han dumped it because he was afraid of being boarded; that's just what he told Jabba.

It's perfectly possible that future canon will establish Han as playing a role in actually transporting spice to its destination, but I'm not holding my breath for that moment to occur. And I'm not fully knowledgeable of the books and comics, so maybe it already has. But where?