Episode 39: Star Wars Episode 7 + 8 + Solo Review

Topic: Star Wars Episode 7 + 8 + Solo Review

The Month of Star Wars continues, and we move on the most recent collection of movies.  We’re discussing Solo: A Star Wars Story, Episodes 7 and 8, and we’re watching Episode 9 this weekend.  Mom shares her distinct objective going in to Star Wars this time around.  She’s such a nerd now… it’s awesome.  Come hear Our thoughts of this, and leading up to Episode 9!

Solo: A Star Wars Story

1. Orphans Han Solo and Qi’ra(Kira) are trying to escape Corella and Gangster life. They bribes the Empire to escape, but Qi’ra gets apprehended.  Han vows to return and enlists with the Empire.
2. Han fails to become a pilot and becomes an Imperial infantry man. He meets a group of criminals and tries to convince them to let him join up.  He fails and is arrested and thrown in to a prison with Chewbacca.  They eventually get recruited by the criminals
3. Criminals try to steal Coaxium, starship fuel, but fail due to interference from pirates and most of the team dies.
4. Han and Chewbacca learn that Beckett was to steal the Coaxium on orders from Dryden Vos, a dangerous Gangster. They go to him and purpose to get the Coaxium from a different venue.  Qi’ra is found to be working for Vos and is assigned to help Criminals
5. Criminals go to recruit Lando Calrissan, L3-37, and the Millennium Falcon to assist with getting Coaxium from Kessel.
6. They successfully infiltrate and steal Coaxium from Kessel, but lose L3-37, who is installed in to the Millennium Falcon.  They are stopped by the Empire and escape by traveling throughuncharted/dangerous space leading to Kessel.
7. Upon Landing to offload Coaxium for refinement, Lando leaves in Millennium Falcon and criminals are visited by the Pirates and learn they are part of the Rebels fighting the Empire.
8. Han and Chew go to deliver Coaxium to Vos, but are double crossed by Beckett, who explains that the Coaxium that Chew and Han brought it a fake, but the real stuff is with the Pirates.  Han later explains that it is the real Coaxium as the pirates don’t have it. 
9. Beckett takes Chewy at gunpoint and leaves with Coaxium. Han fights and kills Vos, and then goes after Beckett to save Chewy.  Han saves Chewy by killing Beckett, while Qi’ra takes over gangsters, talking to Darth Maul and returning to him.
10. Chewy and Han meet with Lando and end up winning the Millennium Falcon.  They Travel to Tatooine for business with the Hutts.

Trivia

• Harrison Ford liked the movie, but declined to go to the premier as he didn’t want to overshadow cast.
• First film to never mention Jedi.
• Joonas Suotamo first movie after taking over role of Chewbacca from Peter Mayhew.
• When discussing where to steal Coaxium From, Scarif is mentioned.  Scarif is where the Death Star was being developed in Rogue One.

Ep7

Force Awakens

1. 30+ years after Battle of Endor, the First Order has taken the place of the Galactic Empire and wants to destroy the Republic.  Poe Dameron a part of the Resistance and is on Jakku, trying to find the where-abouts of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.  Kylo Ren finds Poe Dameron and takes him, but leaves behind his droid BB-8
2. On the Star Destroyer, Stormtrooper Finn is having issues and defects, rescuing Poe and escaping with him back to Jakku to recover BB8.  They crash and Poe is separated from Finn, who leaves to find shelter.
3. Rey is a scrapper who finds BB-8 and offers to take him to find his master. They meet with Finn who lies and says he’s a part of the Resistance.  They commandeer the Millennium Falcon and escape to space.
4. Rey and Finn are found by Han Solo and Chewbacca, who take back the Millennium Falcon and offer to take them somewhere where they can reach the Resistance.
5. Crew on Millennium Falcon fly to Takodana.  Han offers Rey a place on his ship while Finn seeks to find work to escape the First Order.  Rey discovers Luke’s Lightsaber(Formerly Anakin’s) and has a Force vision.  She drops the lightsaber, running away, but Finn Picks up light saber.
6. The Cantina where the crew are at is attacked by First Order, but are later rescued by the Resistance.  Kylo Ren kidnaps Rey, and takes her to his ship. 
7. Kylo Ren has difficulty using the Force against Rey and she is discovered to be Force user.
8. Han, Chewy, Finn, and Leia return to Resistance Base to discover First Order’s new Death Star, the Star Killer.  Han, Chewy, and Finn will fly Millennium Falcon to Star Killer base and deactivate shields for X-wings to target.  Poe found alive and will lead X-wing fighters.
9. Han, Chewy, and Finn break in to Star Killer Base to rescue Rey, but find her along the way.  Han and Chewy go to planet explosives to destroy shield generator, but Han is stopped by Kylo Ren.  Han says he wants to save his Son, but Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) relents, saying he needs to kills the thing holding him back.  He kills Han Solo.
10. Chewy blows the up shield generator, giving Poe a chance to attack.  Kylo Ren chases Finn and Rey in to forest and Finn fights Kylo Ren with lightsaber.  Finn loses badly, but Rey pulls Lightsaber to her and fights Kylo Ren, beating him.
11. Star Killer base destroyed, everyone returns to the Resistance.  Poe continues to help Finn recover from injuries alongside Leia.  Rey and Chewy get the map to Luke Skywalker so that Rey and start her training to become a Jedi.

Trivia

• Harrison Ford got top Billing in movie, and is the first non-Jedi character to do so.
• Oscar Issac‘s (Poe Dameron) uncle was a huge Star Wars fan and asked director if he could visit set. Director agreed and after tour offered the uncle a chance to be an extra.  He was on Jakku with his nephew during opening scene.
• Rey’s outfit was designed around original sketches for Luke during development of original 1977 film.  These sketches led to discussion of Luke character being a woman, but was ultimately discarded.
• 3^rd movie after Avatar and Titanic to break $2 billion in box-office.

Ep8

The Last Jedi

1. The First Order has found the Resistance, and after Poe leads a successful, but with heavy casualty, fight to escape with Leia and Finn.  Kylo Ren’s master, Snoke, mocks Kylo Ren for trying to be like his Grandfather, Darth Vader.
2. Rey offers the light saber to Luke but Luke tosses it aside.  Rey eventually gets Luke to give three lessons on the Jedi/Force. 
3. Poe, Finn, and Leia learn that the First Order is tracking them through HyperSpace.  In an attack, much of the Resistance leaders are killed, but Leia barely survives by using the Force. Finn and Rose leave to find a hacker to deactivate the tracking device.  Leia is replaced by Admiral Holdo who tells Poe to relax and follow her orders.
4. Rey has visions with Kylo Ren and they talk. After explaining the Force, Luke eventually explains that he felt the Dark Side of the Force in Kylo Ren and considered killing him.  Kylo Ren woke up after Luke realized what he was thinking was wrong, but it was too late.  Rey leaves to go help friends and redeem Kylo Ren
5. Luke goes to destroy remaining Jedi material, but is stopped by Force Ghost Yoda, who sets Luke right and tells him what he should have done.
6. After Finn and Rose recruit a hacker, they travel to Snoke’s Capital ship, which is chasing the Resistance.  Holdo is try to escape to nearby planet in shuttles, but Poe starts a mutiny and takes control of the fleet.  He is stopped by Leia, but only after Finn and Rose are captured by the First Order and about to be killed.
7. Rey makes it on to Snokes ship, but is immediately captured by Kylo Ren.  Snoke interrogates her to learn Luke’s location, but Kylo Ren kills Snoke.  Rey and Kylo Ren fight local guards and then fight over Luke’s Lightsaber.  Lightsaber breaks and Rey escapes.
8. Holdo used remaining capital ship to ram in to Snoke’s Ship, saving Finn and Rose, who join up with Poe and Leia on nearby Planet.  Poe, Rose, Finn, and Leia old off First Order while they look for help.  Rey comes in Millennium Falcon to save them.
9. Luke arrives on the planet to save everyone.  He distracts Kylo Ren in Lightsaber battle, but is later revealed to be there via the Force Projection.  Everyone escapes the First Order, but Luke dies, but becomes one with the Force.  Resistance barely survives, and is now on the run from the First Order.

Trivia

• Mark Hamill did not like the direction that Luke Skywalker took, but maintained his professionalism and respect for the director during filming.
• Actor Laura Dern (Admiral Holdo) said pew every time she shot her blaster.  This is a mimic of when people with lightsaber would make the lightsaber noise when swinging the lightsaber around.
• Porgs in the film were created because of various Puffins on the island and being unable to remove them due to local laws.  Porgs where a way to cover them up.
• Ewan McGregor expressed interested in reprising his role as Obi-wan, but couldn’t due to not having a place for him in the story.