Never in the history of the franchise has a movie been treated with as much trepidation as Solo: A Star Wars Story. But it doesn't deserve the hate; whether you tell him them or not, Han can beat the odds.The Last Jedi was perhaps the most divisive Star Wars movie to date, but surprisingly there's one thing fans are agreed on: Solo will be a disappointment. When Screen Junkies put together their "Honest Trailer" for The Last Jedi, they celebrated its divisiveness with a "certain point of view" - two Star Wars fans who were poles apart in their opinion on Episode VIII. And yet, when the video came to a close, they both shared the same opinion on what's next: "Shall we do this again for Solo? Nah, I'm not gonna see that cr*p." That's a pretty staggering assessment, given that - at the time - only one trailer for Solo had even been released.Related: Star Wars Theory: Solo Will Retcon Han's Original Character ArcStar Wars fandom has seemed almost united in this view ever since Lucasfilm first announced Solo. This particular anthology film was always viewed as unnecessary; do we really need to know how Han became a cynical smuggler? Every detail seems to have reinforced the general attitude of skepticism with which Solo has been greeted. The casting of Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han proved particularly divisive, given he has some very big shoes to fill. Recasting Harrison Ford with anybody but YouTube imitator (but definitely not actor) Anthony Ingruber has been sniffed at, although that misses that Ehrenreich has displayed real acting chops in a lot of productions, ranging from Hail, Caesar! to the under-appreciated Beautiful Creatures.The narrative seems to have become fixed: Solo is the latest misstep from Lucasfilm. But that narrative needs to be questioned, especially given the fact it's so pervasive. After all, just as there's more to The Last Jedi's backlash than a Rotten Tomatoes percentage suggested, this isn't just a story of a needless story ruined by a disasterous production.THIS PAGE: THE SOLO BACKLASH IS UNFAIR

Solo's Director Change Isn't Necessarily A Bad Thing

Phil Lord and Chris Miller in Hyperspace

Partway through production, Solo was rocked by a further controversy; directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller parted ways with Lucasfilm. They issued a brief statement stressing that "our vision and process weren't aligned with our partners on this project," and the narrative of chaos on Solo became fixed. Lord and Miller had built up a strong fanbase after 21 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie, so many immediately took their side. Solo, commentators believed, had joined the ranks of films that could have actually been good had studios not intervened. It stood alongside other troubled productions, like Fantastic Four, Suicide Squad, and the recent Justice League.

But that's too simplistic a view. The full story will probably never be known, but it seems the problems were actually with Lord and Miller (if not their fault); this time around, the studio got it right. The directors were used to a far more freestyle way of filmmaking, one that focused in on improv and "getting it in the edit". They set about creating what's been described as a sort of "screwball comedy," albeit one set in the Star Wars galaxy. StarWarsNewsNet even reported rumors that the directors introduced some sort of continuity error, one that would drive the fans crazy, and wouldn't budge on it.

RELATED: Solo's New Millennium Falcon Design Creates A Bizarre Plot Hole

A recent insider account on Solo's director troubles gave a hint of just how chaotic Lord and Miller's production was. Vulture's source described the two directors as essentially "out of control," asking for between 25 and 30 retakes of a single scene without telling the actors what they wanted to see change. But even that damning report (which, while surely from a verified source, makes some startling and unlikely claims) represents more poor planning on all parties' sides than it does anything truly wrong. Should Lord and Miller have been hired in the first place?

With that in mind, we're left with the impression that Kennedy and Lucasfilm made a bold but necessary decision to redo the film with Ron Howard. It wasn't a studio changing their vision or enforcing last-minute adjustments on a filmmaker. In fact, it was the opposite: an attempt to course correct before it was too late. Whether it is or not is yet to be seen, but it's not a cut-and-dry disaster.

What Alden Ehrenreich's Acting Coach Really Means

Han Solo - Harrison Ford and Alden Ehrenreich

Now let's focus on another specific issue: the acting coach. Lucasfilm insiders had continually stressed that Kennedy was delighted with her Solo. Then, in June 2017, the internet was rocked with the news that Lucasfilm had actually hired an acting coach for Ehrenreich. For many Star Wars fans, this was the final straw; they'd cast a Han who couldn't be Han.

But it's important to place this news in the context of an initially-chaotic production. Just what kind of performance were Lord and Miller expecting from Ehrenreich in the first place? One source claimed that they wanted something that was "oddly comparable to Jim Carrey's... in Ace Ventura at times". Even if it wasn't quite that zany, the fact remains that any actor will lose confidence when going through 30 reshoots. Furthermore, it's entirely possible the acting coach helped Ehrenreich to realize that he wasn't the source of the problem, causing him to raise the issue with Lucasfilm's producers (something that is also rumored). Whatever the case may be, every inside account has stressed that the acting coach transformed Ehrenreich's performance.

Related: Han Solo: The DGA Rule That Explains Lord and Miller's Mid-Production Firing

It's generally believed that Ron Howard reshot nearly all of Solo, for twice the budget. If that's the case, the bulk of Solo's footage was filmed after Ehrenreich's time with the acting coach. Like with the directors, any performance issues should be well and truly resolved.

Solo Has A Lot Going For It

It's important to remember that this troubled production actually has a lot working in its favor. One of the most important assets is clearly the script. Scriptwriter Lawrence Kasdan is the co-writer of The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens, and opted in to do Solo over any other Star Wars project. And, whereas Lord and Miller's improv style, as it deviated from the script changed things, in contrast, Howard has reportedly shot the script faithfully.

Ron Howard, of course, is another major asset. He's one of the most respected names in Hollywood, a workmanlike director who excels at motivating his cast and crew. Howard's experience includes classics like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, and he actually has history with Lucasfilm too; his breakout role was in George Lucas' American Graffiti, and they later approached him to direct The Phantom Menace. In addition to getting Solo back on track, Howard has also conducted a clever social media strategy; he's released a constant stream of set photos on social media, attempting to get the conversation back on track.

And whatever doubts some fans may have over Ehrenreich, the reality is that Solo has an absolutely stellar supporting cast. A particular highlight is Donald Glover's Lando, who's absolutely shone in the trailers. Howard has further increased the film's star power, recruiting Paul Bettany to play a crime boss who may well turn out to be Solo's main villain.

Read More: Wait, Who Exactly Is Solo's Villain?

The Trailers Have Sold Something Exciting

And now we get to something that makes everything before almost moot: the trailers have promised something good, a film that's a perfect blend of something old, and something new. All the traditional Star Wars concepts are in play, along with countless elements from the old Expanded Universe; the second trailer even introduced a character from the Star Wars Holiday Special. The trailers have made Solo feel like Kasdan's love-letter to the Star Wars franchise, and it's easy to understand why Lucasfilm was so protective of the script.

But Solo is no mere nostalgia vehicle; in Solo, everything old is young again, subtly changed and transformed. The trailer shows the Millennium Falcon like we've never seen her before, lovingly restored by Lando as though she's just come off the production line. Classic characters rub shoulders with newer figures, and there are even Easter Eggs to bounty hunters introduced in Rogue One. Cinematographer Bradford Young (the man behind Arrival's beauty) has accentuated lavish set designs, while the Kessel Run is absolutely beautiful. These trailers, while not as bombastic as some from the franchise, promise to develop themes and ideas that have rarely been explored in Star Wars. Thematically, the film feels like a cross between a Western and a heist movie, with some scenes reminiscent of Joss Whedon's Firefly.

Only one thing about the trailers has been worthy of controversy; their delay. It's true that marketing for Solo has been strangely sluggish, with Lucasfilm holding off on trailers till far later than fans had expected. But that decision was actually easy to understand; Lucasfilm were releasing Solo just a handful of months after The Last Jedi. They're not Marvel Studios, where releasing two films in such swift succession is the norm, so chose to concentrate their marketing on one film at a time, rather than risk diluting the impact of the trailers.

When Lucasfilm did choose to fire the gun on Solo's marketing, it was with an effective double-tap - a TV spot at the Super Bowl followed by a full trailer. Far from displaying a lack of confidence in the film, this was actually a smart marketing approach. Again, the reality has been missed in the face of the online narrative.

Read More: Solo's Trailer Delay Was Genius

Here's the thing about internet fashions; all too often, they have no basis in reality. A narrative has set in that Solo is a disaster waiting to happen, a film that's destined for poor reviews and low box office figures. The reality, though, is that Lucasfilm still have a potential winner on their hands; right now, all we've really seen of the finished movie are a couple of trailers and some promotional photos. It's far too soon to give up on the next Star Wars movie.

MORE: Solo: A Star Wars Story Trailer Breakdown Secrets & Things You Missed

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