Star Wars prequels… We can’t get enough of them. That’s because we have no choice: if you’re watching something Star Wars related, chances are it’s a prequel of some kind. More than most, this is a franchise very committed to showing us the origins of various characters and events years after we’re familiar with them, and as you know, some work better than others. When a new day aged for the Star Wars galaxy with the release of The Force Awakens in 2015, it was quickly followed by Rogue One which depicted the daring mission to steal the plans for the Death Star by members of the Rebel Alliance – these events obviously leading directly up to A New Hope.A year and a half later, we got Solo, a look at a formative time in the life of everyone’s favorite space scoundrel, Han Solo. Opinions on these films still run the gamut, both have their highs and lows, and for better or worse, they fill holes in the overall mythology of the series and are now considered canon.
So…which one would prevail in an outright duel? As mentioned, both of the films take a look at important events that took place before the legendary Original Trilogy. Rogue One answers questions that some fans had for years: how exactly did the rebels ever get their hands on the plans for the Death Star – not to mention why was the Death Star outfitted with such a vulnerable portal in which to destroy it, which of course Luke Skywalker accomplishes at the end of A New Hope. Turns out it was thanks to a predictably ragtag group of headstrong rebels, ultimately lead by the cynical Jyn Erso, whose father helped design the Death Star before he defected.
Jyn and her comrades have to jump through several dangerous hoops before getting their hands on the Death Star schematics and messaging them to the rebel alliance, but their victory is a bittersweet one as the Death Star blows up the planet, they’re on, killing them in the process… but not the success of their mission.
Solo looks at the maturation of young Han, who’s depicted as a brash, impulsive daredevil pilot with a heart of gold – so they weren’t exactly re-writing the legacy of the character here. We see that Han’s desire for money and the freedom to do whatever he wants is only overmatched by the pure romantic in him, as his one real goal is to be reunited with his love, Qi’ra. Han falls in with some questionable characters of varying morals, including mercenary Tobias Beckett, a helpful, and somewhat familiar Wookiee by the name of Chewbacca, and the stylish rogue known as Lando Calrissian. Getting mixed up in a plan to steal a hyperfuel called Coaxium for deadly crime boss Dryden Vos, Han ultimately ends up helping a small band of rebels defeat the crime syndicate, hence launching his future as a reluctant hero – who’s still determined to help himself out whenever possible.
This episode of FACE-OFF is written by Eric Walkuski, narrated by Shawn Knippelberg, edited by John Nguyen and produced by Adam Walton and Chris Bumbray. Let us know in the comments which movie is YOUR favourite but remember, the Wookie always wins!