History YMMV / Solo

** L3's demands for droid rights are laughed off as PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad, but considering that L3 and many other droids have human intelligence, feel resentful of their status as second-class citizens, and express desire to not be owned by anyone, [[StrawmanHasAPoint she might be completely right.]]

** L3-37's crusade for Droid Rights that defines her character is often brought up as an example of PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad in this movie. Thing is, Droid Rights have been an issue brought in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' here and there for about as long as the old EU has existed, long before Disney bought ''Star Wars'', most notably as the subject of a Flashpoint in ''[[VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic The Old Republic]]'' and as a possible character motivation in [[TabletopGame/StarWarsRoleplayingGame Star Wars: Edge of the Empire tabletop game.]]

** [[spoiler: Tobias's original crew, Val and Rio, are both killed in the botched train job when so much more could've been done with their characters, with Rio being a friendly DeadpanSnarker AcePilot and Val being a no-nonsense JerkWithAHeartOfGold who is one half BattleCouple alongside Tobias. Them being killed despite these interesting traits is similar to how the cast of ''Film/RogueOne'' died while [[WeHardlyKnewYe with little development despite their interesting potential]], and just feels like a waste of characters. Jonathan Kasdan later said he regretted this with Val in particular, as casting as big a name as Thandie Newton gave the audience an unfair expectation about how big her role would be.]]

** The Empire's invasion of Mimban, also known as the setting of the book ''Literature/SplinterOfTheMindsEye,'' the very first ''Star Wars Expanded Universe'' novel ever. Were they just there to spread peace and order throughout the galaxy? Or was the Empire there to lay claim to the Kyber Crystal, with known Force-Amplification powers? It wouldn't be the first time the Emperor would use military action to further his own Force-based plans...

** While a lot of people criticized the film for the [[TroubledProduction sheer number of problems with its production]], this would, in fact, hardly be the first time that a ''Star Wars'' film has had these issues. That honor goes to none other than ''Film/ANewHope'', which was plagued by so many production problems that nearly everyone, including Lucas himself, thought it would fail. The main difference is that while ''A New Hope'' was (at that time) a completely new franchise, this time the film has several incredibly successful predecessors and a ''very'' large fanbase -- and it came close on the heels of the divisive film ''Film/TheLastJedi''.

* ContinuityLockOut: Audience members who did not watch ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' (and to a lesser extent ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'') will likely be wondering why [[spoiler:Maul is still alive and kicking or if they only knew about his survival [[ItWasHisSled via word of mouth]], why he has any involvement in the criminal underworld]] near the very end of the movie.

* ItWasHisSled: [[spoiler:Maul is the boss of Crimson Dawn.]] Said character had already become a massive case of LateArrivalSpoiler for a few earlier works in the franchise, so as is pretty much always the case for a new ''Star Wars'' movie, news of the cameo spread like wildfire around the internet within days of the movie's release.

* WinTheCrowd:
** As controversial as the casting of relative unknown Alden Ehrenreich was for Han, many fans were delighted by the casting of Donald Glover as Lando, considering that he was the ''unanimous'' top pick among fan-castings for the character.
** After the PR disaster that naturally came with firing the original directors from the project, Ron Howard sharing content from the set of the film did a lot to help reassure fans that the movie was in good hands.
** The release of the teaser during the 2018 Super Bowl also quelled a lot of negative buzz around the film, along with the trailer a day later.
** The second trailer showed a lot of promise, with its more adventurous and fun tone, and a more solid look at how well Ehrenreich's portrayal of Han holds true to Ford's.

** The plot shares many elements with ''Literature/TheHanSoloTrilogy'', with changes to certain names and organizations.

* AssPull: The reveal that [[spoiler:the Crimson Dawn was working for Maul]] comes ''completely'' out of left field, with no foreshadowing throughout the film aside from occasional mentions that Dryden serves a higher power who is dreaded by many (which could refer to anyone). It's even more jarring to a casual viewer who had probably only seen the films and wondered how [[spoiler:Maul survived being ''sliced in half'' and falling thousands of feet down a massive shaft in ''The Phantom Menace'']], [[ContinuityLockout which is only explained in tie-in materials]] like ''The Clone Wars'' and ''Rebels'' (though with the caveat that ''The Clone Wars'' was tie-in material a large swath of the public actually saw).

* ContinuityLockout: Audience members who did not watch ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' (and to a lesser extent ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'') will likely be wondering why [[spoiler:Maul is still alive and kicking or if they only knew about his survival [[ItWasHisSled via word of mouth]], why he has any involvement in the criminal underworld]] near the very end of the movie.

** Easily the biggest one happens at the very end of the film, when Qi'ra contacts the Crimson Dawn's boss: [[spoiler:''Darth Maul''.]] Especially so for people who hadn't seen ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Rebels]]'' and [[spoiler: thus didn't know that he survived his apparent death in ''[[Film/ThePhantomMenace The Phantom Menace]]]]''.

** L3-37's crusade for Droid Rights that defines her character is often brought up as an example of PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad in this movie. Thing is, Droid Rights have been an issue brought in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' here and there for about as long as the old EU has existed, long before Disney bought ''Star Wars'', most notably as the subject of a Flashpoint in [[VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic The Old Republic]] and as a possible character motivation in [[TabletopGame/StarWarsRoleplayingGame Star Wars: Edge of the Empire tabletop game.]]

* AssPull: The reveal that [[spoiler:the Crimson Dawn was working for Maul]] comes ''completely'' out of left field, with no foreshadowing throughout the film aside from occasional mentions that Dryden serves a higher power who is dreaded by many (which could refer to anyone). It's even more jarring to a casual viewer who had probably only seen the films and wondered how [[spoiler:Maul survived being ''sliced in half'' and falling thousands of feet down a massive shaft in ''The Phantom Menace'']], [[ContinuityLockout which is only explained in tie-in materials]] like ''The Clone Wars'' and ''Rebels''.
** Zigzagged in that [[spoiler:The Clone Wars was tie-in material a large swath of the public actually saw.]]

** The presence of Twi'leks in the background of the Super Bowl teaser seem to address complaints about the lack of familiar ''Star Wars'' aliens in the Sequel Trilogy and less so for ''Film/RogueOne'', the first anthology film. Further confirmed by the presence of a suit of the much-beloved Mandalorian armor in the background of the second trailer. The presence of Pykes in the movie has also been praised, not only because they are another group of familiar aliens, but also since they were only restricted to animation and books prior to this movie. Furthermore, one of Enfys' Cloud Riders, Chussido, is clearly a Rodian, a very classic species from the franchise.

** [[spoiler:Maul igniting his lightsaber in front of Qi'ra]] was criticized by some for being perhaps a bit too obvious example of fanservice, not to mention looking a little bit silly. The author of the novelization confirmed that it was both 1) a straightforward case of IntimidationDemonstration, and 2) Qi'ra [[InternalReveal didn't actually know who he was before then]], ([[FridgeBrilliance which makes perfect sense]], since [[spoiler: Force users, at this time in the galaxy, are supposed to be extinct.]])

* FanDislikedExplanation: The revelation that Han got the surname "Solo" from an imperial recruitment officer simply because he was alone at the time has been widely ridiculed by fans, even by those who otherwise enjoyed the film. Many found the explanation unnecessary (especially given how over-the-top some names can be in the franchise), and just raised the question why Han would continue to use the name long after he stopped working for the Empire.

** Original directors [[Creator/PhilLordandChrisMiller Phil Lord & Chris Miller]] were fired and replaced by Oscar-winning Director Creator/RonHoward after four months of principal photography. Nearly two years after their firing, Lord and Miller went on to win an Oscar for ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'', while also signing up to direct the sci-fi heist film ''Literature/{{Artemis}}'', which one would notice has similarities to ''Solo''.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Pre-release caused many to question the need for a Han Solo origin story when one of the reasons he was a beloved character for his mystique and what we DID know about Han was all that was really needed to understand the character.[[note]]While Star Wars Legends DID give Han a backstory it was considered to be superfluous and only a fraction of the franchise's fans were aware of it.[[/note]] Not helping matters was the fact that [[ViewersInMourning several viewers were still mourning]] Han's death in Film/TheForceAwakens. Add these factors together and its not too surprising the film bombed financhally.

** Zigzagged in that [[spoiler:The Clone Wars was tie-in material a large swath of the puglic actually saw.]]

* FanDislikedExplanation: The revelation that Han got the surname "Solo" from an imperial recruitment officer simply because he was alone at the time has been widely ridiculed by fans, even by those who otherwise enjoyed the film. Many found the explanation unneccesary (especially given how over-the-top some names can be in the franchise), and just raised the question why Han would continue to use the name long after he stopped working for the Empire.

* ShockingSwerve: The reveal that [[spoiler:the Crimson Dawn was working for Maul]] comes ''completely'' out of left field, with no foreshadowing throughout the film aside from occasional mentions that Dryden serves a higher power who is dreaded by many (which could refer to anyone). It's even more jarring to a casual viewer who had probably only seen the films and wondered how [[spoiler:Maul survived being ''sliced in half'' and falling thousands of feet down a massive shaft in ''The Phantom Menace'']], [[ContinuityLockout which is only explained in tie-in materials]] like ''The Clone Wars'' and ''Rebels''.

** Subverted with [[spoiler:Enfys Nest. Though she has the CoolMask, filtered voice, and cool, unique weapon that almost always signifies bad guys in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe, she's actually not evil at all.]] But ''[[EnsembleDarkhorse definitely]]'' [[EnsembleDarkhorse still cool]], however.

** There were also a lot of people complaining that nobody "wants" this movie, with many stating that this is secretly just [[ScapegoatCreator Disney]] trying to milk childhood nostalgia and nothing else. [[https://geektyrant.com/news/george-lucas-was-developing-a-han-solo-film-before-disney-bought-lucasfilm George Lucas himself was already working on the movie]] even before he sold Lucasfilm to Disney, with this movie especially being the Kasdans' pet project since that time. And a huge impetus for the creation of the original ''Star Wars Extended Universe'' was the ''ceaseless'' clamoring for stories about Han and Chewie and more details of their implied history, stretching all the way back to TheEighties.

** This film takes advantage of Erin Kellyman's inherently innocent looks to instantly make clear that Enfys Nest isn't actually a villain. This was later turned on its head in ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', where she uses those looks to pose as a hostage of the terrorist group she's actually the leader of, and get the drop on Bucky.

* HesJustHiding: [[spoiler:Some fans aren't willing to believe that Aurra Sing died from simply being pushed to her death. Even with the [[NoodleIncident lack of context]] and Aurra going through [[PowerCreepPowerSeep adaptational Force-depowerment]], Aurra has survived ''Slave I'' crashing and exploding with her inside. However, given that Maul is also a character in this film, and he came back after ''being cut in half and dropped down a bottomless pit'', it's not impossible that she could still be out there. It's also [[UnreliableNarrator completely in character]] for Beckett to lie about killing her.]]

** Due to the film's {{Sequel Hook}}s ([[spoiler:namely, Han going to work for Jabba, and Maul's cameo]]), many fans treat ''Solo'' like it had a sequel in the works that was [[CutShort cancelled]] after the film bombed. While both such hooks will likely be used for future stories, it was never officially confirmed that the film was going to have an outright sequel. The decision to use [[spoiler:Maul]] as Crimson Dawn's boss came from the fact that Ron Howard's son Reed grew up on and enjoyed the prequels, so Ron Howard decided to [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants throw in]] [[spoiler:Maul]] (out of many other candidates for Crimson Dawn's boss) as a tribute to his son's generation. Even if the [[spoiler:Maul]] cameo ''was'' hinting at a future story, it would more than likely not be hinting towards a sequel to ''Solo'', but rather for the {{Revival}} of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', in which [[spoiler:Maul]] will likely play a significant part.

** There were also a lot of people complaining that nobody "wants" this movie, with many stating that this is secretly just [[ScapegoatCreator Disney]] trying to milk childhood nostalgia and nothing else. [[https://geektyrant.com/news/george-lucas-was-developing-a-han-solo-film-before-disney-bought-lucasfilm George Lucas himself was already working on on the movie]] even before he sold Lucasfilm to Disney, with this movie especially being the Kasdans' pet project since that time. And a huge impetus for the creation of the original ''Star Wars Extended Universe'' was the ''ceaseless'' clamoring for stories about Han and Chewie and more details of their implied history, stretching all the way back to TheEighties.

* ItsTheSameSoItSucks: One of the reasons for why Han/Qi'ra was looked down on was because of disinterest in another tragic romance as a major point of the movie. It's been done in the Prequel Trilogy, ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' (by giving Han/Leia a HappyEndingOverride), and ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Rebels]]'', and predictions for the future of the Kylo Ren/Rey shipping after ''Film/TheLastJedi'' follow the same path (the popular stance being that Rey and Kylo are in a tragic romance). Instead of yet more [[StarCrossedLovers doomed love]], a number of fans feel that Han and Qi'ra should've been akin to siblings to parallel Luke and Leia or Ezra and Sabine instead.
* ItWasHisSled: [[spoiler: Maul is the boss of Crimson Dawn.]] Said character had already become a massive case of LateArrivalSpoiler for a few earlier works in the franchise, so as is pretty much always the case for a new ''Star Wars'' movie, news of the cameo spread like wildfire around the internet within days of the movie's release.

** A large number of fans are only going to see the movie for Creator/DonaldGlover as Lando Calrissian. Quite a few have even stated that the movie should have focused on him instead.
** Quite a few fans have stated they're only going to see the film for the inclusion of [[ComicBook/StarWarsTagAndBink Tag and Bink]] (although their scene ended up being cut from the movie).

** Quite a few fans have stated they're only going to see the film for the inclusion of [[ComicBook/StarWarsTagAndBink Tag and Bink]].

** Qi'ra is Rey's mother or grandmother; [[spoiler:after a while her double dealing caught up with her and she had to hide out as a petty crook on Jakku, where she hooked up with an equally pathetic guy.]]

** The Empire's invasion of Mimban, also known as the setting of the book ''Literature/SplinterOfTheMindsEye,'' the very first Star Wars Expanded Universe novel ever. Were they just there to spread peace and order throughout the galaxy? Or was the Empire there to lay claim to the Kyber Crystal, with known Force-Amplification powers? It wouldn't be the first time the Emperor would use military action to further his own Force-based plans...

** [[spoiler: '''MAUL''' is back.]] What else needs to be said?
** Subverted with [[spoiler: Enfys Nest. Though she has the CoolMask, filtered voice, and cool, unique weapon that almost always signifies bad guys in the Star Wars universe, she's actually not evil at all.]] But ''[[EnsembleDarkhorse definitely]]'' [[EnsembleDarkhorse still cool]], however.

** While a lot of people criticized the film for the [[TroubledProduction sheer number of problems with its production]], this would, in fact, hardly be the first time that a Star Wars film has had these issues. That honor goes to none other than ''Film/ANewHope'', which was plagued by so many production problems that nearly everyone, including Lucas himself, thought it would fail. The main difference is that while ''A New Hope'' was (at that time) a completely new franchise, this time the film has several incredibly successful predecessors and a ''very'' large fanbase -- and it came close on the heels of the divisive film ''Film/TheLastJedi''.
** There were also a lot of people complaining that nobody "wants" this movie, with many stating that this is secretly just [[ScapegoatCreator Disney]] trying to milk childhood nostalgia and nothing else. [[https://geektyrant.com/news/george-lucas-was-developing-a-han-solo-film-before-disney-bought-lucasfilm George Lucas himself was already working on on the movie]] even before he sold Lucasfilm to Disney, with this movie especially being the Kasdans' pet project since that time. And a huge impetus for the creation of the original Star Wars Extended Universe was the ''ceaseless'' clamoring for stories about Han and Chewie and more details of their implied history, stretching all the way back to TheEighties.
** L3-37's crusade for Droid Rights that defines her character is often brought up as an example of PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad in this movie. Thing is, Droid Rights have been an issue brought in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' here and there for about as long as the old EU has existed, long before Disney bought ''Star Wars'', most notably as the subject of a Flashpoint in [[VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic The Old Republic]] and as a possible character motivation in [[TabletopGame/StarWarsRoleplayingGame Star Wars Edge Of The Empire tabletop game.]]