Solo

I had planned to go to an inter-faith Iftar in Beaverton... but the new Han Solo Star Wars movie premiered the same night, and, Star Wars always wins over, well, everything.

Of course Harrison Ford is Han Solo. Period. But I was still willing to give a new actor and a prequel a go.

I avoid news about movies being filmed as much as possible - I hate spoilers. But I did know that the original directors had been fired and there was MUCH reshooting and editing. Many said it was a sign the film would be a mess. But, hey, remember that the original Star Wars, A New Hope, was also edited into a film far different than what George Lucas originally filmed, and it was FOR THE BETTER. In other words, I tried to go in with as open of a mind as possible.

So, what did I think of Solo: A Star Wars Story?

Here be spoilers - please don't read if you haven't seen it, because the reveals are most of the fun.

I liked it. I enjoyed it. Here's what I liked:

• I accepted a different actor as Han Solo far better than I thought I would 
• I LOVED seeing Chewbacca fight (OMG - we've waited way too long for this)
• Han shot first (YES)
• Donald Glover was PERFECT
• gorgeous production design
• Woody fit right in
• loved the sassy robot and the robot rebellion 
• loved the battle bots tribute
• *loved* the reveal of who the marauders are 

Downsides:

• the story felt hodgepodge and disjointed
• I never was moved to really want to have any strong emotion
• the other Wookies looked like the costumes came from a cut-rate store, especially their faces
• I do not accept a space octopus. That was a physics-rule-bending too far. Do not talk to me of a space slug - I can believe an atmosphere on an asteroid, but not this. 
• And, most of all, the female lead was so FLAT and BORING. I don't know if it was the actress or the character but BLAH. Every Star Wars female lead has been so compelling and interesting until this wet rag. No fire, nothing intriguing. WHY would Solo be attracted to her at all? There was no chemistry between them. None. By the time of the big reveal at the end, all I could think was, who cares?  

And two more things:

These days, I only watch official Star Wars movies - I didn't watch Clone Wars on TV or Forces of Destiny wherever that was shown and I don't read any of the MANY affiliated novels or comics around now, so a lot of references in the new movies people are getting excited about mean nothing to me. But back in the day, a million years ago, I read the ONLY four movie-affiliated Star Wars novels that existed: Splinter of the Mind's Eye and Brian Daley's Han Solo prequel trilogy: Han Solo at Stars' End, Han Solo's Revenge and Han Solo and the Lost Legacy. I have to admit I was a wee bit disappointed that none of Daley's ideas about Solo's origins were used at all in the new film. Yeah, I know - I am so #oldschool...

And, finally, there has to be some acknowledgment that the reason the TV show Firefly was so awesome and beloved is because so many of us were all thinking of Mal as Han Solo. We totally were.

And when this new Solo movie ended, I thought, "Man, I HATE that they canceled Firefly!" Yeah, I really did.

Senior

I got invited to the local senior center. Not because some organization I support was having an event there, or because the center was having a workshop on backpacking through Eastern Europe. Nope, I was invited because it's a SENIOR center, and I'm now, apparently, a senior. I'm 52 - I thought I wasn't a senior until 55, but I guess I look 55. Or older. The local senior center has free meals and bingo. That's what they think people 55 and over want to do. That's what this person thought I want to do.

It was a great day, truly.

I was angry at being thought of as a senior, it's true. I know I'm not young, but I don't feel ready for that label. But I was also angry that this person thought this is what I'm ready for: free meals and bingo.

Here's what I'd love instead: an energetic community center where adults of all ages come together and intentionally nurture trust and empathy through activities that allow us to interact with each other. A YMCA would be best, but since there's no money for sports courts or a pool, how about a place that has Tai Chi, yoga, Zumba, drumming, classes on investing, computer classes, bicycle safety classes, bocci, corn hole, pool, language classes, presentations by people that have traveled somewhere fascinating or returning Peace Corps volunteers, gardening workshops, cooking classes and a movie night? A place where I could sign up to go, as a group, to music programs in the larger city next door, or all the way to Portland for a professional touring theater show, or a canoeing trip. Even though I don't do either, have a knitting, crochet and/or quilting club.

Are there no nonprofits they could partner with so that they could host even some of those activities?

I'm not young anymore, but I'm not ready for free meals and bingo. I'm trying to improve my off-road motorcycle riding skills. The average age of a motorcycle owner is 48. 39% of motorcycle owners in the US are between the ages of 51-69. Those are my "seniors."

So, no thanks to the senior center. I'll check back in when I'm 80, but just so you know, I see me still listening to the Violent Femmes, not Perry Como.