海角大神

Actor Alden Ehrenreich has officially been confirmed to take on the role of 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� smuggler Han Solo as the massively successful franchise returns to the prequel film form.聽

It was previously reported that Mr. Ehrenreich, who appeared in such films as the Coen brothers movie 鈥淗ail, Caesar!,鈥� would portray a young version of the character first played by Harrison Ford. Ehrenreich participated as part of a panel at the Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 event.聽

The movie about Han Solo, which will tell the story of the smuggler鈥檚 life before moviegoers met him in the 1977 original 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� film, is being directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord of 鈥淭he Lego Movie鈥� and written by 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode V 鈥� The Empire Strikes Back鈥� writer Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jon Kasdan.聽

The film will be the first look back to before the original 1970s and '80s "Star Wars" movies since the mostly critically panned prequel trilogy, which consisted of 1999鈥檚 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode I 鈥� The Phantom Menace,鈥� 2002鈥檚 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode II 鈥� Attack of the Clones,鈥� and the 2005 film 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode III 鈥� Revenge of the Sith.鈥澛�

These films told the story of how villain Darth Vader became the antagonist known to movie fans.

Since the prequel trilogy was released, those behind 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� instead set their planned movies in the future, with the 2015 movie 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens鈥� set after all existing 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� movies, or around the time of the original movies. The planned movie 鈥淪tar Wars: Rogue One鈥� is set close to the time of the original 1977 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� film.聽

So as the creative minds behind 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� return to the past, what can they learn from the criticism of the 2000s prequel films?聽

Monitor film critic David Sterritt wrote at the time of the release of 鈥淧hantom Menace鈥� that those behind the films cannot forgo good writing for an emphasis on effects.聽

鈥淭he computer-driven effects are impressive, but the adventure is hampered by a flat screenplay,鈥� Mr. Sterritt wrote.聽

In writing the screenplay, those doing so must also avoid confusing and too-numerous plotlines, writes Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle in a review of 鈥淎ttack of the Clones.鈥�

鈥淗alfway in, the picture diverges into two paths 鈥� the Anakin-Amidala story and the clone story 鈥� but it's too sluggish to sustain both,鈥� Mr. LaSalle writes. 鈥淭he movie also introduces Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), a Jedi gone bad, but it'll take a 鈥楽tar Wars鈥� expert to figure out why exactly he's a villain. It's just more plot and more confusion.鈥澛�

And Dana Stevens of The New York Times wrote that those behind the movies need to remember to retain a sense of fun.聽

In the '70s and '80s movies, 鈥渢he big, archetypal themes were there and would emerge into sharper relief through the next two films, but they were leavened by a cheeky sense of fun,鈥� Ms. Stevens wrote. But in "Attack of the Clones," 聽鈥淢r. Lucas seems to have lost his boyish glee.鈥�