DominicCobb

Nope! Just wasted 2+ hours of my day looking. The worst part was I went to stores where it *said* it was in stock but there weren’t any there.

The obvious Asteroid Field melody is used briefly during, yes, a bit with asteroids, but other parts of the cue are used too (as well as maybe “Attacking a Star Destroyer” if I remember correctly?). It’s all during one big action set piece sequence which make me think there was some temp music editing involved. Interested what other people heard and if this stuff is on the OST.

Saw the film, really liked the music. There’s some modern stuff in there but it seems to fit well with the mostly orchestral score. Good to hear the spinoffs moving slightly away from the strict Williams style. I liked the Han theme, but it was hard to keep track of it (though it was usually easy assume when it was playing). I guess this is one of the downsides of having so many themes, the main one isn’t majorly prominent (I can see why Powell would want to work in some of his own thematic material too), though it is of course in there quite a bit. One thing that was really interesting was how Powell handled the old Williams material. He wasn’t just referencing themes or motifs, but specific film cues (temp love?). I caught the Asteroid Field and Here They Come (obviously), a track with the Death Star motif (the specific one of which I’m forgetting), and I think the Battle of Crait? And that was all in one sequence. For the most part though the quotes were done sparingly and fittingly (more so than Giacchino, I think). Will pick up the CD tomorrow.

So there's a "Han" theme, a "Chewbacca" theme, and a "Han and Chewbacca" theme?

For sure.

The theme is just very light. Especially when it comes to TLJ, which is mostly a fairly heavy and dramatic film, the more epic Force theme is simply a bit more fitting most of the time. When it comes to the light, breezy, fun moments, the Rebel fanfare just seems to be the more versatile or easier to quote option in the middle of the action. Otherwise Luke's theme and the Rebel fanfare are essentially interchangeable at this point. I'd argue that its association with Luke more explains its frequency in the OT, rather than its infrequency elsewhere. A lot of its usage in the OT was just mundane things like Luke walking around and stuff. You're not going to quote Luke's theme (even if it is a generic heroes theme) when Rey is just standing around, you're going to quote Rey's theme.

Yeah I wouldn't call it often either (though I don't really think it's origins are the primary reason for its infrequency). And I don't doubt it was conceived as Luke's theme. But at this point, it isn't. Jedi Steps doesn't count.

Depends what you mean by often. He used it about five times each in TFA and TLJ - and never for Luke.

If one wants to still think of it personally as Luke's theme, cool. But it hasn't been that way in the movies for quite a while now and never will be ever again. So probably better to understand and accept that when listening to new stuff.

Reminds me a lot of this piece from ROTS:

Huh, I guess April 10 is the day I always ask which takes constitute the original SW main title...

Awesome breakdown... but doesn't the Force theme first appear in TFA when Han says he knew Luke? https://youtu.be/bdrErkGQPB0?t=2m21s Should still keep the film in its position though.

Don't know, but this makes me wonder, which film has the longest amount of time before the Force theme shows up (not necessarily the full statement)? I feel like it's probably TFA.

Speaking of, didn't someone here once breakdown which takes, when combined together, made up the main title of the original film? Anyone remember?

I don't disagree on the whole, but I think it still needs to be used carefully. It's a weighty theme that has to do with what Star Wars is about on a deeper level. The main title is a more surface level theme tied in with the swashbuckling heroics. Which is why I think the latter is more likely to get airtime in Solo. Maybe I could see the Force theme pop up once or twice in a fateful moment where Han makes an important decision to do the right thing or something, but for the most part I imagine the movie will be a lighthearted action picture that's somewhat removed from the larger, mythic things at play in the Star Wars universe.

Yeah, I had thought beforehand that Rogue One wouldn't have much of the Force theme either... I think the worst actually is when its used as intro music for Jimmy Smits. I will say in fairness to some of its uses, Rogue One is a very dramatic, high stakes epic story, so in that context I can see using this as sort of a general powerful fate theme, but with Solo I don't see that possibility. I'd be very surprised if it makes it in in any sort of natural way. I'll take what I can get, no expectations from me. One fact that's promising though is if it's a theme for the main character, it'd be somewhat odd if we didn't hear it a good amount.

If I'm not mistaken this is the first confirmation that they've actually used the theme he wrote. I wonder, has this ever happened before that Williams wrote a theme for a movie someone else composed? Also, confirmation that they're using existing SW themes (I guess neither of these confirmations are very surprising, but still). What do we think gets a nod? Surely the main theme and Rebel fanfare, right? Maybe Imperial March? Do with think Powell is cool enough to know the original Imperial theme? Do we think the Force theme gets a play even though (it seems like) no one in the movie uses the Force?

K

Ha! I do think the one big missed opportunity on this score was a Rey/Kylo theme.

The landing is great, by my number one missing is when they go through the plan and then get ready to attack (though this was mostly for the March of the Resistance variations within, and TLJ has definitely scratched that itch). Otherwise I guess the mind battle scene has some good thematic underscore, can't think of anything else interesting that's missing though.

An isolated score for TFA wouldn't have been nearly as good a get as with TLJ (where there's first of all a lot more music, and the editing is minimal/invisible to non-existent, unlike TFA), but it'd be amazing to get all the full unreleased cues and alternates that didn't make it into the film.

TFA 1. The Abduction 2. I Can Fly Anything 3. Farewell and The Trip 4. Follow Me 5. The Scavenger TLJ 1. The Supremacy 2. The Spark 3. Chrome Dome 4. Peace and Purpose 5. The Battle of Crait FYC tacks I really wanted to include - The Resistance and Rey's Journey, respectively

Whether or not it's a false third act, it's still just the back half of the second act.

It's kind of tough to compare because there's a lot more action music in TLJ (with a good amount cut out from TFA as well as sections with a lot of editing/tracking). In a way it's sort of emblematic of the scores as a whole. In general, TFA is a lot more simplistic and straightforward, which allows fun melodies to take charge (like in Follow Me, The Resistance, I Can Fly Anything, Scherzo for X-Wings), so in some ways I guess you can say the highlights are more memorable and fun. But then in probably every other way TLJ is better. Which again, is like the scores themselves - TFA is straightforward with exciting new melodies and some great highlights, while TLJ is much more complex and dense but also more consistent.

From what I understand, yeah it was supposed to transition to the Leia scene, which leads me to believe that the cue was intended for that deleted scene and they must have figured either way it was a good piece to use for Luke's sadness and for transitioning to the Leia scene (which it does in the theatrical). Makes me wonder what was there initially for the "time for the Jedi to end" scene.