Solo: A Star Wars Story

I liked Solo.... much more than I anticipated I would. Like many people posting reviews, I am an old-school, die-hard fan of the original trilogy, and I am also a fan of the old "extended universe", much of which is now being overshadowed by the cash-grab that is this new Disney-driven galaxy.

However, I must say that the negativity this film has received is undeserved. The story is solid, if a bit predictable at times. The dialogue and acting are FAR better than in any of the other recent Star Wars films, except perhaps Rogue One. Notably in comparison to Last Jedi, the story has a logical flow, there are no side-stories that make no sense, nor any ham-handed attempts to milk humor out of an unrealistic scene. I can't say it enough, this movie actually makes sense and has a believable story.

If there is a problem, it is that Star Wars is becoming another Marvel Universe, where everything has already been done in one way or another. For non-star wars fans, this will be a perfectly serviceable action/sci-fi adventure, with characters whose struggles most people should recognize from other stories in these genres. I was pleasantly surprised at how some characters were killed- it actually made me worry that anyone could be in danger, even knowing that this was impossible. It was emotionally real.

For Star Wars fans, there are heaps of references to the extended universe. These were done in a way that made sense and gave service to old Star Wars stories. Teras Kasi, Aurra Sing, Chewy being ~200 years old, among others. There are glimpses at what the every day life of an average citizen in the empire would experience (spoiler: not nice). Han as a character is played true to form: a guy who has seen some bad things, done some bad things, but still, deep down, is good.

I liked it. Don't listen to the fanatical homers whose own self-absorption with Star Wars prevents them from enjoying anything that doesn't conform to their pre-determined view.