Solo: A Star Wars Story

Alden Ehrenreich as as a young, pre-Luke Skywalker Han Solo captures Harrison Ford's speech rhythms, and the character's anti-authority persona. We learn how friendships with Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian (an excellent Donald Glover) were formed, and how Solo came into acquiring his prize possession, the Millennium Falcon.

What I've always liked is how the character straddles the line between good and evil, while keeping his moral compass intact. Solo is no saint, but his false equivalency has limits. Emilia Clarke as his love interest is a woman of mystery, and the actress plays her like a femme fatale. The plot itself has a noir-type entanglement. Ron Howard's direction is dutiful to fan service, which is not necessarily bad. I found the production design a little uninspiring.

Standout performances include Woody Harrelson as a mercenary, and Thandie Newton as his partner. Also with Paul Bettany, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge voicing the scene-stealing droid L3-37, who is practically in love with Lando. Solo lacks the grandeur and emotional arc of Rogue One, but there's enough there to make it a decent viewing experience. This may sound like I'm damning it with faint praise. It just won't rank as high as other Star Wars stories.