“Solo: A Star Wars Story” is the latest film entry from new Star Wars series, which may be a good or bad thing, considering your view on the new series. “Solo” is, of course, about Han Solo, exploring his origin story and taking place in between the prequels and the original trilogy, during the time when the Empire ruled the galaxy.
Bear in mind this movie probably goes against the extended Star Wars lore established previously in comic books and video games. But that’s a given: Disney announced that the extended lore was “unofficial” after they bought Lucasfilms — it would seem Disney is the new galactic empire now.   
“Solo” is directed by famous Hollywood filmmaker Ron Howard, who is known for directing projects including “Apollo 13” and “Cinderella Man” and for being the narrator of the series “Arrested Development.” I mention this last one because, to help promote “Solo,” Howard narrated a Star Wars-themed YouTube video that was in the style of the TV show. In addition, the film was co-written by Star Wars regular Lawrence Kasdan, who helped write “Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi,” and “Force Awakens.” The other co-writer for “Solo” is Jonathan Kasdan, Lawrence’s son.
It’s hard to explain the plot, because a lot happens. To make things simple, the movie follows Han as he does what he does best: smuggling, stealing and being a likable scoundrel. Despite not looking much like Harrison Ford, Alden Ehrenreich does a fine job playing a young Han. His acting has plenty of charm to it. And the same can be said for Donald Glover, who gave an excellent performance as Lando Calrissian.
But before I get into detail on why this movie is good, I am going to address its flaws.
Not all of the characters are necessarily memorable. A few had potential, yet didn’t contribute much in the grand scheme of things. For example, the main villain isn’t a grand villain such as Lord Vader or Darth Maul. Actor Paul Bettany does a good job playing Dryden Vos. It’s just the story doesn’t give him any moments to really stand out.
Unfortunately, Han isn’t given a full back-story — they skip over his childhood. Also, Han doesn’t act like he does in the other “Star Wars” films. I feel it would’ve been more interesting if Han behaved more selfishly in “Solo,” which would make his heroic actions later in “A New Hope” more powerful.
The comedy can be hit or miss. Most of it works, but a few moments feel out of place. This seems to be a common problem for the new “Star Wars” films.
And the last problem with “Solo” is something out of its control: Audiences might be getting a bit tired with seeing a “Star Wars” movie every year.
In his own review for “Solo,” YouTuber Andre Meadows, aka Black Nerd, began by talking about how he’s feeling Star Wars fatigue. He also pointed out that it’s becoming annoying listening to Star Wars fans every time a new one comes out.
From my own personal experience, I can say that many Star Wars fans either think the latest movies are amazing and the greatest yet or they’re an abomination to cinema and the Star Wars legacy. And both sides hate each other’s opinions, and anyone else who disagrees. I love Star Wars, but I have to admit that the fans can be pretty crazy — if someone set George Lucas’ car on fire, I feel like I might know some suspects.
A major reason why “Solo” is actually a good film is that fan service was kept to a minimum. Sometimes in movies, and in other mediums, the creators will try to add in moments just to please the fans. At first, fan service seems fun. In the prequels, it was nice to see R2-D2 and C-3PO again. However, fan service can become annoying once you realize it’s only fan service and there’s no real substance to it. After all, did R2-D2 and C-3PO really have to be present during the films’ events? They didn’t seem to do much. In fact, “Solo” is the only Star Wars movie not to feature them. I like both characters, but I’m glad they weren’t shoe-horned into another entry.
Even though there are unnecessary references and a surprise cameo from a well-known “Stars Wars” character, that’s tame when compared with the other movies from the series. Honestly, not all of the references are that obvious. Several references feel natural to the story, adding substance to what could be just shallow fan service. They don’t draw attention to themselves; some could possibly go unnoticed if you are not looking for them. In one instance, Han shoots first. This is a clear reference, but it also fits for the story.  
But remember, you don’t have to go see this movie to be a real fan of Star Wars. In “Rogue One,” the movie explained how the Rebellion got their hands on the Death Star plans, which directly leads to the beginning of “A New Hope.” But you didn’t have to watch “Rogue One” to stay a fan of “A New Hope.” The same goes this Star Wars spin-off.
“Solo” is a good action-adventure film. The pacing is fluent, leading from one part to the next. The action is well-done and entertaining. The CGI is beautiful, creating a great look for the planets onscreen. The back-story for Han made sense, although they didn’t explore that much. Of course, this movie is not perfect. There are action clichés along with the problems I went over. This is a good movie, not a great one. Don’t go watch it expecting a masterpiece. In reality, I walked in with low exceptions, so I was pleasantly surprised by its quality.
Overall, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is my favorite from the new Star Wars franchise. The good outweighs the bad. The other films from the new series were also good movies, but their bad qualities really bothered me in the end to the point I felt annoyed by them. Here, that’s not the case. I walked out feeling I genuinely liked the film and nothing truly bothered me about it.
I would advise the filmmakers working on the next installments to show respect for fans of the original, but don’t worry about meeting our unrealistic expectations because you can’t – no one can. Focus on making a good movie worthy of the franchise. That’s stressful enough.