So, as I said I’d do in my previous blog, I saw Solo: A Star Wars Story. Much like with Avengers: Infinity War, it’s difficult to talk about it without giving spoilers. I’ll do my best to give you quick general impressions and address the so-called issues the angry, entitled contingents of the fanbase have brought up.

Some have said this was a story nobody wanted nor needed to see. Maybe. Does it suffer from some “prequel-itis”? A little, but not so much that it bothered me. Some liked that Han was a mysterious rogue whose past we didn’t know fully. If that’s you, you probably won’t like this film. For me, much like with Indiana Jones (another iconic Harrison Ford character), while I wasn’t clamoring to know Han’s backstory, I was happy to see it. In this, we learn how he met Chewbacca (which was hilarious), met Lando, and acquired the Millennium Falcon, among other things. It was cool.

In fact, it was a bit better than I expected. The film actually surprised me a few times. I thought one character would die since this character is never referenced again in other films, but that didn’t happen. Another character I never expected to see again (despite appearing on the TV shows) made a cameo. I have to give kudos there.

As has been pointed out by other reviewers, Ron Howard films Solo like a western. Heck, the first 30 minutes or so gave me flashbacks to the pilot episode of the short-lived but awesome TV series Firefly, which was essentially a space western. There’s a train robbery, bandits, gambling in a “saloon,” and grand vistas.

Much adieu was made about Alden Ehrenreich’s performance when the trailers dropped. Angry fans insisted he couldn’t act and/or didn’t look like Harrison Ford, so someone else should’ve been cast. Honestly, I don’t think they would’ve been completely happy with anyone else playing the character. No one else has ever done it (this isn’t James Bond we’re talking about), so it’s huge shoes to fill for anyone. Regardless, a quick glimpse at Ehrenreich’s filmography will reveal that he’s an accomplished actor. He delivers here. He channels Harrison Ford while also putting his own take on the character.

Another standout, surprisingly, is Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. Glover copies Billy Dee Williams exactly. His mannerisms, speech patterns, everything. It’s like watching Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy in the new Star Trek films. As for the pansexual thing, there was nothing that indicated he was like that. Lando has always oozed charm, and unless it was with ladies, it never seemed sexual. Now, there is a “female” droid named L3 who believes Lando is in love with him, and it’s certainly true that Lando cares for “her,” but it’s never plainly said that they’re in a relationship. In other words, Lando is just being Lando. I’m thinking the filmmakers made that claim just to look progressive. (If you want an example of a clearly-stated pansexual character in a sci-fi franchise, look at Capt. Jack from Doctor Who).

Also, Woody Harrelson and Paul Bettany are great. Just thought I’d throw that in.

I will ding the film for bordering on excessive nostalgic references. These come with the territory, given the sort of story it is, but they could’ve been dialed back slightly. It was cool to hear John Williams compose a new theme for Han in this film, though.

Overall, I still prefer Rogue One to this, as far as spin-off Star Wars films go (I thought that one was bolder), but this is still solid. Do yourself and the franchise a favor and see this film, if only to spite the naysayer factions in the fanbase who can never be pleased.

Final Grade: B+