A couple of weeks ago while visiting Colorado I went to see “Solo: A Star Wars Story” with my mom.

My expectations were very low going in. I am not a fan of how Disney is milking the hell out of Star Wars, but I still was interested enough in the movie to see it. Just like I had been earlier that week with “Ocean’s 8” I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed “Solo: A Star Wars Story”. Although it is certainly not art and there were some flaws I was entertained.

I feel like “Solo: A Star Wars Story” had the opposite strengths and weaknesses compared to “Rouge One: A Stars War Story”.

I remember not really being all that invested in the characters in “Rogue One” but the fact that they ended up really being in jeopardy and ultimately dying made the film much more interesting that your standard blockbuster fare when you know your heroes are going to be okay. With “Solo” I obviously was already invested in the main character and Chewy but there was also never really any suspense because you know that they have to survive to appear in “A New Hope” and all the films beyond that.

There is nobody that can replace Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Alden Ehrenreich certainly gives it his best shot. He is good but he’s just not Harrison Ford.

If you watch the film as if you’re watching a different character than it works. I found Woody Harrelson’s casting very distracting, I love Woody, but it just didn’t work for me this time. I really thought that Donald Glover did what Alden Ehrenreich tried and failed to do. Glover made me believe he was a young Lando Calrissian.

He managed to both channel Billy Dee Williams and make the character his own. I was skeptical about how good of a career move this film was Emelia Clarke but after seeing the movie I totally understand why she took the role. It is an intriguing part that isn’t just a one one love interest.

Thandie Newton was also good in her supporting role.

In general, the film felt like a Star Wars movie and not a Ron Howard movie but there were two casting choices that made me super aware Ron Howard directed the film. Paul Bettany and the expected (and very distracting) cameo by his brother Clint Howard. I think Howard did a good job with this film overall, but he needed to give himself over to the franchise completely.

I also found the cameo of Darth Maul to be a major problem in the Star Wars timeline. If you consider that Princess Leia and Luke are not born until the end of Episode 3 and that this film is clearly set a little before or a little after Episode 1 then that would make Han about 20 to 30 years older than Princess Leia and Luke. Really? Yes, Harrison Ford is older than Mark Hamill (by 9 years) and Carrie Fisher (by 14 years) but he is not 20 to 30 years older than them. I think this was a giant mistake.

Despite it’s flaws I did enjoy “Solo: A Star Wars” story and I do recommend it for anybody who is a Star Wars fan and hasn’t seen it yet.

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Here is a description:

Justin Gomez and his sister, Terri, have never been close. Separated by nine years and distant in adulthood, Justin and Terri have little in common, except for the love of her three children. In the days before they embark on a road trip to visit the father that once abandoned them and their now deceased mother, both Terri and Justin are dealing with unexpected changes in their lives. Justin surprisingly realizes he might want more than a series of one night stands after a first date goes unexpectedly well. After a lifetime of being a strong type A personality, Terri is forced to confront the reality of the end of her marriage. As they hit the road, with Terri’s children in tow, they find themselves forced to rely on and confide in each other following a devastating event. Confronted with memories from the past and challenges from the present, Terri and Justin must dig deep and unearth the truth about themselves and their parents in order to build a new family based on their love for each other.