Filling in the blanks is what is being done with the variety of new Star Wars movies which are not part of the ongoing series.  Rogue One and now Solo are simply jumping back in time (from the point of A New Hope, by which all Star Wars events are measured) to present familiar characters and assumed situations in living color and blazing action.  More will be coming, with rumored plans to bring Boba Fett and Lando Calrissian to the screen in their own adventures.  Here, we see Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) emerge from a troubled childhood to become the beloved rascal of the galaxy.

Ron Howard’s film is in line with George Lucas’ tangled storytelling, yet I find it cleaner and leaner than some of the other series films.  It certainly has a familiar feel, but it is well-produced and often effective as Han experiences the hardships of life, including a stint as an Imperial trooper!  It isn’t just his story; Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) is introduced as well and is a major figure, while Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) and Val (Thandie Newton) keep things interesting for Han, Lando (Donald Glover) and Beckett (Woody Harrelson), the crafty ringleader of a small den of thieves who take on Han as a substitute getaway driver.

Since I don’t take anything Star Wars-related as gospel, unlike the rabid fans of this series, I am perfectly okay with the small liberties taken with character and theme.  I found the film to be generally well-paced and exciting, interesting if not fascinating, and something I would be happy to watch again in the future.  The train robbery sequence was imaginative fun, but I grew tired of the not-unexpected double-and triple-crosses demanded by the script.  The most troubling aspect for me was the final showdown between Beckett and Han, where one is bound to be a murderer.  I think that the moral conundrum of having to kill a friend needs to be much deeper, with psychological scars that will last a lifetime, than it is shown to be here.

Because so much character and action is predetermined by what is yet to come in the films we have already seen there isn’t a whole lot of surprise to this material.  To its credit it takes one line from A New Hope — “This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs” — and constructs an entire subplot which explains and illustrates both theme and character.  Not everything is smooth, but the majority of the film is entertaining fun and completely in line with what is to follow.  Ehrenreich is good as Han Solo, although not as memorable as Glover as Lando Calrissian.  I was actually more impressed by the women than the men, but that may be because they are new characters, as opposed to ones we already know.  Solo: A Star Wars Story may not be up to snuff for the hardcore Star Wars fans, but that may change over time.  I found the film to be entertaining and engrossing.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  19 June 2018.