Since you’ve probably read a few dozen reviews of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY by now, I decided to avoid writing a full, proper review of the film. Instead, I give you some various thoughts I had about the movie, in lengthy bullet-pointed form.

• Were I to give a pull-quote for Solo: A Star Wars Story, I’d probably lean in on the ever-beloved turn of phrase “a rip-roaring adventure". Because, well, it is. The movie is lean and mean, full of twists and turns, and above anything else, is aggressively pleasant. That may sound like I’m damning it with faint praise, but really, it’s just a breezy joy.
• As someone who wasn’t sure why we needed a Han Solo origin movie, the final film doesn’t really justify it - even if it’s full of unnecessary “OH, THAT’S WHY thing from the Original Trilogy HAPPENED!" moments. Those moments never are overwrought or cute, however, which was my biggest fear.
• Speaking of big fears - Ron Howard delivered a really fun, really seamless film. I will always wonder what a Lord & Miller Star Wars film would’ve looked like — similar to Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man — but what we got was still pretty damned enjoyable.
• Hey! Alden Ehrenreich is really damned charismatic! Hey! His Solo is a lot of fun to watch! But, no, no he’s not Harrison Ford. And that’s OK. I like how his version of Solo is built on unearned, completely bullshit confidence. That’s delightful.
• I really enjoyed how - in almost a nod to American Graffiti, Han is great at stealing souped up cars. When discussing the Prequels with my friends, I’ve always thought that this was a missed opportunity with Anakin, to make him that rogue, car stealing pilot. But that opening sequence is just a thrill. Ditto the train heist.
• Yep, Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian steals the show. Every scene he’s in is amazing. Completely electric.
• I wish they had given Emilia Clarke more to do as Qi’ra. She does far better here than she did in Terminator Genysis, and the end game of the movie seems to give her more to grow on, but for the most part, she’s the “long-lost love interest with a mysterious past" and not much else.
• Really dug the supporting cast. Glad Chewie got some hero moments (something which had been missing from the Sequel Trilogy so far), loved Paul Bettany as the big-bad crime lord Dryden Vos, really enjoyed Thandie Newton’s Val, LOVED Woody Harrleson as Beckett (but when do I ever not love Harrelson?), but the real revelation was Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37. As much as we all enjoyed K2SO in Rogue One, I think L3-37 is a much better “quirky droid" character.
• Speaking of Rogue One - I think what I like about both that film and this one is that we’re starting to see more of the Star Wars universe beyond the Skywalkers, Jedis and Sith. If these are the steps into the murky water we needed to take for a deeper dive, I’m all for it.
• Wonderful score by John Powell. Loved John Williams’ Solo theme, and Powell did an excellent job of bringing back old cues, writing new ones, and gave the mysterious Enfys Nest a REALLY cool theme.
• Little bit of score that I loved - the upbeat recruitment Empire theme.
• Can we agree that Enfys Nest has the coolest design out of the new Star Wars movies thus far?
• Speaking of cool designs: lets add the Range Troopers, the Mudtroopers, the caped Stormtroopers, and the Patrol Troopers to the rad nouveau Trooper designs from these Star Wars Story films. I want to see the 501st jump on these, fast.
• How awesome was the cinematography? That’s the work of Bradford Young, of Arrival fame.
• While I’m one of the ardent supporters and defenders of The Last Jedi, having this as a lighter, more whimsical follow-up to that film was a smart move - sort of how Rogue One was the darkness that followed the joy of The Force Awakens.
• I definitely foresee rewatching this a few dozen times. So, of course, I came home and pre-ordered it on iTunes. You can too.