SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (12A)
SCRIPTED by Jonathan Kasdan and his father Lawrence, co-writer of The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, the second standalone anthology film after Rogue One sketches the formative years of the charismatic scoundrel Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) in comforting, broad strokes.
Ron Howard captains the hulking ship after director duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were tossed into a sarlacc pit over “creative differences” a few months into production.
Behind-the-scenes turmoil hasn’t manifested noticeably on screen.
This gung-ho romp of double-crossing criminals is clinical, bookmarked by impressively staged set-pieces laden with pyrotechnics and special effects.
Solo’s name is emboldened in the title but he’s the least interesting element and Alden Ehrenreich’s performance falls short of the smouldering, rascally delights of Harrison Ford.
Instead, London-born actress Phoebe WallerBridge shines brightest through the digitally rendered gloom as a rebellious droid.