*This post contains spoilers. Run away like a scared little droid if you haven't seen the movie
Even though this movie didn't get a huge reception with its premiere I still enjoyed it. I loved the building of Han's story and how encompassed some of the story lines from the book series as well as the other Star Wars movies. The humor that has been displayed in the books as well as other Star Wars movies between Han and Chewie was spot on in this film in my opinion. I also loved Warwick Davis reprising a new Star Wars role. There was a nice little Easter egg, (out of the several) that I loved, the Mandalorian armor in Drydon Vos's chamber room. The portion of the film that depicted the Kessal Run was a great portion of Han history I liked seeing brought to the big screen. The scene with Lando and Han playing cards for the Millennium Falcon and then Han flying off with Chewie talking about a big crime boss that he heard of that had a huge job they could go do, (Jabba reference) was a classic as well.
Overall I give this movie a 8 out of 10 stars
Plot
The galaxy is in a state of disorder, with criminal syndicates competing for valuable resources such as hyperfuel. On the shipbuilding world of Corellia, orphaned children are made to steal in order to survive, and a young Han and his lover Qi'ra long to escape the clutches of a local criminal gang. They successfully bribe an Imperial officer who grants them passage on an outgoing transport, but Qi'ra is apprehended by their pursuers before she can board. Han vows to return for her, and with no means of income, joins the Imperial Navy as a flight cadet, with the Imperial recruiting officer dubbing him "Han Solo" in absence of a surname.Three years later, Han has been expelled from the Imperial Flight Academy for insubordination, and is serving as an infantryman during a battle on the planet Mimban. He encounters a gang of criminals posing as Imperial soldiers led by Tobias Beckett and his crew that consist of his wife Val and a four-armed alien named Rio Daurant. He tries to blackmail them into allowing him to join, but Beckett has him arrested and condemned to battle a "beast" held in captivity. The beast is revealed to be a Wookiee named Chewbacca. Owing to Han's ability to speak Shyriiwook, the two stage a fight for the benefit of their captors and escape after collapsing their cell. A sympathetic Beckett rescues them, and enlists the two for a planned train heist to steal a shipment of the hyperfuel coaxium on the planet Vandor. The marauder Enfys Nest and her crew show up and Rio and Val are killed. They get put into a difficult position when Han, on the ship, is pulling one side while Nest and her crew pull on the other side. Han enrages Beckett when he ditches their shipment, destroying the coaxium.
Beckett reveals he was ordered to steal the shipment for Dryden Vos, leader of the Crimson Dawn criminal syndicate, and he now fears Vos' wrath. Han and Chewbacca volunteer to help him steal another shipment. They travel to Vos' yacht where Han is confused to discover Qi'ra, who confesses that she is a member of Crimson Dawn. Han announces a plan to steal unrefined coaxium from the mines on Kessel. Vos insists on Qi'ra accompanying them. To procure a ship for the heist, Qi'ra introduces the team to Lando Calrissian, an accomplished smuggler and pilot. Han challenges Lando to a game of sabacc, with the wager being Lando's ship, reputed to be the fastest in the galaxy. Lando uses sleight of hand to win but is convinced to join the mission in exchange for a share of the profits. The team boards his ship—the Millennium Falcon—and head for Kessel. After reaching the planet and infiltrating the mine, Lando's droid co-pilot L3-37 instigates a riot. They use the confusion to steal a consignment of unprocessed, volatile coaxium, but L3 is severely damaged and Lando is injured during the escape. Han pilots the ship, knowing that they must make the infamous "Kessel Run" in less than twenty parsecs if they are to reach Vos before the coaxium explodes. Han's prodigious piloting skills allow them to evade an Imperial blockade and they rendezvous with Vos on the planet Savareen, although the Falcon receives severe damage during the journey.
Being confronted by Enfys, who had tracked them from Vandor, Lando abandons the crew on the Falcon, however, the group discover Enfys is not a pirate, like they believed, but instead just trying to stop the criminal syndicates from gaining more power, and trying to rebel against the Empire. Wanting to help Enfys, Han then tries to trick Vos by giving him fake coaxium, while giving the real coaxium to the Cloud Riders, however, Vos surprises the team by knowing of their trap, revealing that Beckett has betrayed them and informed him of Han's plan. Vos then sends all of his soldiers to kill Enfys and the Cloud Riders, however, Han announces that he anticipated Beckett's deception, with the Cloud Riders being decoys, with the actual Enfys killing Vos’ men, while also revealing the “fake” coaxium with them is real. Beckett takes Chewbacca hostage and escapes with the coaxium, betraying Vos. A gunfight between Han, Qi'ra and Vos results in Qi'ra killing Vos. She urges Han to save Chewbacca from Beckett and insists she'll join him shortly. After Han leaves, Qi'ra seals the room.
Han catches up with Beckett, and Chewbacca, and kills Beckett after a stand-off. Han and Chewbacca deliver the coaxium to Enfys, who reveals her plans to use the fuel to aid the rebellion against the Empire. She offers Han the chance to join her but he declines, and Enfys states that some day he may feel more sympathetic to the rebels' cause.
Alone aboard Vos' yacht, Qi'ra contacts his superior, who is revealed to be Maul; she informs him of the mission's failure and assumes Vos' position. Elsewhere Han and Chewbacca track down Lando and Han again challenges him to a sabacc game for possession of the Falcon. Han subtly relieves Lando of the cards hidden in his sleeve and wins the game. Han tells Chewbacca his plan to go to Tatooine, where Beckett told him a gangster is putting together an organization.