Qi'ra is an obvious example, but even the Imperial border guard Han and Qi'ra encounter as they escape from Correlia has a more crucial effect on the plot than most of the much-lauded female characters in #TLJ. Consider that the third named character is Han's boss, nay owner, #LadyProxima, a sort of xenoporph version of Fagin from Oliver Twist.

#EnfysNest subverts our expectations by initially presenting as another Vader/ Boba Fett/ Kylo evil-man-in-a-mask, but later revealing herself as a charismatic young woman, and a rebel leader on the make. #L3-37 subverts our expectations by presenting as a self-empowered woman, despite being a droid! Whoever decided to cast Phoebe Waller-Bridge in this movie has gone some way towards making up for the way Gwendolin Christie's talent was totally wasted in #TLJ.

The only female character somewhat let down in #Solo was Val. Those who have seen #Westworld know Thandie Newton is a powerhouse actor, and I would have happily seen Val play the role of Han's mentor and betrayer, and Beckett sacrifice himself (along with whoever decided to give a #StarWars character an ill-fitting name like "Tobias Beckett"!?!). But despite her short screen time, Val is still a great character, who knows her own mind, and decides her own fate.

Is there anything I would changed? Sure. I would have cut the overblown #FanService in scenes like Han getting his signature blaster, Han giving Chewy his nickname. We've seen the other films, we don't need that stuff rubbed in our faces. I would have given Beckett a proper #StarWars name (Botias Teckett would have been more in-universe). I might have cut the running gag about Lando's capes, although it wasn't as jarring as a lot of the outright parody in #TLJ.

After my first viewing, I thought it might have been better if #L3 was Han's partner-in-crime, instead of Lando's. I can see Han wanting a substitute for Qi'ra in his life, but seeing a droid as emotionally safer than a real woman. Han would have had a more powerful motivation for wanting the Falcon, and an added depth to his enduring affection for it, if his friend was part of its onboard computer.

It could have made sense for Han - as a wannabe pilot - to befriend a droid with a headful of star charts. But with Han going straight from deserting the Imperial infantry to joining Beckett and Val's crew on the train job, there wasn't time for him to meet #L3 , let alone form any kind of bond.
Besides, L3's death gave us a chance to see a more earnest side of a cocky young #Lando, who otherwise could have been at risk of being a bit of one-note character.

The other thing I would have done is left out #DarthMaul. Fans who've seen the #CloneWars animated series know that Maul was kept alive after being chopped in half by #ObiwanKinobi, presumably the same way #AnnakinSkywalker was turned into #DarthVader. But for me, having only seen Maul as a silent killer in #ThePhantomMenace, his 11th hour cameo, and the way he talked so much and showed off his lightsaber for no reason, was jarring. It took me out of the story.

I would have had #BibFortuna appear by holophone, foreshadowing #JabbaTheHutt as the shadowy master of #CrimsonDawn, without engaging in another round of rub-your-nose-in-it fan service, and risking a repeat of the melty-face digital Jabba from the digital re-release of Ep 4. But if Maul had at least kept his hood on, and played it a bit more low key (eg no showing of his #LightSabre for no reason), the scene wouldn't have been so jarring.

Overall, #TFA and #Solo are the kind of #StarWars films I want to see more of, #TLJ is the kind I want to see less of, and flabby filler like R1 I want to see none of. For all my criticisms of Ep 8, it was still better in most ways than R1. But the idea of Johnston getting to direct a whole new trilogy creates a deep disturbance in the force, and I'm hoping against hope that JJ Abrams can rescue the galaxy in Ep. 9 from the mess that #RianJohnston made of Ep 8.