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(Spoilers follow.)

One side of “Star Wars” fans may be disappointed in the new “Star Wars” trilogy, feeling let down by “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

But with the standalone films, they are definitely getting a treat.

They might disagree—the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” was just 58 percent.

But I hope we could have a consensus on the storytelling.

Fans love Darth Maul. So, consider this: when Maul actually appears in “Solo,” it’s for the fans as much as anything.

They also complain about the “Star Wars” prequels. So, consider this, also: the antagonist looms over the film more than he does in “Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace”—the actual film in which he is there physically.

Consider that Maul looms over “Solo” even though we don’t see him all, period, until a 40-second cameo at the very end—and that’s through a hologram.

You must think this is because, at least with the standalones, it appears that the creators are committed to the DNA of the mythology.

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Consider what “Solo” co-screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan said on bringing Maul back to the films (he was killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi in “The Phantom Menace”):

“He’s a character that, like Darth Vader, worked on a primal level for people,” Kasdan told the Los Angeles Times. “He touches on something fundamental in our psyche, and in those three (prequel) movies he, to me, was the most powerful bit of psychological imagery.

“I think that’s why fans were drawn to him and why the canon was eager to tell more stories about him,” Kasdan added. “In a galaxy populated with very dangerous people, he’s always been in the top group of dangerous people. So the opportunity to put him in the movie and give him the element of these mechanical legs, which rhyme with Luke’s mechanical hand – it seemed like it could work.”

Of course, “Rogue One” was a hit—its Rotten Tomatoes audience score was 87 percent. Viewers thrilled over Rogue One’s pursuit of the Death Star plans and the reveal of Grand Moff Tarkin throughout the film—and Princess Leia at the end.

Think what you will about the sequel trilogy, but world-class storytelling like this should only continue, given that Disney has tapped some of the best in the business—Jon Favreau of “Iron Man,” David Benioff and D.B. Weiss of “Game of Thrones,”—for series in television and film, respectively.

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