solo star wars movie review

Solo: A Star Wars Story

As unnecessary prequels go, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” isn’t bad. It’s not great, either, though—and despite spirited performances, knockabout humor, and a few surprising or rousing bits, there’s something a bit too programmed about the whole thing. It has certain marks to hit, and it makes absolutely sure you know that it’s hitting them. Everything that you expect to see visualized in “Solo,” based on your experience with previously stated “ Star Wars ” mythology, gets served up on a silver platter, from young Han Solo’s first meeting with Chewbacca to Han winning the Millennium Falcon in a card game from its original owner, Lando Calrissian, and making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs (that parsecs are a unit of distance, not time, is properly explained at last), to the fact that Wookiees hate to lose at three-dimensional chess and are strong enough to rip people’s arms from their sockets. We also get to see what some of our favorites were like when they were younger (Donald Glover’s Lando walks off with the movie). It’s fan service of a high order.

Whether you consider that a bonus or plus will depend on what you want from a “Star Wars” movie. In some ways, this movie is the antidote to the sort of “Star Wars” movie that viewers who despised the prankishly irreverent and oddly introspective “The Last Jedi” seem to have wanted: one where the payoffs to setups are italicized so that nobody can miss them, artistic license is subordinated to brand management, and every reference, no matter how small, that was so lovingly memorized by devotees of the franchise is placed under a spotlight for the audience’s recognition and self-congratulation.

It’s checklist mythology, but thankfully served up with enough panache to make the trip engaging. There are also quite a few scenes that fill out the “Star Wars” universe in ways that only tangentially have to do with Han Solo, Chewbacca, and other established characters (I’d rather not say which ones, because a couple of them are genuinely delightful). These tend to be the most engrossing sections of “Solo” because they treat your eye to vistas that you probably haven’t encountered before, unless you’re familiar with the older cultural sources that the filmmakers are raiding for inspiration—and even then, director Ron Howard (replacing Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ) freshens them up and makes them feel lived-in.

We meet young Han ( Alden Ehrenreich ) and his girlfriend and partner-in-crime Qi’ra ( Emilia Clarke ) on a mining planet that’s completely covered by industrial structures and runs on forced labor, some of it involving children; the charcoal-smudged visuals, narrow streets and alleys, and hardbitten street urchins with English accents add up to high-tech Charles Dickens . When Han signs up for the Imperial Navy but ends up serving in the infantry in a pointless campaign where he meets his future smuggling partners Val ( Thandie Newton ) and Tobias ( Woody Harrelson ), the images of suicidal cavalry charges and muddy trenches are straight out of a World War I picture like “All Quiet on the Western Front” or “ Paths of Glory .” A heist of a fuel train—more like a mountain monorail that seems to slither around the peaks like a metal snake—evokes an old Western where cowboys jump from horses onto the sides of locomotives. And so on.

The character of Han Solo was introduced back in 1977 (pre- George Lucas digital revisions) gouging an old man and a farm boy for as much money as he could get, then pre-emptively murdering a a bounty hunter in plain view of bar patrons. Nothing in this film is as daring as those choices—as played by Harrison Ford , Solo was a borderline antihero and the only major character in the original trilogy who had a dangerous edge, albeit one that Lucas and company immediately began sanding down—and as young Solo, Alden Ehrenriech doesn’t convince as a cocky young pilot and smuggler who’s been prematurely soured by a hard-knock life.

Or at least he doesn’t convince as this particular smuggler. He’s likable and does “confident” and “smug” very well, but if this film was determined to cast an actor who didn’t look or sound all that much like Harrison Ford (which is a totally legitimate and defensible thing to do, don’t get me wrong; a straight-up imitation would’ve been awful) it might’ve been a good idea to cast somebody who at least seemed as if he could eventually turn into the Han that we met in “A New Hope,” as Lucas did when he hired Ewan McGregor to play young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy. McGregor miraculously managed to maintain physical and vocal continuity with the role’s original inhabitant, Alec Guinness , while still giving his own performance. Ehrenreich achieves that second thing here, but not so dazzlingly that you forget to obsess over the first.

Some mysterious harmony ought to occur in a movie that constantly and very obviously tries to connect with its brand even as its lead actor does his own thing (mostly; the flirtatious grin is pleasingly Fordian), but the two impulses seem at odds with each other here. Was Howard expending so much effort bringing weight, maturity and sincerity to a movie that was at risk of turning goofy and glib under Lord and Miller that he didn’t have the mental bandwidth left to focus on the actors? Some of the performers make a strong impression (particularly the alert and reactive Glover, who McGregors the part in a big way, and Phoebe Waller-bridge as the voice of Lando’s copilot, L3-37, a robot fighting to abolish machine slavery).

But others seem a bit lost at times. Clarke’s character has many layers, but none of them quite seem connected to each other, and she comes across as much too nice to do some of the things she ends up doing. Newton, one of the stars of “Westworld,” doesn’t get much screen time, and Harrelson, one of those incorrigible kleptomaniac scene stealers, doesn’t give us anything that we couldn’t have gotten from any other fiftysomething character actor who can twirl a gun, crack wise, and smirk. Paul Bettany’s crime boss Dryden Vos might be the first major player in a “Star Wars” movie to make no impression at all, but the actor was probably doing the best he could under the circumstances; he replaced Michael Kenneth Williams , who was not available for reshoots and was originally cast as a CGI character, so he was probably playing somebody who had to be rewritten on the fly without damaging the surrounding narrative architecture. (A documentary about this film’s production troubles would almost certainly be more fascinating than the film itself.) Some of the unthinking racism that damaged “The Phantom Menace” returns here as well—you’ll know it when you see it—and the longer the film goes on, the clearer it becomes that “Solo,” like many a “Star Wars” film before it, is not too interested in women.

I say all this with lifelong love for a film series, and in recognition of the challenges this project faced. “Solo” is in a unique and tricky position. Since taking over “Star Wars,” Disney has tried to Marvel-ize Lucas’ universe, extending the Skywalker-centric main storyline and filling it out with one-offs that flesh out stories that are adjacent to it. Whatever you thought of “Rogue One” as entertainment (I loved it), it managed to concoct a story with its own internal philosophy, style and feeling, and when you compare it with “Solo,” you realize that a big part of what made it work was its lack of connection to famous characters who couldn’t be killed off. Except for Grand Moff Tarkin, who was basically a bunch of Peter Cushing-shaped pixels, none of the major players were people we knew; most of them were characters we’d never heard of, the grunts and redshirts of the galactic war, and that meant anything could happen to them, and that the film didn’t have to set aside a certain amount of space for enacting things we’d heard about but never seen dramatized.

“Solo” doesn’t have as much maneuvering room. It’s not the first “Star Wars” film to visualize the pasts of characters that we’d spent time with in other incarnations—the prequel trilogy gave us a lot of information about Anakin Skywalker, aka the future Darth Vader, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Palpatine and others—but it is the first “Star Wars” movie that often feels as if it exists mainly to supply visuals for scenarios that fans have long daydreamed about, or read about in “Star Wars” supplementary texts. And even the greatest of filmmakers aren’t likely to be able to give us images, performances and moments that exceed the ones we’ve been imagining forever. The bits that land tend to be ones that come out of nowhere and that have their own excitingly new emotional temperature, such as L3-37’s righteous ecstasy when she gets to free some fellow machines, and her frustration with Lando, whom she fancies even though he takes her for granted and is, shall we say, not compatible.

“Solo” is hauntingly effective in a very specific way: it gives you a strong sense of Han Solo and Chewbacca’s friendship: how it formed, how it solidified, and what it gave to each of them. Now that we’ve seen the full arc of Solo’s life, the innocent joy of discovery that’s present in every scene between the two of them acquires a sorrowful undertow. Chewbacca, we learn, was already 180 when he met Han. I’m not sure about Wookiee years-to-human years conversion, but the sheer amount of time that the big walking carpet has spent in the universe flips our perception of the friendship and makes us think differently about “The Force Awakens,” where Han is an old man nearing the end of his run. If the entirety were as charming and unexpectedly haunting as the friendship between Han and Chewie, “Solo” might’ve been a classic. As is, it’s a frictionless trip down memory lane.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor-at-Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett
Emilia Clarke as Qi'Ra
Jon Kasdan as Tag Greenley
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37
Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca
Thandie Newton as Val
Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos
Jon Favreau as Rio Durant (voice)
Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo
Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian

Cinematographer

Bradford Young

Writer (characters)

George Lucas
John Powell
Jonathan Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan
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Film review: Solo: A Star Wars Story

Ron Howard’s Han Solo-focussed Star Wars prequel ticks all the boxes, is family-friendly and action-packed – but is it any good?

Some Star Wars aficionados were annoyed by how much The Last Jedi subverted their expectations. Even Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, admitted in interviews that he wasn’t too pleased by the way his character had changed since the 1980s. But no one need worry about Solo: A Star Wars Story upsetting the apple cart, or indeed the landspeeder: it does exactly what you might predict a prequel featuring Harrison Ford’s iconic space-scoundrel would do.

Ticking off a checklist that could have been written by fans, it introduces the twentysomething Han (Alden Ehrenreich); it has his Wookiee pal Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) learning to play holographic chess; it has the flamboyant Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) cheating at cards and swishing his cape; and it has all of them climbing aboard the Millennium Falcon to attempt the legendary feat of astro-piloting which Han mentioned in the first Star Wars film: the Kessel Run.

This efficient box-ticking is admirable, to a degree. When George Lucas made his three Star Wars prequels, from 1999 to 2005, he managed to garble the continuity so badly that they contradicted the events of the original trilogy. But Solo, written by the father and son team of Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan, does a neat job of filling in the gaps in its hero’s back story, and devotees will appreciate every line of dialogue that echoes something they’ve already heard a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

They might wish, though, that it had grander ambitions. Perhaps it would have been different if Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had directed Solo, as they were initially hired to do. But, during production, the guys who made The Lego Movie were fired and replaced by the guy who made The Da Vinci Code – and Ron Howard, for all his merits, is not known for his radical film-making. What he has delivered is a Disney-fied, sub-Guardians of the Galaxy adventure: a lightly comic, family-friendly, action-packed, nigglingly sexist popcorn movie which isn’t the worst Star Wars film, but which is the most inessential.

It’s also episodic. To be generous, you could say that the choppy structure is true to the roots of Star Wars as an homage to such cliff-hanging Saturday matinees as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. But instead of having an over-arching plot, Solo has a string of tenuously connected, protracted action set pieces, none of which is too coherent, and most of which are obscured by smoke and steam.

In between these shoot-em-ups, Han makes a dash from his grey, industrialised home planet, enlists in and then deserts from the Empire’s army, joins a band of robbers, and makes an impressive number of new friends; considering that the film is entitled Solo, it’s remarkable how little time its protagonist spends alone. Although it starts as the lovers-on-the-run tale of Han and his childhood sweetheart Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), it soon makes room for Chewie, Lando, a pistol-twirling mercenary named Beckett (Woody Harrelson), his girlfriend Val (Thandie Newton), a four-armed alien called Rio (voiced by Jon Favreau), and the robotic L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who demands equal rights for her mechanical sisters and brothers. What this line-up lacks is a proper villain, but the entertainingly smarmy gangster who employs the crew to carry out a ‘hyper-fuel’ heist is named Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany).

Yes, anyone who has studied English and Irish poetry and theatre will be as distracted as I was by the fact that one character is Beckett, another is Dryden, and during one scene they namecheck each other about 20 times. It gets to the point when you’re waiting for a stormtrooper to march in and said, “Sorry, sir, but Milton has just stolen an escape pod, and he’s heading for Tattooine with Yeats and Oscar Wilde!”

Apart from their literary names, the only surprising thing about the film’s characters is how many of them are killed. What’s less surprising is that none of these deaths has much of an impact because we met the characters in question just a few minutes beforehand. For that matter, it’s difficult to care about anyone in Solo who isn’t Han, Chewie or Lando. After all, we know that they don’t crop up in any other Star Wars film. And if Han has forgotten all about them by the time he hooks up with Luke and Leia, then why should we try to remember them?

It’s easier to care about Han, though. Ehrenreich is no Harrison Ford – who is? – and I couldn’t believe that this younger incarnation of the character would ever acquire Ford’s gravelly voice. But he’s a likeably goofy hero with an irresistible grin and an air of boyish decency. Given how irritating Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen were as the younger incarnations of Darth Vader, he could have been much, much worse.

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Review: ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Answers Questions You May Not Have Asked

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By A.O. Scott

May 15, 2018

“This was never about you,” someone says to Han Solo, which is odd since the movie is called “Solo.” I don’t want to make this about me, but there are a lot of questions that, in the 41 years since I saw the first “Star Wars” movie — fine! the fourth one; “A New Hope”; jeez! — it has never occurred to me to ask. Where did Han Solo get his last name? How did he and Chewbacca meet? What was the winning hand in the game of Sabacc that gave him possession of the Millennium Falcon? How exactly did he make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs?

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” answers all of these questions and more. This isn’t a bad thing, but it makes this episode, directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Jonathan Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan, a curiously low-stakes blockbuster, in effect a filmed Wikipedia page. (The film played the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday; it opens May 25.)

Before he returned as an avenging patriarch in “The Force Awakens,” Han Solo was the cool uncle of the “Star Wars” saga. You knew the guy had a lot of crazy stories to tell about gamblers, smugglers and other wild characters he hung around with before he joined the Rebellion, but somehow you never got around to hearing them all. Maybe that was for the best, but on the other hand, why not set him up with a ghostwriter and a vanity press and let the yarns rip?

Because then you might discover that he wasn’t quite as interesting as you had thought. Young Han, played by a hard-working, slightly lost-looking Alden Ehrenreich, is introduced as a juvenile delinquent on a dark, rough planet called Corellia, hot-wiring cars and making out with his girlfriend, Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke). The opening scenes carry a faint whiff of the burning rubber, gasoline and adolescent hormones of “American Graffiti,” the 1973 car-crazy coming-of-age picture directed by George Lucas and starring Mr. Howard (with a young Harrison Ford as well).

Han is fresh-faced and earnest, a long way from the grizzled, Humphrey Bogart-ish cynicism of “A New Hope.” He and Qi’ra, indentured to a giant centipede with Linda Hunt’s voice, start running like figures in a Springsteen song — we gotta get out while we’re young! — only to find their dreams of escape dashed by the Empire and a criminal syndicate called Crimson Dawn. Han signs up for military service and then deserts. Qi’ra takes a job with a nasty gangster named Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), and the erstwhile lovebirds meet again in his penthouse, where Han, now part of a band of freelance thieves (led by Woody Harrelson’s scene-stealing Beckett) has come to do some business.

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Solo: A Star Wars Story Reviews

The film is not without heart, though its heart exists in scattered fragments without assimilating into a cohesive whole.

Full Review | Dec 13, 2023

The cast is great, there’s no doubt about it. But there’s a reason why Disney stepped away from creating so many standalone Star Wars films, and I think this film was a contributing factor.

Full Review | Sep 26, 2023

Since the character of Han Solo was already established, the limits of what they could have done weren't huge, but the lack of stakes and consequently the lack of character development reduce this film's influence.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Jul 24, 2023

Howard, Ehrenreich, and company craft a fun and compelling romp that carefully walks the line between Star Wars fan service and old-school action/adventure.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 25, 2022

Solo: A Star Wars Story doesn't advance the legacy of the franchise or even make Han Solo more beloved; quite the opposite. Han Solo is less interesting by the end.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Mar 14, 2022

There are some surprises here and there, though the film lacks the complexity, the substance, and the rewatchability that many other Star Wars movies have.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Aug 17, 2021

[It] offers a fun-filled glimpse into the beginnings of the much-beloved scoundrel, Han Solo.

Full Review | Aug 13, 2021

The general lack of stakes makes it seem like Lucasfilm made Solo to serve two typically opposite forces: diehards who want confirmation of every detail within an expanded universe, and Disney executives that like boatloads of money to come...

Full Review | Jul 28, 2021

Maybe it's fine to have what's basically a disposable installment of Star Wars.

Full Review | Jul 16, 2021

A high-speed heist movie that's more in the vein of the 'Fast and the Furious' series than 'Star Wars.'

Full Review | Jan 27, 2021

Like a never-ending video game, mission after mission is introduced, giving the protagonists continuous obstacles to overcome.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 7, 2020

Solo has a few winning performances but is playing it too safe given the character and franchise's history.

Full Review | Nov 5, 2020

It's neither good nor bad, meaningful or meaningless.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4.0 | Sep 23, 2020

"Rogue One" succeeded because it was a killer one-off between Roman Numeral episodes; "Solo" leaves an open ending to launch its own "franchise within a franchise," a frustrating move for a series that's already teetering on over-saturation.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 29, 2020

This could easily have been exhausting - and it occasionally is - but there's a certain joy to seeing these iconic characters done slightly differently.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 14, 2020

The feature just jogs awkwardly on a treadmill for two hours and 15 minutes, its only breathing moments reserved for readjusting its socks.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jul 24, 2020

Heady and thrilling enough to please newcomers to the saga as well as its inveterate fans.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 21, 2020

A fun and exciting heist movie. Think of it as part the 1978 version of The Great Train Robbery and part Heat, with a little bit of Fast Five sprinkled in for flavor. Yes, those are all very different films, but so is Solo.

Full Review | Jul 14, 2020

There's soaring space adventure and bland tedium; we see fantastic renditions of beloved characters juxtaposed against ho-hum portrayals of others. Overall, it's fine, but when talking about Han Solo, is fine good enough?

Full Review | Original Score: C | Jul 1, 2020

It's annoyingly responsible for staining the iconography of Han Solo. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Jun 27, 2020

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Solo: A Star Wars Story Hits All Its Marks — Except for the Most Important One

The Han Solo “origin” feature, Solo: A Star Wars Story , is smoothly directed by the reliable Hollywood hand Ron Howard and smoothly written by Lawrence Kasdan (who co-wrote, among many other things, the best of all the Star Wars movies, The Empire Strikes Back ) and his son, Jonathan. Whatever the upheavals behind the scenes , what’s onscreen is just that — smooth. The movie is a good old-fashioned linear piece of storytelling, different in kind from the disjointed, multi-narrative spectacles of which Disney has made a specialty.

We follow the young Han ( Alden Ehrenreich ) as he escapes from a fascist planet, reluctantly leaving behind his love, Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke); enlists with the army of the burgeoning Empire as a means of making money to retrieve Qi’ra; and falls in with a group of interplanetary thieves headed by Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and his gal pal, Val (Thandie Newton). The big, hairy wookie Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) begins as Han’s antagonist, but comes aboard under dramatic circumstances. Later, to obtain a ship, the rejiggered team goes in search of the slick young gambler, Lando Calrissian, played by Donald Glover — who is having a big anti-fascist moment himself. The murderous villain isn’t a Darth Whatever but an elegant gangster named Dryden Vos, played by Paul Bettany in well-tailored monochromatic suits and with a face that looks to have been raked by talons — or a woman’s fingernails? He’d deserve it.

The creature designs are wittier than anything since the first Star Wars films, from the giant water-worm (I don’t know the exact species) with the voice of a Knight Who Says “Ni!” to the nightclub-singing duo of a fish and a black woman with some sort of giant, ringlike appurtenance where her mouth should be. One player at Lando’s card table has branches sticking out of his head with multiple eyes — which Han commands he keep on his own cards. Another has a mouth like a wood chipper that shreds the cards when he loses. It’s very funny. There’s a superb new robot creation — a bowlegged female named L3 (voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge ) with a navigational genius and complicated relationship with Lando. She loves him but convinces herself it will never work, a useful defense mechanism.

The production design is just as striking, with extraordinary wintry vistas, especially when a train carrying some sort of McGuffin (a powerful explosive) threads its way through the mountains as Han and Beckett attempt an aerial assault. The subsequent robbery is typically overcomplicated, but it’s not, at least, the usual hash — we always have our bearings. Nothing Howard does is dazzling, but nothing leaves you feeling cheated. It helps that when the Millennium Falcon makes its most dizzying maneuvers, John Williams’s familiar themes kick in. They’re Pavlovian at this point. We’d be stirred by whatever’s onscreen.

Apart from the opening scenes, Solo doesn’t expend much effort on the Empire, but it shows a fairly sophisticated view of how fascism works below the surface. For all the Empire propaganda, which promises to spread “peace and prosperity” (on pain of death) through the galaxy, what fuels the galactic economy is the black market. This isn’t a small point. It’s a form of oppression that’s overseen by gangsters of various levels and tacitly permitted — it distracts the populace from larger injustices — by the totalitarian state. More to the point, it’s how Beckett survives and how Han will make his living until he one day meets Luke and Obi-wan and becomes, like it or not, a soldier in the rebellion.

The performances are largely excellent. Harrelson’s Beckett is better and more lived-in than his Haymitch from the Hunger Games movies — he’s always striving to find new modes of weirdness. The only thing wrong with Thandie Newton’s performance is that there’s not enough of it. I’d watch her in anything. I’m not entirely sure about Emilia Clarke, but that mostly because Qi’ra — who comes back into the movie — is such an unknown quantity. With her overbite and natural dark hair rather than lavish blonde tresses, she does bear an uncanny resemblance to Felicity Jones in Rogue One — an eerie echo. Does she still love Han or is she playing an elaborate game? (Beckett counsels the young man to trust no one.) This is another one of those movies with four or five climactic twists, at least two of them overkill. Our movies are suffering from twistosis .

And Ehrenreich? He has obviously studied Harrison Ford’s wise-ass cadences and arrogant, gunslinger stride. He’s a lightweight, but you can project the older Han on him, which is more than half the battle. But there’s a problem with the character that suffuses the whole movie and makes it less than the sum of its parts.

From the start, Han makes it clear that he doesn’t take orders from anyone. He’s his own man — a loner, Dottie, a rebel. “Solo” isn’t even his birth name, it turns out, but one he earns. But he has a girlfriend he adores and a surrogate family. He bonds so quickly and firmly with Chewbacca that he’s hardly a Solo act at all — he’s Han Duo. He’s rarely even alone onscreen! With Qi’ra reminding him constantly that he has a heart of gold and a nagging sympathy for social-justice warriors, there’s no real dramatic tension. Maybe in the next Solo film — there will be another, sure as shootin’ — he’ll become the Bogart-like cynic we met at the start of this whole saga, but something is lost when a prequel negates a character’s essence so firmly. Solo: A Star Wars Story hits all its marks except the one it needed to hit most: accounting for one of pop culture’s most cantankerous charismatics.

Solo: A Star Wars Story has been nominated for a 2019 Oscar in Best Visual Effects.

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Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

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‘solo: a star wars story’: film review.

Alden Ehrenreich engaging conveys young Harrison Ford in the retro 'Solo: A Star Wars Story.'

By Michael Rechtshaffen

Michael Rechtshaffen

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It’s no accident the posters for Solo: A Star Wars Story convey a retro, ‘ 70s-tinged vibe.

Especially when following in the turbo-charged footsteps of last winter’s The Last Jedi and other recent Star Wars epics, this origins story represents a return to the saga’s more humble, original space Western roots — one that places a premium on character development over kinetic, adrenaline-fueled action sequences.

Release date: May 25, 2018

That emphasis certainly plays to the talents of director Ron Howard, whose most memorable films tend to be known for their colorful protagonists rather than their pulse-pounding battle sequences. As a result, Howard, who took over the reins from original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller some five months into shooting (the original team departed over creative differences), gets plenty of entertaining mileage out of Han Solo & Co.’s formative years, even though he never quite manages to launch the Millennium Falcon into hyperdrive .

Despite the intermittent lags, the production proves to be more than a salvage operation thanks mainly to those engagingly choreographed performances, led by an irresistibly charismatic title turn from Alden Ehrenreich who ultimately claims Solo as his own even if he doesn’t entirely manage to convince us he’s Harrison Ford.

Although the end result will not likely find itself occupying an upper berth in the Star Wars movie pantheon, there’s enough here to satisfy the fan base and give Disney a very strong turnout (it received its Cannes premiere on Tuesday) when it opens Memorial Day weekend.

In order to preserve the various character reveals and surprise plot points in the script by Jonathan Kasdan and his dad, Lawrence (who had returned to the Star Wars fold to pen The Force Awakens ), suffice it to say the story tracks Solo from his teen smuggling days on his home planet of Corellia with his partner in crime, girlfriend Qi’ra ( Game of Thrones ‘ Emilia Clarke ), to the trenches of the war-torn mud planet Mimban .

There, Han joins forces with a band of mercenaries headed by career criminal Beckett (Woody Harrelson ), along with the take-charge Val ( Thandie Newton) and four-armed Ardennian pilot Rio Durant (voiced by Jon Favreau ).

Of course, one need not look any further than the poster to know that, along the way, Han will also meet up with faithful companion Chewbacca (former basketball player Joonas Suotamo ) and, equally notably, Lando Calrissian (the wildly magnetic Donald Glover doing Billy Dee Williams proud in a casually scene-stealing turn). Also figuring into the lively character mix is Paul Bettany’s power-hungry sociopath Dryden Vos , and the criminally too-briefly-seen L3-37 (a hilarious, motion-captured Phoebe-Waller Bridge), truly a self-made astromech droid — she built herself up from various parts she’s acquired — who has an emotionally complicated relationship with Calrissian .

Obviously, the person with the most to prove here is Ehrenreich , who previously managed to steal a few scenes of his own as aw-shucks cowboy actor Hobie Doyle in the Coen brothers’ Hail, Caesar! , and he captures enough of Ford’s genial swagger to earn Solo bragging rights — even if the performance could have withstood a few smirks and winks.

But while Ehrenreich’s Solo proves adept at maneuvering the Millennium Falcon out of some tight spots, the picture itself follows a safely predictable course. Missing here are the sort of plot-related or visual curveballs thrown by Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi or Gareth Edwards with Rogue One .

The unexpected aspects in Solo are less of the “didn’t see that coming” variety than the sort of reveals that lead to the anticipated Han-Chewy encounter or how Han and Lando first crossed paths.

And if Howard might have had a bit of a challenge initially getting the proceedings out of the gate and up and consistently running at full speed, composer John Powell provides plenty of cues with amped-up orchestrations that incorporate several iconic themes by John Williams, as well as a newer Williams composition, “Han Solo Theme.”

From a visual standpoint, the production admittedly looks quite lovely, with cinematographer Bradford Young and production designer Neil Lamont establishing some strikingly resonant delineations in the contrasting industrial/desert/alpine intergalactic landscapes.

Although Howard dependably steered the production back on tonal course after the original directors reportedly took it in a different, less traditional direction, the realignment has ultimately resulted in something that feels a bit too comfortably familiar.

This time around, that galaxy far, far, away doesn’t seem quite so out of this world.

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'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Review: A Highly Entertaining Adventure That's Not Really About Anything

After a troubled production, Solo: A Star Wars Story is here. The good news: the behind-the-scenes woes weren't enough to sink the film and create a mess. The bad news: that doesn't necessarily mean everything in Solo runs as smoothly as it should. At the center of Solo is a question: what do we want the Star Wars Story films to be? Do we want them to be big, bold space adventures with something on their minds? Or do we want them to be amusing, escapist entertainment we can easily digest and not think too much about? If you're looking for the latter, Solo will please you. If you want a little bit more, well... Here's the thing: before "A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far Far Away" even comes up on the screen, we know how Solo is going to play out. That is, perhaps, the greatest weakness of the Anthology films so far: we know where they're going, so we're just waiting for them to get there. We know that Han Solo will be a lovable rogue. We know that he'll team up with Chewie. We know that he'll befriend Lando. We know all of this. Thankfully, that foreknowledge doesn't ruin things. Because ultimately, Solo is a hell of a lot of fun. That fun is the result of the actors and the characters they play. At the center of it all is Alden Ehrenreich , who makes Han Solo his own. Is Ehrenreich a modern-day Harrison Ford ? Absolutely not, and that's okay. The Han here isn't the Han we met in A New Hope . He's younger; funnier; more cocky. And Ehrenreich knows just how to play him – with a sense of wide-eyed optimism slowly being eroded away by reality. The Han here is a lot more hopeful; a lot more chipper. He has total faith in his abilities to scam his way out of any situation, and make things right. The one thing he wants to make most right is to return to his home planet and rescue Qi'ra ( Emilia Clarke ), a childhood friend Han has a massive crush on. The two were supposed to run away together, but fate – and the Empire – got in the way. Now, years have passed, and the only way for Han to get home is to throw in with a team of outlaws. Han hopes to score enough money that he can buy a ship and blast off to whisk Qi'ra away. But first, he has to pull a job with his new surrogate family of thieves. These outlaws are led by Beckett ( Woody Harrelson ), a character that seems a lot more like the Han Solo we know from the original Star Wars trilogy than the Han Solo we meet here. Harrelson is an absolute delight to watch in this film, playing Beckett with a mixture of charm and weariness. The character truly feels lived in, as if he's seen some stuff and doesn't want to talk about it. Along the way, Han also befriends Chewbacca, a Wookiee that almost kills him during their first encounter. The Han and Chewie relationship is exactly what you would want from this type of film – amusing, quippy, even emotional at times. We can see these two growing into the lifelong friends they'll become. Eventually, Han runs into Qi'ra again, only to find she's not the girl she was years ago. Now she's taken up with Dryden Vos ( Paul Bettany , somehow ending up with the funniest lines in the movie), a gangster working for Crimson Dawn, an intergalactic crime syndicate. Beckett owes a huge debt to Vos, and to pay it off, he's going to have to pull one massive job – the job to end all jobs. Needless to say, Han wants in on this action. Qi'ra comes along too. All they need is a ship. Enter Lando Calrissian ( Donald Glover ), owner of the Millennium Falcon. Much has already been said about how cool Glover looks as Lando, and I can confirm that he does indeed end up providing some of the film's best moments. Glover's Lando doesn't walk through this movie – he glides, as if the magnificent capes he wears have provided him with the gift of flight. Lando's co-pilot is the droid L3-37 ( Phoebe Waller-Bridge ), who may or may not have a crush on Lando (who wouldn't?). As great as Glover is, he's matched by Waller-Bridge, who makes L3 extra droll and extra quippy. Will Han be successful on the job, and make the Kessel Run? Will Lando look out for himself above anyone else? Will someone in Han's party end up betraying Han? Will Chewbacca roar and growl in ways that only Han seems to understand? Search your feelings. You know the answers to these questions, and more. While the predictability might have easily capsized Solo , the entertainment factor keeps it afloat. The film never sits still, zipping from one planet, one action beat, to the next. Characters don't merely deliver their dialogue – they spit it out, as if the words themselves are hot fire they need to get off their tongues lickety-split. Director Ron Howard stages the big, thrilling action scenes with gusto, creating a film that's loaded with vast, sweeping, romantic adventure. Emphasis on romantic. While Clarke's portrayal of Qi'ra is a bit one-note at times, she and Ehrenreich share a palpable chemistry together. A scene where the two share a long, passionate kiss ends up being one of the most romantic things I've seen in a Star Wars movie in a long time (the second most romantic thing is Hayden Christensen talking about sand, I guess). And yet, what's the point of all of this? What hurts Solo is the fact that it's ultimately not about anything. Let me be clear: I understand that in one way or another, all Star Wars films simply exist to create more Star Wars films. These stories are products. But Solo is the first Star Wars film in recent memory that feels like it's selling something. Even Rogue One , one of the worst Star Wars films in years, felt like a self-contained, well-intentioned story with something on its mind. Solo merely exists to set up more Solo movies. And it shows. Perhaps I've been ruined by Star Wars: The Last Jedi . Rian Johnson's film is loaded with ideas – it's a big, bold, brilliant film with a lot on its mind. Solo , in contrast, just wants to have a good time and then roll the credits. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. Maybe that's exactly the sort of adventure you're looking for. /Film Rating: 7 out of 10

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DVD & Streaming

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

May 25, 2018
Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo; Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca; Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra; Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett; Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian; Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos; Thandie Newton as Val

Home Release Date

September 25, 2018

Distributor

Walt Disney Studios

Movie Review

In spite of the Galactic Empire’s heavy-handed lockdown of, well, nearly everything, there’s still a lot going on in Han Solo’s life.

It’s been several years since the young man narrowly escaped life as something of an indentured servant on his grungy, crime-ridden home planet of Corellia.

Since then, he’s gone to war as a grunt in the Empire’s massive army. He’s stumbled across a group of smugglers led by a wily rogue named Beckett. And he’s nearly been devoured by a half-starved Wookie by the name of … Chewbacca.

Whooo! It’s been quite an eventful stretch. But for Han it’s only the beginning. See, he’s got plans. Big plans. Sure, he’s still a little wet behind the ears. And he might have to fall in with that Tobias Beckett guy for a while. But only until they can hit a big score. He just needs a little money to buy his own ship.

After that, he’s determined to return to Corellia to rescue his girlfriend, Qi’ra, who was unable to escape the clutches of the nasty criminal kingpin who kept both her and Han—and many other children and young people—under lock and key.

But once he rescues Qi’ra, there will be nothing to hold them back. They’ll live a life of adventure—doing what they want, letting the universe unfold before them.

He just needs that one big score. And hey, while he’s working on that, he might as well become the galaxy’s best pilot, too.

But it won’t be easy, of course. Because nothing ever comes easily when your name is Han Solo .

Positive Elements

“I’m the only one in the galaxy who knows who you really are,” Qi’ra tells Han. “You’re the good guy.” She’s right. Even though Princess Leia once famously labeled him a “scoundrel” (in Empire Strikes Back ), he’s really nothing of the sort here once you get beneath his cocky attitude. No, Han’s a good guy here, a young man who’s still surprisingly optimistic. He’s guided by a sense of inner idealism that shapes his decisions and pushes him forward. And he’s so committed to Qi’ra that he’d do anything to rescue her.

Along the way, Han puts his life on the line not only for her, but for some other worthy people and causes, too. Other characters do so as well at times (though a mix of selfless and selfish motivations swirls in several of them).

A feisty feminine droid known as L3-37 also exhibits a surprisingly strong moral core. “She” speaks of her longing to find a purpose in her existence. She also risks everything to free and protect scores of slaves (both droids as well as various organic races) who are being held prisoner and laboring under harsh conditions on a mining planet.

Elsewhere, someone gives their life to protect a loved one. A group of formerly oppressed people rally together, unleashing rebel-like attacks on an evil and destructive crime syndicate known as Crimson Dawn. The film also repeatedly emphasizes the importance of belonging, of having people who care for you. “No good to die alone, kid,” someone tells Han.

Spiritual Elements

Though The Force has figured significantly in most Star Wars movies, that famous “energy field created by all living things” (as Obi-Wan described it) is wholly absent here, with nary a single mention of it. In fact, with the exception of L3-37s momentary musings on finding her purpose, there’s nothing here that could be described as spiritual at all.

Sexual & Romantic Content

Han and Qi’ra are in a romantic relationship. We see them kissing. In one scene on the Millennium Falcon, Han glances suggestively at a bed as they talk and canoodle, implying (it would seem) that they should get in it together (and that they’ve done so before). One of Qi’ra’s outfits displays some cleavage.

Later, we learn that Qi’ra has essentially become the slave-like property of another crime boss; she’s often at his side and it’s perhaps very subtly (and creeepily) suggested that nothing is off limits in their relationship.

Han meets another young “scoundrel” of sorts named Lando Calrissian, the owner of the Millennium Falcon. His copilot is L3-37, and the feminine robot confesses to Qi-ra that she believes Lando is in love with her. Qi’ra considers their robot and human anatomic structures and asks, “How does that work?” “It works,” L3 replies bluntly.

At that point, Qi-ra’s surprised and skeptical expressions invite us to view L3’s infatuation with Lando as a figment of her overactive digital imagination. But Lando is exceptionally tender toward her in a later scene, suggesting that there might be something to their odd human-robot romance after all.

While listing all of Lando’s strengths, Qi’ra says, “And then there’s his prodigious …” before being interrupted by Han.

Violent Content

Though never bloody or gory, this is a swashbuckling adventure featuring mountain-crumbling explosions, blaster shootouts and off-camera executions. Han is forcefully pummeled in a few scenes. And in the gun battles, people get tossed violently about, while robots and humans alike are blasted to the ground in the chaos.

One character is shot in the shoulder and eventually succumbs to the wound. A government official is murdered. (We see his body on the floor, after the fact.) A man is stabbed with a sword. A man is shot in the chest.

Perhaps the most visceral moment in the film involves the Wookie, Chewbacca, ripping off a baddie’s arms. We don’t see the limbs’ actual separation, but we do see Chewie holding up two dismembered arms (though without much blood). The scene is actually played for laughs, a nod toward a similar story that Han told in Star Wars .

The Millennium Falcon, of course, seeks to outrun a Star Destroyer and ever-present pursuing TIE fighters—with several of the latter meeting explosive ends. A massive, razor-toothed creature threatens the Millennium Falcon in space, as does a very hungry black hole.

All that said, this Star Wars story is less deadly and devastating than other stories in the saga. (No space stations full of people or crowded planets meet their end, for instance.)

Crude or Profane Language

One unfinished use of “sh—” joins just about half a dozen uses of h—,” and less frequent uses of “d–n” and “a–.” We hear one reference to “bantha crap.”

Drug & Alcohol Content

People attending a party, including Han and Qi’ra, consume undefined beverages.

Other Noteworthy Elements

Even the “good” guys here are often thieves, marauders and miscreants in this adventure. People steal and lie frequently (at times, it should be added, to save their own skins). We see a couple of gambling scenes, and it’s suggested that one character frequently cheats at high-stakes games he always seems to win.

Beckett tells Han, “Assume everyone will betray you, and you will not be disappointed,” His cynical admonition is repeatedly proven true here, perhaps even alluding to the more hard-bitten and similarly cynical character we know Han will one day become himself.

Qi’ra’s wrist has been branded by a Crimson Dawn symbol, suggesting that she’s owned by the nefarious crime syndicate.

Another scene played for a laugh shows Han and Chewie’s bare feet in a shower together (after they’ve just escaped a massive mud pit), with Han complaining that he needs a bit more room.

The Star Wars saga has gotten so serious. All the bad-guy glowering and massive death tolls of the latest pics have tended to weigh a bit heavily on this 41-year-old franchise set in a certain galaxy far, far away. Frankly, there’s a bit of twinkle and lighthearted excitement gone missing.

So fans who cut their teeth on the original trilogy may well appreciate what director Ron Howard has done with this story set about a decade before the events of the original Star Wars : He’s made things fun again.

In young Han Solo’s universe, the evil Empire and an emerging Rebel Alliance are both just on the outside edges of the narrative. The main thruster rocket here is not galactic war, but the thrill ride of Han’s origin story. It’s a tale that spins, soars and blasts like the Millennium Falcon, captained, of course, by the galaxy’s most daring pilot.

Parents of younger fans will still need to consider that amid all that swashbuckling action, there’s plenty of peril to plunge through. And Han himself hangs with a rogues gallery of characters whose character is sometimes heroic, sometimes self-serving.

There are definitely heroic seeds at our favorite space scoundrel’s core, though, seeds that simply need a little life experience to nurture them to growth. And that’s exactly what this swooping heist tale is all about. You get a yarn filled with romance, high-stakes gambits, flashy sidekicks, a spunky robot and a whole lot of who’s-going-to-outfox-who intrigue.

Ultimately, it’s the kind of colorful adventure that one could imagine Harrison Ford’s version of Han recalling with a great deal of flourish … and a twinkle in his eye.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Solo: a star wars story.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 45 Reviews
Kids Say 132 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Satisfying, action-packed prequel explores Han's roots.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Lots of sci-fi action violence, both large-scale (warfare between Empire forces

Several kisses and embraces. One main character is very flirtatious.

One cut-off exclamation of "oh, sh--!" plus "hell" and "damn." Insults such as "

A few scenes take place in pubs where characters drink and gamble. A captain dri

On camera, nothing, but off camera, the Star Wars franchise is a merchandiser's

Any Positive Content?

Iffier messages like "don't trust anyone" and "do whatever it takes to survive"

Noticeably diverse cast, with many female characters, people of color, and creat

Violence & Scariness

Lots of sci-fi action violence, both large-scale (warfare between Empire forces and those they seek to conquer) and small (close-range executions, shoot-outs, decapitation, one-on-one duels, a few three-on-one or two-on-one fights). Overall, not much blood. Chases, crashes, and frequent peril. A character is thrown in a confined space with a "beast" and is supposed to be tortured but ends up communicating with his torturer. A man is willing to kill anyone and everyone who crosses him. Spoiler alert : More than one supporting character is killed, both human and nonhuman.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

One cut-off exclamation of "oh, sh--!" plus "hell" and "damn." Insults such as "presumptuous ass," "scum rat," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A few scenes take place in pubs where characters drink and gamble. A captain drinks from a flask during a battle.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

On camera, nothing, but off camera, the Star Wars franchise is a merchandiser's dream, with branded/themed apparel, games, accessories, housewares, action figures, Lego sets, toys, and just about anything else you can imagine.

Positive Messages

Iffier messages like "don't trust anyone" and "do whatever it takes to survive" are balanced out by messages promoting equal rights for all creatures -- including androids -- and the importance of teamwork, communication, courage, solidarity, and friendship. Also explores how morally ambiguous characters still have a choice to make when it comes to whether they'll do what's right -- even if it puts them in harm's way -- or what's easy, even if it's wrong.

Positive Role Models

Noticeably diverse cast, with many female characters, people of color, and creatures who have distinct backgrounds and ideas. Han is loyal and brave, if not always morally right. Chewbacca sticks by Han even when it endangers his life. Qi'ra is smarter and more of a survivor than people initially think. Beckett and his crew are smugglers but also abide by their own codes. Lando thinks mostly of himself but is willing to go along with plans that help others; he cares deeply about his navigation droid, L3-37. And L3 is an outspoken advocate for android rights.

Parents need to know that Solo: A Star Wars Story is a stand-alone adventure about a young Han Solo ( Alden Ehrenreich ) that takes place several years before he teams up with Luke and Leia in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope . The movie reveals details about the infamous smuggler's past -- like how he became the captain of the Millennium Falcon and how he met legendary characters like Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and Lando Calrissian ( Donald Glover ). Expect lots of peril, chases, and action violence, including scenes of large-scale ground warfare as well as executions, shoot-outs, and torture. While there's not much blood overall, characters do die. There's also a bit of language, some drinking in pubs, and innuendo (plus more kissing than is typical for a Star Wars film). Han definitely isn't always first in line to make the morally right choice, but ultimately the movie has messages about equal rights for all creatures and the importance of teamwork, communication, courage, and friendship. And the cast is noticeably diverse, with many female characters, people of color, and creatures who have distinct backgrounds and ideas. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (45)
Kids say (132)

Based on 45 parent reviews

Kids can handle it, but still

Good addition to the starwars storyline, what's the story.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY takes place approximately a decade before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and follows a young Han ( Alden Ehrenreich ) as he goes from troublemaking street orphan on his home planet of Corellia to Imperial soldier to intergalactic-smuggler-in-the-making. As an adolescent, Han and his girlfriend, Qi'ra ( Emilia Clarke ), are separated as they attempt to escape a crime boss; he's able to leave, but she's captured. He vows to come back for her. Three years later, Han is a soldier in the Imperial Army who chances upon a younger Chewbecca (Joonas Suotamo), as well as a motley crew of smugglers led by Beckett ( Woody Harrelson ) and his partner, Val ( Thandiwe Newton ). Han joins them on a mission for the Crystal Dawn, a powerful crime syndicate managed by the merciless Dryden Vos ( Paul Bettany ). The high-stakes heist also puts Han in touch with legendary gambler Lando Calrissian ( Donald Glover ), who lends his ship in exchange for a cut of the action.

Is It Any Good?

Director Ron Howard 's slick, funny prequel offers a respectable lead performance that captures Harrison Ford's smirky, roguish charisma and fills in several Star Wars gaps. While purists may never be fully satisfied with any prequel that revisits beloved original characters (some Potterheads feel the same way about Fantastic Beasts , for example), Ehrenreich deserves props for rising above pure imitation. He and Glover make their legendary characters their own, even if audiences must suspend disbelief a bit that either man could have changed quite that much in just 10 or so years. Both are amusingly arrogant and self-possessed -- and, in Han's case, also vulnerable. Yes, it's compelling to explore how Han hooked up with Chewie and Lando, but it's even more interesting to uncover the particulars of Han's background, his introduction to smuggling, and his first (ultimately doomed) love story.

Solo , like most spin-offs, isn't strictly necessary, but it's still massively entertaining when it gets things right. A couple of key moments will definitely make fans cheer (mostly having to do with the Millennium Falcon). There are several well-performed supporting roles, especially among the women. Clarke, who's best known as the Mother of Dragons on Game of Thrones , is great as Han's often underestimated partner in crime. Newton is extremely effective in her small but pivotal role (with a deadly stare familiar to those who've seen her in Westworld or Line of Duty ). And British comedian/TV writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge (who sounds a lot like Tilda Swinton) is hilarious as outspoken android rights' activist L3-37. Bettany is fantastically creepy as a chilling mob boss who just wants to get paid, and Harrelson adds his signature, laid-back style to the proceedings as Han's roguish mentor. By the end, audiences will feel even more intensely for Han Solo, knowing more about his victories and losses as a younger man.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Solo: A Star Wars Story . Do scenes of ground battles affect you differently from those of close-up, one-on-one duels and shoot-outs? Why do you think that is ? What makes more of an impact: violence or loss? Why? How does this movie handle both topics?

Do you consider any of the characters role models ? If so, which ones? What are their character strengths ? How are teamwork , communication , and courage important to the story? How does Han's lack of humility get him in trouble?

Talk about the themes from the other Star Wars movies that repeat themselves here. Why are issues of good vs. evil, mentorship, and friendship so important to this series? How do they play out on-screen?

Han doesn't consider himself a good guy. Why does he rebuff the notion that he's heroic? What does the movie reveal about him, Chewbacca, and Lando?

How is diversity -- and a lack thereof -- used to indicate the values of the opposing sides of conflict in the Star Wars series ?

Movie Details

In theaters : May 25, 2018
On DVD or streaming : September 25, 2018
Cast : Alden Ehrenreich , Donald Glover , Emilia Clarke , Woody Harrelson
Director : Ron Howard
Inclusion Information : Black actors, Female actors
Studio : Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre : Science Fiction
Topics : Adventures , Friendship , Space and Aliens
Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Teamwork
Run time : 135 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sequences of sci-fi action/violence
Award : Common Sense Selection
Last updated : July 7, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Solo: A Star Wars Story best and worst -- our global review

The CNET crew reacts to Han Solo's origin story. Galactic hit or Wookiee error? Warning: spoilers ahead.

Punch it, Chewie! Solo: A Star Wars Story has completed the Kessel Run, earning a mixed reaction from fans and critics.

After an opening weekend that saw underwhelming box office results , the movie has earned a Metacritic score of 62 . Here's our official CNET review , and here's what the hard-core Star Wars fans among the CNET crowd thought. Did they have a good feeling about Solo?

'Rollicking romp'

Sometimes I think the worst thing to ever happen to Star Wars was when someone decided to call it a "saga." With so much weight attached to each new movie in the series, it's easy to forget these things are supposed to be fun . Even if Solo is lightweight, I'm thrilled to see a Star Wars movie that isn't laden with ponderous lore and instead just takes us on a rollicking romp through a colorful sci-fi universe.

The heist set pieces are a blast and the supporting cast more than makes up for a sense of blandness hovering around Han himself. The film is frequently shaggier than a Wookiee's underarms -- probably due to the notoriously troubled production process -- and I particularly didn't love the contrivance that Han just randomly bumps into the person he's supposed to be searching for.

Alden Ehrenreich 's junior Solo might have been more clearly defined if we'd seen our favorite scruffy-looking nerf herder rubbing up against the strictures of the Imperial academy rather than jumping straight into the outlaw life, but at least he's surrounded by the lissome and hilarious Phoebe Waller-Bridge as droid L3, twinkly Donald Glover as Lando and deliciously snarling Paul Bettany as the pantomime baddie.

Despite the rough edges, Solo is a lot of fun to spend time with, much like the man himself.

-- Richard Trenholm, London

Donald Glover is the young Lando Calrissian.

'Totally fine'

Solo is fine. Like, totally fine. It's not a film I needed or wanted, but I enjoyed what was there, probably more than I expected. The performances are great all around, but I had a hard time seeing Donald Glover and Alden Ehrenreich as Lando and Han. Once I convinced my brain they were just new characters the ride got smoother.

The supporting characters impressed me most. Woody Harrelson 's Beckett and Thandie Newton 's Val are great, but the standouts for me were Emilia Clarke 's Q'ira and Joonas Suotamo 's Chewbacca. This was the Chewie I've been waiting to see since Han remarked in A New Hope that Wookies are known for tearing the arms off their enemies. This Chewbacca mixes it up in the action scenes in such a visceral satisfying way.

However, it's not until the end that the movie really came together for me and that's due to everything dealing with Q'ira in the last 20 minutes. Most of that's a spoiler, so I won't get into details, but it really makes me excited about what happens in Solo 2.

-- Eric Franklin, San Francisco

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

'Lack of depth'

Where to start with Solo? It's not great, but it's far from a bad movie, either. The biggest problem Solo suffers from is its lack of depth. Han Solo seems like such a rich character who could be the focus in a large number of stories. A full-on origin story or a story that features Han taking on his first real adventure could have been really interesting.

Instead, we get a thin story about Han Solo as he goes from one heist to the next. The movie packs in a lot of action with great-looking visual and practical effects. Solo seems to be on a mission to check off a number of boxes: Origin of the Solo name? Check. Han meeting Chewie? Check. Han getting his trademark weapon? Check. Han getting his ship? Check. Leave enough hints for a sequel? Check. Making you want to watch another Solo movie? Maybe.

-- Iyaz Akhtar, New York

'Kind of beige'

I think I had fun watching this movie. I just don't remember much about it. It was kind of ... beige. It wasn't particularly funny, exciting or groundbreaking. The standout moment was Han meeting Chewie, but once they were together, instead of cool moments between the two, they jump into someone else's adventure.

Emilia Clarke's character was a gray area -- which normally would be interesting, except there's this sort of arc of her going to the dark side, and because she never tells us all the "bad things" she's done, it's out of the blue.

There were so many conveniences. Both pilots before Han die. Han just runs into Q'ira. Wookiee slaves happen to be around for Chewbacca to save.

The Kessel Run scene was the best part of the movie for me. I liked that they used Han's pilot skills creatively, like with the Millennium Falcon skidding on the rocky ground and sending shrapnel into the pursuing TIE fighters.

But you always knew Han was going to be OK. Why not explore why he became so cynical? Skip this movie and go straight to that one, please.

-- Jennifer Bisset, Sydney

Alden Ehrenreich in action.

'Rewards dedicated fans'

Solo isn't on the same level as Rogue One in terms of drama, but it still manages to be a lot of fun. The opening 15 minutes left me a bit worried about the movie's tone and pacing, but it soon settles as familiar elements come into play. Donald Glover's Lando and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's L3-37 are the clear standouts in the humor department, but Alden Ehrenreich's young Han has some nice back and forth with Joonas Suotamo's Chewie and Woody Harrelson's Beckett (the kind of character we've seen Harrelson playing many times, but effective nonetheless).

Most fascinating is Emilia Clarke's Q'ira, whose arc is gray and unpredictable as we wonder about her relationship with Paul Bettany's twitchy Dryden Vos. In terms of set pieces, the train heist and the Kessel Run are thrilling, with the latter living up to 41 years of hype. Despite these high points, the movie feels just a little long and gets convoluted toward the end. There are also countless nods to the old Legends continuity and current non-movie elements that will reward dedicated fans and repeat viewings.

-- Sean Keane, Dublin

'I want Chewie on my side'

Before Solo: A Star Wars Story came out, I interviewed some old-school Star Wars fans about whether the Millennium Falcon would be the real star of the show . I may have picked the wrong old-school character to highlight. The star of Solo wasn't Solo, it wasn't even the Falcon, it was Han's legendary co-pilot, Chewbacca.

We learn how Chewie and Han met, and how Wookiees were enslaved. And we see that despite all that, Chewie doesn't instantly hate all other species. He's OK with befriending a fellow hapless prisoner he's supposed to devour, but in a nice throwback to the first Star Wars, he's got no problem ripping the arms off somebody who comes to kill him. And when Q'ira slides into the co-pilot seat he knows he's more qualified for, he just sits back and waits until his expertise is needed. More than any of the humans of Star Wars, I want Chewie on my side. And if I learned some Shyriiwook, I might actually root for a solo Chewie movie (anything to help me forget the Star Wars Holiday Special ).

Alden Ehrenreich was a more charming Han than I expected, but it's impossible to not keep picturing how Harrison Ford would've played those scenes. Yes, that's unfair, but it's also inescapable. It's like watching those royal wedding movies on Lifetime and counting the ways Random British Actor doesn't look or act like Prince Charles.

Why that Solo cameo is the best thing in the movie
Where Solo: A Star Wars Story sits on the movie timeline
Solo droid L3-37 and her big Star Wars movie surprise
Solo shows Star Wars isn't built for a Marvel-style cinematic universe

Solo's plot was instantly forgettable, but I acknowledge it had to go down a checklist of "things we want to see about Han's past." How he became a smuggler, check. How he won the Falcon from Lando (a supremely suave Donald Glover), check. The Kessel Run and that confusing definition of "parsecs," check. Reportedly Ehrenreich is signed for three films , so now that all that Han history is handled, maybe future films will feel less choppy. If Disney delivers on that, I'd see a Solo sequel. But don't stint on the Chewie!

-- Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, Seattle

'Better luck next film'

Solo was sadly underwhelming. Setting a heist movie in the Star Wars universe may sound like a great idea, but that wasn't really the case here. Missing from the movie is a lack of fun that comes with the improbable steals and the excitement over the payoff.

If you're a fan of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, though, as well as the now discarded Legends, you'll love the callbacks to the Han Solo trilogy, where you get to see the legendary sabacc gambling duels come to life. Alden Ehrenreich plays a great young Han, while Donald Glover as Lando makes the film watchable every time he's on screen.

I would have loved a different Solo movie, one that explored Han's Imperial pilot training, but I guess Disney wanted to jump right into how Han became the smuggler we all knew and loved. We don't get to explore how Han got his cockiness as a pilot or how he got kicked out, which would have been a great setup for the next movie.

Better luck next film, I guess.

-- Aloysius Low, Singapore

'Didn't expect to like it, but...'

I liked it. If The Last Jedi was an attempt to get away from the nostalgia of the original movies, Solo was a sort of love letter to those who still respect Star Wars as an epic saga. I really enjoyed finding out how Han and Chewbacca first met and how Lando lost the Millennium Falcon to Han, and loved that first moment when Han and Chewbacca sat next to each other and piloted the ship together.

Solo wasn't a deep dive into Star Wars lore by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a fun romp as we find out what shaped Han Solo's character early on. I thought Donald Glover and Alden Ehrenreich did excellent jobs portraying Lando and Han, even to the point where I caught glimpses of Billy Dee Williams and Harrison Ford in the new characters.

To be honest, I didn't expect to like it, but I've already thought about seeing it again in the theaters because I had so much fun the first time.

-- Jason Parker, San Francisco

Paul Bettany is bad guy Dryden Vos.

'Living comic book'

I enjoyed Solo more than any other Star Wars film I've seen in the past three years -- which, let's admit it, is a disappointingly low bar. To me, it was true to the original premise of the first movies: a living comic book with plenty of action, some humor and appealing sets.

Was it a great movie? Of course not. But it was *fun.* In the summer, that's really all I ask for.

-- Rochelle Garner, San Francisco

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Solo: A Star Wars Story Early Reviews: Fun, Light, But Flawed Bromance

The first reviews for the latest standalone star wars adventure say it has issues, but it's ultimately a worthy addition to the saga..

TAGGED AS: Star Wars

(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)

Another Star Wars Story is here, and according to the critics the young Han Solo chronicles are a fine but faulty diversion while we wait for the ninth and final episode of the “Skywalker Saga.” While Solo: A Star Wars Story ’s Rotten Tomatoes score is on the lower end for the franchise at 73% on the Tomatometer, that’s still on the fresh side. And that should be good enough for the fans.

What exactly does the spinoff prequel do well and what exactly are it’s flaws? Here’s a breakdown of the Solo reviews:

How does Solo compare to the rest of the Star Wars franchise?

Solo is the most intimate, ground-level Star Wars movie we’ve ever gotten. – Angie Han, Mashable

Solo isn’t the worst Star Wars movie—your record is safe, The Phantom Menace — just the one with the least compelling reason to exist. – Sam Adams, Slate

It’s the best goddamn Star Wars film released under the Mouse House. Better yet, it’s the most fun anyone has had in this far, far away galaxy since [the Reagan era]. – Michael Roffman, Consequence of Sound

The first dud of the new series. – Rafer Guzman, Newsday

This might also be the least epic Star Wars movie to date. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

The creature and set design in Solo are some of the best we’ve ever seen in Star Wars . – Germain Lussier, io9

Solo was the first Star Wars movie in a long time that gave me anything like the light-hearted thrill I first felt seeing A New Hope as a kid. – Kaila Hale-Stern, The Mary Sue

Will fans of Star Wars like it?

Anyone who’s spent time playing make believe with Han Solo action figures will enjoy it immensely. – Julia Alexander, Polygon

Even without lightsaber battles or Jedi or anyone aligned with the formal Rebellion, it still captures a humor and pace Star Wars audiences expect. – Kate Erbland, IndieWire

This movie is the antidote to the sort of Star Wars movie that viewers who despised the prankishly irreverent and oddly introspective The Last Jedi seem to have wanted. – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

For fans, it’s packed with Star Wars references. And I mean packed . Some are big and obvious, others are small and subtle, but it’s a film that will make anyone who has studied Star Wars happy in one way or the other. – Germain Lussier, io9

Solo isn’t a movie for the fans so much as at them, harnessing its makers’ considerable skill and experience to gratify the urge for the familiar, with no pretense or aspiration of doing anything else. – Sam Adams, Slate

How is Alden Ehrenreich as young Han Solo?

The Han here isn’t the Han we met in A New Hope . He’s younger, funnier, more cocky. And Ehrenreich knows just how to play him – with a sense of wide-eyed optimism slowly being eroded away by reality. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

Ehrenreich’s take on Han is charming and effective, and it’s easy to see how his big-talking striver will morph into the lovable rogue that Ford played. – Kate Erbland, IndieWire

Ehrenreich has found a way to make the role his own, and in doing so to show us this familiar character from a fresh perspective. – Angie Han, Mashable

While Ehrenreich picks up a Han-like cockiness as things progress, he still feels woefully miscast. There’s nothing roguish about Ehrenreich. – Kristy Puchko, Pajiba

Ehrenreich feels so disconnected from the original Solo I honestly forgot at times that he was playing the same character. It took someone onscreen yelling “Han!” to remind me that I wasn’t watching Chewbacca’s Nice Friend: A Star Wars Story . – Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

How’s Ehrenreich’s chemistry with Chewbacca?

The first meetup between Han and Chewbacca is going to go down as one of the all-time classic meet-cutes. – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

As for Chewie, his blossoming friendship with Han is basically the heart of the movie; before Han meets his Wookiee friend, the movie doesn’t feel… right . – Germain Lussier, io9

The closeness between Han and Chewie makes the movie. – Brian Truitt, USA Today

How is the rest of the ensemble?

[Glover’s Lando is] an amusing but superficial performance, made up mostly of wardrobe. – Rafer Guzman, Newsday

It’s obvious Glover is having a blast as Lando, oozing with confidence and humor. – Germain Lussier, io9

Harrelson is an absolute delight to watch in this film, playing Beckett with a mixture of charm and weariness. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

A character called Rio, voiced by Jon Favreau, bears the unmistakable stamp of Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy . – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

L3 came out of left field and helped turn Solo into a movie deeper than its flashy surface. – Kaila Hale-Stern, The Mary Sue

How’s the romance?

Within five minutes, Kasdan establishes that, yes, love does belong in this galaxy, something that’s been virtually obsolete in the new films. – Michael Roffman, Consequence of Sound

The lukewarm chemistry between Ehrenreich and Clarke doesn’t help matters, no matter how many times the script commands they make out. – Kristy Puchko, Pajiba

Ehrenreich has more chemistry with everyone else around him [than with Qi’ra]. – Kaila Hale-Stern, The Mary Sue

Does Solo do the Star Wars mythology justice?

The infamous Kessel Run is a full-on delight. – Mike Ryan, Uproxx

The action scenes in Solo— the Kessel Run in particular—are edge-of-your-seat exciting, because they have real consequences. – Germain Lussier, io9

Even the greatest of filmmakers aren’t likely to be able to give us images, performances and moments that exceed the ones we’ve been imagining forever. – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

What else does it get right?

[It’s] a rootin’ tootin’ heist movie. – Mike Ryan, Uproxx

There are great scenes that people looking for more traditional action in their Star Wars movies will enjoy, including a heist sequence that’s reminiscent of The Matrix Reloaded’ s kinetic car chase. – Julia Alexander, Polygon

What works best in Solo are the performances, from droids voiced by Jon Favreau and Phoebe Waller-Bridge to the utterly charismatic Ehrenreich and Glover. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

There isn’t anything resembling a Death Star, Darth Vader doesn’t make another bulls**t appearance, and you won’t hear a single maudlin speech about the Force. Instead, you get narrow escapes, unlikely losses, welcome alliances, and Jerry-rigged solutions, all with a rogues gallery of characters who never forget how far this galaxy can go. – Michael Roffman, Consequence of Sound

So what’s the problem?

If the goal here was to really understand how a brash kid from a backwater planet became an amoral smuggler, Solo failed. – Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

Solo is the first Star Wars film in recent memory that feels like it’s selling something… Solo merely exists to set up more Solo movies. And it shows. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

[It] isn’t a stand-alone film so much as a corporate directive made flesh, a quarterly earnings report in a vest and black leather boots. – Sam Adams, Slate

Solo is less a movie than it’s that page in Highlights Magazine that makes you feel good for finding the chair and the bicycle in the hidden picture. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

There’s a sense of laziness in the film’s story structure that keeps it bogged down like a car trying to get out of a ditch. The wheels are spinning but it’s not going anywhere. – Clayton Davis, Awards Circuit

Some of the unthinking racism that damaged The Phantom Menace returns here… and the longer the film goes on, the clearer it becomes that Solo , like many a Star Wars film before it, is not too interested in women. – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

But is it a fun time at the movies?

Solo is a hell of a lot of fun. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

Solo: A Star Wars Story is a fun time, even for those feeling like they may be developing Star Wars fatigue. – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

[It] has the makings of a rewatchable and enjoyable flick for a popcorn night. – Clayton Davis, Awards Circuit

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Summary Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in Solo: A Star Wars Story, an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gamble ... Read More

Directed By : Ron Howard

Written By : Jonathan Kasdan, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas

Solo: A Star Wars Story

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Kurt Loder Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Solo: A Star Wars Story

They said it couldn't be done..

Kurt Loder | 5.25.2018 12:00 AM

Is it still possible to get worked up about a Star Wars movie? Three of them have been released in just the last two and a half years, and now—on the 41st anniversary of the very first film's debut—comes Solo: A Star Wars Story . I don't think many people are likely to see this picture as a cultural event, or were even hankering for it to be made. It's basically an old-school Saturday-serial b-movie—which of course is exactly the sort of picture that inspired the whole Star Wars project.

It's a pretty good b-movie, too. The story is silly, but it's fun, and so are the effects, especially the ones used to create the several new creatures we see, who are replete with nose hoses and eyeball stalks and all manner of other exotic whatnot. There's also a really big caterpillar thingy called Lady Proxima, who's much less gracious than her name might suggest; and lots of galactic action too, naturally.

The movie's chief pleasure is its solid cast. Alden Ehrenreich, the star, suggests a younger Harrison Ford—the indelible Han Solo of the first three Star Wars movies—without embarrassing himself by trying too hard. This is a considerable achievement. Ehrenreich looks nothing like Ford, but he does manage to project a bit of the man's engaging sarcasm and gift for smooth gab, and he contributes his own style of cool, too. Donald Glover gives a standout performance as the shady gambler Lando Calrissian, taking over the role as if Billy Dee Williams had never played it. (One wonders what Billy Dee might have made of this Lando's ambiguously affectionate relationship with a sassy robot copilot called L3-37, played by a mo-capped Phoebe Waller-Bridge.) And Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke—raven-haired here—is charismatically seductive as Han's love interest Qi-ra, a mystery woman whose secrets will obviously play an important part in sure-to-come future installments of the story.

The script, by Star Wars veteran Lawrence Kasdan (who wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi ) and his son Jonathan, dutifully checks off a number of required boxes: Where is Han from? (The gloomy planet of Corellia.) Where did he get his zoomy spaceship, the Millennium Falcon? (He won it from Lando in a barroom card game we now get to witness.) And how did he meet his shaggy copilot Chewbacca? (It's a long story.) What's missing from the film—but not actually missed —are Jedis, lightsabers, and any mention of The Force or glimpses of R2-D2 or C-3PO (although Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO for years, does turn up in a very brief cameo in another role).

The movie is built around a MacGuffin called coaxium—a kind of spaceship fuel that's in passionate demand by all kinds of disreputable people. In order to lay hands on a large amount of this valuable stuff, Han—at an early point when he's still an aspiring pilot longing for a spaceship of his own—hooks up with a smuggler named Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and his partner Val (Thandie Newton, regrettably under-used). They have been employed by a crime lord named Dryden (Paul Bettany, eccentrically togged out in mutant Armani) to hijack a train filled with coaxium as it barrels through a vast, snowy mountain range. The resulting action sequence is long and quite impressive—a tribute to the skills of the usual army of FX technicians, and to director Ron Howard, too.

As is fairly well-known by now, Solo had a "troubled production." Original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ( The Lego Movie ) were five months into filming when they were summarily dismissed (for the traditional "artistic differences"). In what must have been a certain amount of desperation, Lucasfilm quickly called in director Ron Howard, whose ties to Star Wars overlord George Lucas reach back to American Graffiti . Howard reportedly re-shot a lot of the movie, and the result could have been a stylistic mess. But it isn't. The production design is uniformly fine throughout, the action is unusually coherent for this sort of too-many-cooks blockbuster, and, most important, the story flows. When the inevitable sequel-tease arrives at the end, you might actually find yourself wondering what could happen next. As you know, we'll all eventually find out.

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Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

25 May 2018

Solo: A Star Wars Story

It’s fair to say that Solo flies into port rather less burdened by expectation than recent Star Wars movies. Anyone who pays even the faintest bit of attention to the behind-the-scenes goings-on in Hollywood must be aware that its original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller — the guys behind The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street — had a creative disagreement with Lucasfilm, leaving the film in the safe-as-cotton-wool-padded-houses hands of Ron Howard (a close chum of one George Lucas ). As a result, you might be forgiven for expecting this origin story for the Galaxy’s greatest scoundrel to end up predictable and not entirely thrilling.

Well, the good news is that Solo doesn’t feel overly compromised or noticeably stymied by its production snafus. It’s a slick, swift-footed adventure which plays like a planet-hopping heist movie, and one which glides a long way on the charm of its leading man.

Watching Han and Chewie's relationship develop is one of the movie’s biggest joys.

Before Lord and Miller departed, they definitely made the right choice with Alden Ehrenreich (previously best enjoyed on-screen as the smooth-faced Western star in the Coen brothers’ Hail, Caesar! ). With a glowing smirk and a knack for the wisecrack, he fills Harrison Ford ’s boots with rogueish panache — even if young Han himself spends much of his time here as the passenger in other, older characters’ schemes.

Not that he has much time to rest on his charms. Howard and father-son team writers Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan cram a hell of a lot of action and locations into the considerable running time. We zip from the industrial nightmare world of Corellia (which looks like Peaky Blinders ’ Birmingham executed on a planetary scale), to a World War I-ish combat zone, to a mega-mountainous landscape where Han and his new crew — led by the scurrilous Beckett ( Woody Harrelson ) — pull off a high-speed over-and-under-monorail job. There’s a lot of spectacular imagination on show here, albeit thoughtfully framed in reasurringly familiar ways, as we appreciate further glimpses of life under the giant jackboot of the Galactic Empire. (Interestingly, we learn that the Imperial March is actually the theme-music for the Empire’s holographic recruiting ads.)

It does, however, all whip by a bit too fast and comes a little too tangled in its crosses and double-crosses during the closing act. Interesting new characters come into, and head out of the frame a little too briskly, whether it’s Thandie Newton ’s sultry career criminal Val, or Fleabag ’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the right-hand droid to Lando Calrissian ( Donald Glover ), who believes in equal rights with organic life, and is utterly convinced Lando has a thing for her (intriguingly, neither the script nor Glover’s performance do much to convince us otherwise). And even Lando himself isn’t given as much screentime as Glover deserves; the ol’ smoothie feels rather sidelined.

Thankfully, however, Han’s closest companion is given exactly as much attention as you’d hope for. And we’re not talking about Clarke as Qi’Ra, who sadly turns out to be the film’s weakest link; as a romantic pairing, she and Ehrenreich sadly just don’t pop. You know who we mean, and the fans will feel generously serviced by the sequence in which Han and Chewie (now fully in the hands of Finnish actor Joonas Suotamo) first meet, tussling in a mud pit before joining forces against their tormentors. Watching their increasingly syncopating relationship develop is one of the movie’s biggest joys, Chewbacca quickly falling into place as Han’s towering, hairy conscience.

Then there’s the other relationship in the movie: Han and his beloved ship, the Millennium Falcon. Solo is as much the Kessel-running starship’s origin story as it is the title character’s, and without wanting to give away too many surprises, it’s great to see how the Falcon looks before she is turned into a hyperspacing bucket of junk: all shimmering and white and with an escape pod neatly filling the gap between those two front prongs.

Ultimately, this is a different kind of Star Wars film to any that have gone before, with only hints of the main saga’s bigger fate-of-the-galaxy picture. And while that means the story lacks the depth some might crave, it still offers plenty of fun, and (impressively for a prequel) the odd surprise along the way. Punch it, Chewie.

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Entertainment | review: ignore the negativity, ‘star wars outlaws’ is fun and refreshing non-jedi adventure, the open-world star wars game is the closest thing that fans have to a han solo experience.

Kay Vess battles the Empire on Akiva in Star Wars Outlaws

When it comes to “Star Wars Outlaws,” the hate that the title has received is overblown. Ubisoft’s foray into the space opera is a rarity because of its open-world nature and its focus. Unlike 90% of Star Wars games, it’s not about Jedis or saving the galaxy, but rather, the campaign focuses on the scoundrels. Instead of following the footsteps of a Luke Skywalker-type character, “Outlaws” asks players to shoot first and double-cross denizens of the underworld like Han Solo.

That requires a different set of gameplay systems from the likes of “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” or the “Star Wars Jedi” franchise. Scoundrels need stealth, smarts and gunplay, and those are elements that the developer, Massive Entertainment, has experience in through their work with “Tom Clancy’s The Division” franchise.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmj-U_WjJzA THE STORY SO FAR “Outlaws” follows the exploits of Kay Vess, a young thief who becomes the target of a ruthless crime lord. During a high-stakes job, Sliro Barsha, head of the Zerek Besh syndicate, catches her in his vault, but she manages to escape with the help of her axolotl-like sidekick Nix. Kay steals a ship called the Trailblazer but ends up crash landing on the moon Toshara while fleeing. With a Death Mark on her head, Kay has to fend for herself and navigate the Star Wars criminal underworld, and that leads her to another heist that can solve all her problems. To pull it off, she’ll need to recruit a team while visiting three other planets. Players will travel to five in total.

From the outset, “Assassin’s Creed’ fans will pick up on the gameplay adopted from the series. Kay will climb walls, move through air vents and sneak past foes. As a sly desperado, she won’t bust through an Imperial base blaster blazing. She scouts and marks enemies, reads the layout of a base, plans a route and then methodically dispatches adversaries one by one in the same way an assassin would.

FIDGETY GUNPLAY AND A HELPFUL SIDEKICK Often, those plans don’t work out and Kay has to engage in gunplay. She has a customizable blaster that has several different functions based on the situation and enemy. Players will have to move Kay in and out of cover, but unfortunately, there’s no cover button. She’ll mostly duck behind objects or slide into safety. She has grenades, smoke bombs and other gadgets to help give her the edge.

The gunplay is hectic, especially when switching out ammo types to deal with droids, henchmen and situations. The aim assist helps relieve that pressure but combat can feel clunky with all the tools in hand. Players have a lot of options but not an efficient control scheme to switch among them.

The last part of this equation is Nix. The creature’s role reminds me of the ferrets from the 1980s movie “The Beastmaster.” Using the left bumper, players can control Kay’s sidekick and have him grab treasure or items. When it comes to puzzle solving, he’s indispensable for finding solutions. In combat, Nix becomes a way for players to manipulate the environment or enemies. He can distract enemies so Kay can sneak through or set fuel canisters to explode, causing a commotion. He’s essentially how players touch the world.

LEVELING UP Aside from that, Kay also has skills that she learns from other experts she encounters. It’s an interesting progression system that requires players to achieve certain goals before the protagonist learns techniques such as fast-talking. By pressing R3 when enemies spot Kay, players can talk their way to an escape or move closer to knock out the enemy quietly. Other skills make it easier to hack terminals or sneak quietly.

The other way to make Kay more powerful is through items. Players will scavenge for materials to build faster speeders, upgrade the Trailblazer for space battles and modifying the blaster. Players can also discover or buy clothes that have notable perks.

A HAN SOLO SIMULATOR All these elements forge a solid Star Wars experience, but what makes it great is how Ubisoft’s team incorporated player choice in this Han Solo simulator. This is where “Outlaws” captures that childhood fantasy of being a swashbuckling renegade. The team creates a reputation system among the four factions: The Hutts, the Pykes, the Ashiga Clan and the Crimson Dawn. Taking on a mission that curries favor with one often means gaining the disapproval of another.

This creates a wider strategy in how players tackle missions as they build their crew. Each cartel controls territory on the planets and being on the outs with one of them impacts quest difficulty, closes off shops and hurts opportunities. Kay often finds herself with a choice of finishing a contract or betraying the client to win the approval or reward of another faction. Players quickly learn that there are no good guys in the underworld and trust is a weakness.

It’s a refreshing take on player agency in Star Wars because Jedi-centric games focus on how choices affect the protagonist’s leanings and powers with the light and dark side of the Force. As a scoundrel, players decide on their own code among a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Players can stay loyal to a faction or they can just work for the highest bidder so that they can acquire better gear for Kay.

The system creates magical moments when the gameplay and story mesh well together. They complement each other so well that it elevates the whole experience.

Those highs almost cover up the lesser parts of “Outlaws.” The space combat is decent but unremarkable. Like any other Ubisoft open-world game, the developers stuff the experience with plenty of distracting side quests that are repetitive or recycle places that players have already ventured into. The game is also filled with bugs or inconsistencies that take players out of the experience. I’ve run into dynamic missions that glitched out or save points in missions that dropped me into unfamiliar places.

These flaws are annoying but don’t ruin a game that successfully explores new stories and gameplay mechanics in a promising branch of the “Star Wars” universe.

‘Star Wars Outlaws’

3½ stars out of 4 Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S Rating: Teen

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Star wars outlaws: every nix accessory.

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Star Wars Outlaws Review: Dazzling Hives Of Scum & Villainy

What syndicate should you side with most in star wars outlaws (& who should you betray), 10 hidden star wars outlaws features that will improve your experience.

As with many an open world game, Star Wars Outlaws is rife with collectibles that can be found via various different methods. From cosmetics for the game's protagonist, Kay Vess, that can be unlocked by fully aligning with syndicates to items acquired through interacting with vendors or hunting for treasure, there are plenty of ways to customize Kay's look to better suit a preferred gameplay style with different perks, or simply for the sake of resembling an iconic character from the wider franchise.

The same goes for Kay's adorable yet mighty Merqaal companion Nix. Throughout Star Wars Outlaws ' story it's clear that Nix and Kay share an exceptionally strong bond and are practically inseparable, so players can often find accessories for Nix that can match Kay's attire.

Star Wars Outlaws focuses on a grimier, seedier side of the universe with a rich, detailed open world that features both new and legacy characters.

Miscellaneous Items

Nix can get an item by default or through talking to an npc.

Nix starts the game with the Blue Feeler Wrappings cosmetic, which are designed to protect the Merqaal's sensitive feelers while roaming in the wild. While most other accessories that can be found in the open-world have a requirement to them, players can get one completely free item for Nix purely out of the kindness of a Tatooine vendor.

When exploring near Mos Eisley, Kay can visit the vendor Sato Bizaz to get several materials or items. However, if she walks one stall over, a merchant will pleasantly comment about Nix and she will offer some Anzellan dust goggles for him on the house.

Accessory Name	Location
Blue Feeler Wrappings	Automatically unlocked as Nix's default outfit.
Dust Goggles	Speak with the merchant at the stall next to Sato Bizaz in Mos Eisley.

Every Exclusive Item For Nix

The gold & ultimate edition unlocks several items.

As is the case with many a Ubisoft game, Star Wars Outlaws has several different editions. These consist of the the $69.99 Standard Edition, the $109.99 Gold Edition, and the $129.99 Ultimate Edition, the latter of which is included as part of the Ubisoft+ Premium subscription , which costs a monthly fee of $17.99 and includes access to premium editions of Ubisoft's games from launch, DLC, and monthly rewards.

These items include the likes of a Chewbacca-inspired Kessel Runner Bandolier to match Kay's Han Solo-esque attire, a set of goggles as part of the Rogue One inspired Rogue Infiltrator bundle, or Cyborg Implants to go with the Lando Calrissian-inspired Sabacc Shark bundle. Disney+ subscribers in the US can also redeem a code to get tail wrappings until November 16, 2024.

Accessory Name	Location
Kessel Runner Bandolier	Gold/Ultimate Edition exclusive
Rogue Infiltrator Goggles	Ultimate Edition exclusive
Cyborg Implants	Ultimate Edition exclusive
Nix Tail Wrappings	US Disney+ subscribers can redeem this until November 16th, 2024.

Treasure Chest Items

Many of nix's accessories can be found through open world exploration.

While exploring three out of the four main open-world planets in Star Wars Outlaws : Toshara, Kijimi and Akiva, Kay comes across various treasure chests containing items for Nix. These chests locations can appear on the map after gathering specific intel, making them easier to track down. These items include further feeler and tail wrappings of different colors, as well as two different colored scarves.

Accessory Name	Location
Black Feeler Wrappings	Runner’s Gate Treasure chest in the Western Boulder Forest of Toshara
Yellow Scarf	Traveler’s Crossing Treasure chest in the Southwestern Southern Falls region on Toshara
Blue Scarf	Rama’s Stash Treasure chest in the Thermal District of Kijimi
Elegant Tail Wrappings	In Olipo's Stash Treasure chest in Myrra, Akiva
Tan Feeler Wrappings	In Hutt Staging Site Treasure chest in the Mid-South of Hunter's Canopy on Akiva

Syndicate Items

Nix gets items from each criminal organization.

A large part of Star Wars Outlaws ' core gameplay loop hinges on the reputation Kay forms with each syndicate. Kay starts with " Poor " reputation by default, but players can reduce their reputation to " Bad " or " Terrible " from here, the latter of which which sees a Kill Squad being sent after Kay and increases the likelihood of getting ambushed while exploring the open world.

Alternatively, Kay can build a better relationship with these factions, taking it to " Good " or " Excellent " to get more freedom to roam in territories, better jobs, as well as discounts and access to exclusive stock at vendors. Pushing for " Max " reputation with each syndicate unlocks specific gear that has its own perks, including an accessory for Nix. These are as follows:

Accessory Name	How to Unlock
Kijimi Explorer scarf	Reach Max reputation with the Ashiga Clan
Boonta Brawler Splash	Reach Max reputation with the Hutt Cartel
Crimson Reign Satchel	Reach Max reputation with the Crimson Dawn
Imperial Chestbox	Reach Max reputation with the Pyke Syndicate

Star Wars Outlaws - Gorak, Queen Ashiga, Qi'ra and Jabba

There are four main syndicates Kay can align herself with in Star Wars Outlaws, but what are the benefits of choosing one over another?

Berek Keehro Requests

A vendor on toshara will exchange treasures for cosmetics.

Star Wars Outlaws - Berek Keehro's stall on Toshara

When exploring Mirogana Market on Toshara, Kay will interact with one of its vendors, Berek Keehro. Unlike many of the other vendors situated around the game's open world, Keehro requests specific "Nix Treasures" that can be found throughout Kay's adventures across the Outer Rim, and these can be exchanged for special cosmetics for Nix.

Accessory Name	Treasures Required
Amberine Necklace	Droid Eye, Secret Amulet, Twinkly Metal, Gun Piece, Lucky Cubes, Shiny Lump
Ahia-Ko Wreath	Smelly Bone, Old Money, Talk Box, Fruit Wrapper
Red Headband	Bang Button, Hammer Rock, Horns, Tiny Ship
Karoka Fruit	Picture Card

While Kay's gear tends to come with special perks that improve stealth, how many grenades can be carried and more to help players best cater to their preferred playstyle, Nix's accessories are purely cosmetic. Instead, to get set perks for Nix, players are better off collecting the different types of meals available from different street vendors for better distraction duration or the ability to kick grenades out of the way. Despite this, one of the perks of having an adorable sidekick should be being able to customize them to match Kay's attire, so while there can be a lot of work involved to collect all of Nix's accessories in Star Wars Outlaws , the pay-off can be satisfying on an aesthetic level, at least.

Star Wars Outlaws

Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws is an open-world action-adventure game where players hop into the scoundrel boots of Kay Vess, a woman who travels the galaxy Looking for a better life. Together with her furry partner Nix and new allies she meets along the way, Kay will navigate the various landscapes, towns, and planets across the galaxy while outsmarting both Crime Syndicates and the Empire.

Kay Vess Has A Bigger Bounty Than Han Solo In Star Wars Outlaws

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Star Wars Outlaws Review - Watch Dogs Meets Uncharted In A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Little nightmares 3 captures the series’ spirit, even if co-op tones down the tension, star wars outlaws: complete guide, key takeaways.

Star Wars Outlaws finally lets players live out their Han Solo dreams and play as a scoundrel.
As it turns out, Kay Vess might actually be more of a threat than Han, as her bounty is much higher.
Kay's bounty is listed as 400,000, while a bounty placed on Han by Jabba is 224, 190.

Star Wars Outlaws suggests that Kay Vess is a bigger deal than Han Solo, as her bounty from Sliro is noticeably bigger than the one Han has from Jabba the Hutt.

As great as it is to step into Cal Kestis' boots and wield a lightsaber, Star Wars fans have been begging for a new kind of experience over the past few years. That's exactly what they've got with Star Wars Outlaws, which finally lets us live our Han Solo dreams and play as a rogueish scoundrel instead of an all-powerful Jedi.

The first true open world Star Wars game is a triumph, but isn't without its flaws.

The scoundrel in question is Kay Vess, a brand-new character in the Star Wars universe who is introduced to us through Outlaws. Kay starts off as a relatively unknown and undermined thief, but quickly rises through the ranks and makes her name for herself. Some were doubting she'd ever live up to Star Wars' most infamous scoundrel , Han Solo, but it seems she's actually gone even further.

Kay Vess looking at her bounty in Star Wars Outlaws.

Early on in Star Wars Outlaws, Kay gets hired to steal from Sliro, which leads to her breaking into his palace and eventually getting caught. After she manages to escape, Kay gets a bounty placed on her that's referred to as a death mark due to how high the reward is and because Sliro wants her dead. If you take a look at the wanted poster on the Trailblazer, you can see that Kay's bounty is 400,000 credits.

It's clear from how characters refer to Kay's death mark that the bounty is massive, but it becomes even more notable when you realise that it's bigger than anything that Han Solo had during his time as a scoundrel. According to the Star Wars Wiki , Han Solo's highest bounty from Jabba the Hutt was 224,190 credits, which was revealed in an issue of Marvel's Star Wars comics .

The only other mention of Han Solo's bounty on the Star Wars wiki is that he once had a bounty of 50,000 credits placed on him by The Empire, something that annoyed him since Luke Skywalker's was 60,000.

That means that, from what we know of Han Solo's bounties, Kay Vess is worth almost twice as much. Of course, Sliro is presented as being much wealthier than Jabba the Hutt is and we don't know about any other bounties that have been put on Han's head, but it's still notable and shows just how much of a problem Kay is in Star Wars Outlaws.

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