'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Review: Han Finally Gets His Spotlight

The origin story of the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy comes to life in Ron Howard’s latest outing, “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” with Alden Ehrenreich in the titular role of a young Han Solo. While hardly an all-around turbo charged experience, this latest return to the ever-expanding galaxy far, far away still feels high-revved to say the least— No spoilers here!

The "Solo" story is set 10 years before the events of “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.” Our youthful hero (Ehrenreich) and his girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) are desperately trying to escape their dreadful life on the planet of Corellia. Yet when their shot at freedom finally comes, Qi’ra is left behind.

Vowing to return and rescue her, Han joins the Imperial Army. That is where he ends up falling in with a team of notorious smugglers led by Beckett (Woody Harrelson) along with his partner-in-crime Val (Thandie Newton), and pilot Rio Durant (a CGI character voiced by Jon Favreau). Soon, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) tags along for the ride. Their mission? To steal a shipment of precious fuel. But their plan goes awry, and that is when Han needs to deal with colorful characters like con man Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) and mob boss Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany).

And then guess what? Qi’ra unexpectedly resurfaces with her loyalty to Han now in question. Like the details surrounding how young Han acquires his last name, we’d also rather not tell you about this other piece of the jigsaw.

See Also: Inside The World Premiere Of 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'

Let’s face it. Ehrenreich is not Harrison Ford, the iconic star who made the “Han Solo” character famous 40 years ago with his likeable antics and tendencies. Nevertheless, it’s also fair to say that Ehrenreich delivers his own winning performance, mainly because the characteristic traits of his Solo are different. This space smuggler is young and untried, while Ford’s was mature and cynical.

As for the rest of the cast members, they are all terrific in their roles. Glover’s performance as Han’s rival is tantalizing, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s voicing of feminist droid L3-37 is captivating, and Clarke's Qi'ra is convincing.

The action sequences in the film are well-choreographed, but some overstay their welcome due to their less sparkling feats.

And of course, let's not forget about the everlasting best friendship between Chewwy and Solo. It is, in fact, the heart of the movie, and will resonate with Star Wars fans for generations to come.

All in all, Howard’s well-thought-out direction and the delightful ensemble work of the cast make “Solo: A Star Wars Story” a fun ride, notwithstanding the narrative's shortage of high-stakes adventures.

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First Photo: "Solo: A Star Wars Story" (Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm)