--- title: "Solo: A Star Wars Story" year: 2018 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/solo-a-star-wars-story" fi1m_score: 58 critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 20 published: "2026-09-18T12:12:04.694333+00:00" updated: "2026-09-18T12:12:17.653336+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Directed by Ron Howard · 2h 15m · MPA PG-13 · Science Fiction, Adventure, Action **Fi1m score: 58** · Critics 64 from 20 reviews *In a sentence:* Everyone in the galaxy owes somebody money and nobody has paid the electricity bill > Ron Howard’s Han Solo prequel is a brisk, competently built heist with a fine Donald Glover and a funny droid, shot so dark you will squint. It answers questions nobody was asking and leaves the man himself where it found him. ## Synopsis Corellia, a shipbuilding world under the Empire. Han (Alden Ehrenreich) and Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) are street thieves working for the gang boss Lady Proxima (voiced by Linda Hunt), and Han has stolen a vial of starship fuel he thinks will buy them both a way off the planet. Only one of them gets through the spaceport gate. Han signs up for the Imperial infantry hoping to become a pilot, is sent to the mud of Mimban instead, and there falls in with Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), a thief posing as a soldier. He also meets, in a pit, a Wookiee called Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo). Beckett’s crew have a train to rob on the mountain world of Vandor, for a crime lord called Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany). ## Review Ron Howard’s *Solo* sets out to tell us how Han Solo met Chewbacca, how he got his ship and how he became the man Harrison Ford was playing in 1977. Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan have written it as a heist film: a crew, a boss, a job that goes wrong and a bigger job to put it right. On those terms it is brisk and competent, and its 135 minutes rarely drag. What it is not is necessary. Alden Ehrenreich, who has the least enviable job here, does not attempt Ford’s growl or slouch; he plays Han as a boy who has decided to be a rogue before he has done anything roguish, and the grin arrives a beat ahead of the confidence. Halfway through, the script runs out of things for him to learn, because he has to finish where four other films have put him, and the second hour is things happening to a man who does not change. Joonas Suotamo’s Chewbacca fares better. The meeting in the mud on Mimban, two prisoners who stop fighting once they realise they want the same thing, is the one scene that did not feel like homework. The train job on Vandor is the good bit. A freight train runs on a track cut into a mountainside, Beckett’s crew drop onto it from above, and the Cloud Riders, led by Enfys Nest (Erin Kellyman), come at them out of the snow. Pietro Scalia cuts it so we always know which carriage we are on and which is about to go over the edge, and John Powell’s score gets to be loud and brassy without drowning anyone. Woody Harrelson gives Beckett a tired, sardonic decency; Thandiwe Newton’s Val gets about six lines and deserved more. Donald Glover arrives in the second act and the film brightens, in both senses. His Lando is vain, unhurried, mispronounces Han’s name on purpose and keeps a wardrobe of capes aboard his ship. Glyn Dillon and David Crossman dress him in mustard and burgundy, and you can see him from the back of the cinema, which here is a distinction. Phoebe Waller-Bridge voices his droid L3–37 as a shop steward on tracks, agitating for droid rights in the middle of a card game. We laughed at every line she had, and then wished the film were about her. Bradford Young has shot the film in browns and greys with the lights turned down, so the Corellian slums are smoke, the Mimban trenches are mud lit by shellfire, and the famous ship is a set of silhouettes. We understand the idea, a Star Wars that looks worn rather than lit like a showroom; still, a good deal of this is not dim but dark. Neil Lamont’s production design, the shipyards, Dryden Vos’s yacht with its walls of looted trophies, is handsome whenever the light finds it. We spent the Kessel Run, the film’s big chase, squinting for the ship. The script has the prequel disease of explaining everything. Where the dice came from. Why he is called Solo. Each answer made us feel less, not more; the mystery had been doing more work than the fact could. A heist film runs on not knowing who will be standing at the end, and this one is built around a man whose survival has been public record since 1977. Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra is meant to be the thing we cannot predict; she is poised and watchful and has nothing to play except a secret, and a secret is not a character. Paul Bettany’s Vos, whose facial scars glow when he is cross, is more fun and gets less to do. It is not a bad evening. The train job is a proper set piece, Glover is worth the ticket on his own, and Howard keeps it moving. But we left knowing as much about Han Solo as when we went in, with the footnotes filled in. It carries a 12A. Watch it at home, with the curtains drawn and the brightness up, and you will at least get to see the ship. *Fi1m score 58, published 18 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics find Solo a brisk, likeable heist adventure and a relief after a troubled production. The praise clusters on the cast: Alden Ehrenreich is widely judged a good fit for young Han, Donald Glover’s Lando is singled out again and again, and the early friendship between Han and Chewbacca is the relationship reviewers warm to most. Ron Howard’s direction is credited with keeping the pace up, and several reviews thank the Kasdans’ script for the speed. The reservations are about ambition. Many reviews call it safe, predictable and heavy on fan service, with little new to say about Han and not much sense that anything is at stake. The spread is wide. The Guardian and Empire rate it among the more enjoyable entries in the series, while The New Yorker dismisses it as a reverent, morally flat rehash and the Los Angeles Times finds it fast but low on energy and consequence. Half the reviews are positive; most of the rest are lukewarm rather than hostile. ### Reviews we read (20) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a crackingly enjoyable adventure that deserves full episode status in the franchise. Ron Howard was born to direct it, with praise for the ensemble cast and the origin story of the Han-Chewie bromance. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/15/solo-a-star-wars-story-review-han-solo-origins-film-is-boistrous-bromance) - **IndieWire**, Kate Erbland (B+): Ron Howard delivers an energetic prequel that successfully hits the expected origin beats while standing alone as an entertaining adventure, capturing the humor and pace fans expect from Star Wars. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/solo-a-star-wars-story-review-ron-howard-prequel-alden-ehrenreich-1201964309/) - **Empire**, Dan Jolin (4/5): The film is a slick, swift-footed heist adventure that benefits greatly from Alden Ehrenreich's charismatic central performance as young Han Solo. It offers plenty of fun and surprises despite its frantic pacing and lighter emotional depth compared to other Star Wars entries. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/solo-star-wars-story-review/) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): The critic finds it a fully engaging and propulsive space western that launches at lightspeed for a satisfying ride despite safe choices. Ehrenreich fits the role perfectly and supporting performances including the Han-Chewie bromance stand out. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/solo-a-star-wars-story-review-a-completely-satisfying-mega-thrills-and-uber-spills-ride/) - **The i Paper**, Matthew Turner (★★★★): Alden Ehrenreich perfectly captures the spirit of a young Harrison Ford in this thrilling standalone adventure with strong supporting turns, especially from Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. It combines epic action, colourful characters and delightful performances into a welcome addition to the franchise. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/solo-star-wars-story-review-157354) - **Total Film** (80/100, inferred): The film is far better than expected, delivering thrilling set-pieces, spine-tingling iconography and a strong Han/Chewie bromance. It is the most fun Star Wars entry since A New Hope, packed with crowd-pleasing moments and Easter eggs while feeling like its own caper within the larger universe. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/solo-a-star-wars-story-review/) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): The critic sees it as a fun if lightweight space Western with an equal-rights subtext. Action set-pieces and linking moments to the saga work well while Ehrenreich and Glover provide roguish charm and charisma. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/solo-a-star-wars-story-review/5129270.article) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen (70/100, inferred): The film is a solid but unexceptional origins story that benefits from strong performances, especially Alden Ehrenreich's charismatic take on young Han Solo, though it never fully takes off with the expected energy or surprises. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/solo-a-star-wars-story-review-1111495/) - **Variety**, Andrew Barker (70/100, inferred): Despite behind-the-scenes turmoil, the film succeeds as a kinetic space heist with strong turns from Alden Ehrenreich and especially Donald Glover, plus well-crafted action sequences, though hampered by a slow start and excessive fan service. [Read](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/solo-a-star-wars-story-review-alden-ehrenreich-1202811559/) - **The Times** (★★★): It is a fun but lightweight trip through the Star Wars backstory, fast-moving thanks to the Kasdan script, but ultimately disappointing in its portrayal of Solo himself. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/article/film-review-solo-a-star-wars-story-hzxmm0tjw) - **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (3/5): The critic calls it a frisky space caper that zips along far better than expected after production troubles. Ehrenreich makes a solid but not perfect fist of the role amid enjoyable supporting turns. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/solo-a-star-wars-story) - **Vulture** (60/100, inferred): The film is smoothly directed and written but ultimately fails to fully capture or account for the essence of its iconic lead character despite solid performances and execution of plot points. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/solo-a-star-wars-story-review.html) - **Sight and Sound**, Michael Leader (50/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a rote but proficient space rollick that fulfills franchise duties without much originality. Howard's zippy direction delivers pure entertainment in a narrative colouring-in exercise. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/solo-star-wars-story-review-how-young-rebel-fulfilled-his-franchise-dues) - **Slant Magazine** (★½): The film is a predictable and overly familiar installment that feels like a safe, corporate exercise despite some entertaining moments and solid performances from the cast. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/solo-a-star-wars-story/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (30/100, inferred): The movie is a high-speed but low-energy intergalactic heist with little sense of consequence or directorial flair, though Alden Ehrenreich delivers a versatile and engaging performance that stands out amid the film's muddled execution. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-solo-star-wars-story-review-20180515-story.html) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a bland, reverent rehash of classic Hollywood tropes without moral complexity, praising the production design but criticizing Ron Howard's foursquare direction and the franchise's reduction of storytelling to bright verities. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/wookiee-nights-solo-a-star-wars-story-reviewed) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (80/100, inferred): The film delivers rip-roaring summer entertainment as a cowboy space opera with a smart script from the Kasdans. Howard's direction keeps it on track with ample action scenes, though more character development would be welcome. [Read](https://deadline.com/2018/05/solo-star-wars-story-review-alden-ehrenreich-donald-glover-ron-howard-lucasfilm-disney-1202397776/) - **The Ringer**, Sean Fennessey (65/100, inferred): The film is a completely fine, competent Ron Howard movie with some charms but lacks the special, elevated quality that defines even lesser Star Wars entries. It feels more like a standard heist adventure than a true Star Wars story, with strong supporting turns from Donald Glover and others. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2018/05/25/star-wars/solo-star-wars-review-han-lando-donald-glover-alden-ehrenreich-ron-howard) - **Den of Geek**, Ryan Lambie (3/5): The critic finds it a fun but merely passable Star Wars movie that slips through production turmoil with efficiency and charm. Ehrenreich makes for a rock-solid young Han with good chemistry among the cast, but the film lacks genuine surprises or a clear arc for its already-formed hero. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/solo-a-star-wars-story-review-2/) - **The Wrap** (50/100, inferred): The review finds it a so-so prequel that offers little new insight into the characters beyond fan service. Performances by Ehrenreich and Glover stand out, but the action is routine and the plotting feels like filler. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/solo-a-star-wars-story-film-review-alden-ehrenreich-donald-glover/) ## Details - **Director:** Ron Howard - **Director:** Ron Howard - **Writer:** Lawrence Kasdan, Jon Kasdan - **Cinematography:** Bradford Young - **Editor:** Pietro Scalia - **Music:** John Powell - **Production design:** Neil Lamont - **Costume design:** David Crossman, Glyn Dillon - **Producer:** Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel - **Cast:** Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo; Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca; Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett; Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra; Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian; Thandiwe Newton as Val; Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37; Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos - **Runtime:** 2h 15m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 25 May 2018 - **Genres:** Science Fiction, Adventure, Action - **Budget:** $250 million - **Box office:** $393 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPEYpryMp2s ## Where to watch in the US - Disney+: streaming, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-18.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story* (2016), Fi1m 70: The other standalone, and the one that found a reason to exist. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story.md) - *Firefly* (2002): Space western with a crew of rogues, a ship with character and better jokes. - *The Sting* (1973), Fi1m 85: Redford and Newman running a long con; the model for every likeable crook since. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md) - *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* (1969): Two outlaws, one friendship, and a script that knows charm is not enough. - *Cowboy Bebop* (1998): Japanese animated bounty hunters, a jazz score, and a ship nobody has paid for. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/solo-a-star-wars-story