Solo: A Star Wars Story revolves around Han Solo before his adventures in the original Star Wars trilogy. A young Han Solo manages to escape from his horrid childhood home of Corellia, where he's given protection and a place to live but at the cost of acting as a servant. After stealing a priceless object, Han and his love, Qi'ra, finally have the opportunity to make a run for it and achieve freedom. However, things don't go as planned, and even though Han manages to make it to the other side, escaping from Corellia, Qi'ra isn't so lucky and gets captured by the Empire's troops. Han Solo decides that he wants to become a pilot, since he had always told Qi'ra that he would become one, but due to his lack of being able to follow directions, Han must become a pilot without a job. Solo soon finds adventure though when he joins forces with a group of galactic smugglers that aren't so different than himself, including a gigantic Wookie named Chewbacca, who seems to have some affection towards Han Solo. Because the group is forced to work for a powerful gangster in Dryden Vos, they are put in an awkward position that involves them attempting to recover and steal rare materials from a mining planet through a daring plan that could prove to be costly. Their goal is to gain a hold of coaxium, which is quite valuable, but because their only option is to recover unrefined versions of it, they need to be fast, since otherwise it will explode, further increasing the dangers of the mission. Because of this, Han Solo and his squad decide that they need a fast ship, and in order to obtain this, they meet Lando Calrissian, who is the proud owner of the Millennium Falcon, the fastest ship in the galaxy. As Han Solo rediscovers why he always wanted to become a pilot, he transforms into the arragaont, confident Han Solo who's fearlessness is only outmatched by his superior flying skills that the world has come to love. 
 Solo: A Star Wars Story had the difficult task of attempting to explain how Han Solo came to be, without angering millions of fans, and luckily for the franchise, this is brilliantly accomplished, as the core qualities and elements of Han Solo are thrown into fruition. The movie manages to highlight the key aspects of Han Solo's journey into becoming the person that he'll later become, and the whole concept of looking out for himself is evident, because betrayal is more common than not in the dangerous world of thievery and smuggling. Going along with the dangers of the criminal-like world that Han immerses himself in, mostly because he doesn't have many other options, the movie is packed to the brim with thrilling twists and turns at seemingly every inch and corner that truly cause audiences to reevaluate how they view characters that prove to be far more complex than at first appearance. Certain aspects of Han Solo, like his awesome ship, the Millennium Falcon, are explained, helping to fill in some of the gaps that the other movies in the franchise were unable to take care of. 

 Solo: A Star Wars Story adds some intriguing characters to the franchise's universe, including Tobias Beckett, who acts as a mentor to Han. Beckett helps to recruit Solo to his team, who's purpose is to carry out the heist to obtain the coaxium. Furthermore, there's more of Lando in this movie, helping to explain the complicated relationship between him and Han Solo. This movie proves to be a slick tale that swaggers with enticing adventure and a lighthearted tone that shines through, bringing back the simple joy of Star Wars. There's genuinely hilarious jokes dispersed throughout that help to ensure that the movie never becomes too dark or grim. 
 Solo: A Star Wars Story eloquently depicts the formation and foundation of Han Solo and Chewbacca's relationship, which is an absolute must, seeing as they both are fan-favorite characters and the unique duo that they comprise together is nothing short of awesome. Secondly, whenever the two of them are on-screen, viewers are transported even more so into the movie universe, feeling like this movie is a piece of history. Similar events occur with Han Solo and Lando, seeing as their relationship is crucial in the events of the original trilogy. This movie has several scenes that involve them playing a game of sorts that feels like intergalactic poker, which is just as interesting to watch as it seems. As they both play, their interactions with one another are shear gold and bring out the best in both of them, creating another formidable duo that will surely satisfy watchers. 

 Solo: A Star Wars Story has some truly noteworthy visuals that vibrantly allow the space adventure to come to life. These amazingly vivid visual effects are definitely something that this movie holds over the original trilogy, and due to enhanced special effects, light-speed travel is made even more marvelous and breathtaking. Because Han Solo is a brave pilot that is unafraid of taking risks when it comes to flying, the movie is able to showcase some uncanny flight scenes that involve him dodging monsters, bad guys' lasers, and geographical barriers to create some much needed drama. These visuals are essential to the outcome of the movie and absolutely do not disappoint, as they become one of the strongest aspects of the movie, allowing the movie to conjure all of its science fiction qualities and demonstrate more of what life is really like in a galaxy far, far away. 

 Solo: A Star Wars Story benefits from a tremendous cast that seems to genuinely revel in their roles, having fun in the process. Alden Ehrenreich transforms into the lead of Han Solo, bringing out all of the charisma that made Harrison Ford's Han so popular in the first place. Donald Glover does a spectacular job of portraying Lando Calrissian, showcasing the deviousness of the character and what makes him so tricky. Woody Harrelson brings emotion and intensity into the intriguing character of Tobias Beckett, and as a character that is just introduced with this movie, his astonishing acting skills are put to the test as he creates a character that stands out alongside previously beloved characters, like Han Solo, which is quite the accomplishment. 

 Solo: A Star Wars Story is one of the better recent Star Wars movies to come out, and even though it isn't quite on the same level as the original trilogy, it provides an entertaining adventure that proves to be engaging, furthering along the Star Wars movie universe. Returning to old qualities and elements that helped to make the original films so successful, this movie brings back the heart of its famous characters, while also adding a few others to help demonstrate what makes Han Solo uniquely him. In every sense, Solo: A Star Wars Story truly is a Star Wars story that feels like one, making this one a must-see that will shatter previous expectations.