Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
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The film tells the origin story of Han Solo and Chewbacca as they join a heist within the criminal underworld.
The story
The film tells the origin story of Han Solo and Chewbacca, who join a heist within the criminal underworld ten years prior to the events of the first Star Wars film (1977). On the planet Corellia, orphans Han and Qi'ra escape a local gang. They bribe an Imperial officer with stolen coaxium, a starship fuel, for passage on a transport, but Qi'ra is captured before she can board. Han vows to return for her and joins the Imperial Navy as a flight cadet, being given the surname "Solo". Three years later, Han is serving as an infantryman on Mimban when he encounters a trio of criminals led by Tobias Beckett.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows the origin story of Han Solo and Chewbacca. After being separated from his childhood friend Qi'ra, Han joins the Imperial Navy before eventually becoming a mercenary. He joins a crew led by Tobias Beckett to steal coaxium. The mission on Vandor-1 fails due to an intervention by the Cloud Riders. Han and Chewbacca then join Beckett to steal another shipment for the crime boss Dryden Vos. During this mission, Han reunites with Qi'ra, who is working for Vos. They team up with Lando Calrissian to steal coaxium from the mines on Kessel. After a successful theft and a dangerous escape through the Kessel Run, the team is separated. Han and Chewbacca eventually face off against Beckett and others, ultimately choosing to join the rebellion. The film ends with Han and Chewbacca winning a high-stakes game of cards against Lando to win the Millennium Falcon, before heading to Tatooine for a new job.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 135
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ron Howard
- Writers
- Jonathan Kasdan · writer; Lawrence Kasdan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Alden Ehrenreich · Han Solo; Woody Harrelson · Tobias Beckett; Emilia Clarke · Qi'ra; Donald Glover · Lando Calrissian; Thandiwe Newton · Val Beckett; Phoebe Waller-Bridge · L3-37; Joonas Suotamo · Chewbacca; Paul Bettany · Dryen Vos
- Genres
- space Western; science fiction; action
- Themes
- identity; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- adventure; action
- Premise and plot tags
- origin story; heist; space western
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast, visuals, score, and action sequences, but some criticized the storyline and screenplay. It was also noted as a box-office disappointment.
- Reported review scores
- PostTrak · score: 89% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Best Visual Effects · Academy Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was one of the most expensive films ever made, with a budget of nearly $300 million.; The character of Beckett was based on Long John Silver from Treasure Island.; The scene where Han shoots Beckett is a deliberate reference to a scene from the 1977 Star Wars, where the former shoots Greedo.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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