SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY
Heroic space-western adventure with heart, humor, and moral clarity.
Should You Watch It?
You can take your teenagers to this one. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY is an exciting outer-space western with likeable scoundrels, menacing villains, mysterious women, and calculating good guys. It has lots of heart, excellent character development, and actors who look as if they are enjoying themselves.
The film’s strongest quality is its moral center. Han Solo and Chewbacca are repeatedly challenged to do the right thing, especially when the weak are oppressed by the strong. The story also values loyalty, trust, justice, and protecting the vulnerable.
That goodness comes with content concerns. The film includes 13 obscenities, scary moments, scary aliens and creatures, and lots of laser battles that bring jeopardy and mayhem. Parents of elementary-age children should exercise discernment.
For middle schoolers and up, especially teenagers and adults, SOLO is worth the trip.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESYoung Han Solo dreams of escaping the criminal rule of his home world, Corellia, and piloting a ship across the galaxy. After being separated from his first love, Qi’ra, Han joins the Empire and eventually crosses paths with a team of thieves led by Beckett.
He also meets Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, and the Millennium Falcon. Before long, Han and Chewie are drawn into a dangerous criminal adventure involving heists, rival outlaws, and a question of trust.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is top-quality entertainment. SOLO is exciting, fun, and filled with heart. The plot points are on target, the character development is superbly written and portrayed, and the actors look like they are having fun.
Alden Ehrenreich does a great job as Han Solo. Donald Glover is strong as Lando Calrissian, and Joonas Suotamo makes Han and Chewbacca’s relationship one of the film’s highlights. Emilia Clarke is appropriately mysterious, tough, and attractive as Qi’ra, while Woody Harrelson brings charm and grit to Beckett.
Ron Howard does a fabulous job directing. The script by Lawrence Kasdan and Jonathan Kasdan receives the showcase it deserves, while the editing and cinematography are excellent.
The Worldview
SOLO presents a dark criminal world where loyalty, trust, and clearly defined moral guidelines are difficult to find. Unlike other STAR WARS movies, it does not center on the Force. Instead, Han must navigate criminals, oppression, betrayal, and totalitarian evil while deciding what kind of person he will become.
The film’s central moral idea is that people matter more than money. Han has an inner sense of decency, though he often hides it beneath reckless bravado and tough swagger. When the weak are oppressed by the strong or justice needs to be done, he is challenged to do the right thing.
The story exalts protecting and liberating the weak, fighting criminal and totalitarian evil, loyalty, trust, and justice. It also acknowledges final judgment and justice in the afterlife through a character’s mention of going to Hell. The criminal activity, stealing, smuggling, and betrayal are largely rebuked implicitly or overtly.
The film’s longing for justice and its call to do what is right align with Scripture: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral worldview with some redemptive elements promotes doing the right thing, protecting and liberating the weak and oppressed, fighting totalitarian and criminal evil, and fighting for justice, plus a character mentions the idea of “going to Hell,” which indicates there is some final judgment and justice in the afterlife
Foul Language
13 obscenities (“h” and “d” words, mostly “h” words) and a character mentions the idea of “going to Hell,” but not in a profane way and more in a half-serious theological context
Violence
Lots of action violence, some of it intense, such as laser battles with handguns and rifles and spaceships, chase scenes, gunfights, many people fall when hit by laser beams, explosions, explosions send human bodies and robots flying, scary moments, scary aliens and creatures, trench warfare
Sex
No sex but passionate kissing in a few scenes
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
Alcohol use and allusions to alcohol use in alien bars
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Stealing, smuggling, criminal activity, betrayal, and criminals enslave others, but much of this is rebuked implicitly or overtly.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Han often hides his good heart behind swagger and bravado. Why might people hide what is good in them, and what does God value in the heart?
1 Samuel 16:7 · Proverbs 4:23The film places Han and Chewbacca in a criminal world where trust is difficult. What makes someone trustworthy?
Proverbs 11:3 · Luke 16:10Han and Chewie face choices about whether to do the right thing. How can you protect the weak when doing so may cost you something?
Micah 6:8 · Philippians 2:3–4The story contrasts oppression with liberation. What does Scripture say about defending those who are vulnerable?
Psalm 82:3–4 · Proverbs 31:8–9The Final Word
SOLO is a lively, well-made adventure with excellent performances, strong character development, and a clear moral center. Its language, scary moments, and laser battles call for parental discernment, but middle schoolers and up can find much to enjoy. Our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — TEENS AND ADULTS.
