Monday February 05, 2018

The teaser trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story is here, offering a portrait of the scoundrel as a young man � and so much more. We get Han, Chewie, new characters, new vehicles, weird aliens in floating jars, and some giant tentacles. Here are five highlights of many.

1. �I�m gonna be a pilot. Best in the galaxy.�

Only one person could have the bravura to say that and the talent to back it up. For anyone who loves Han Solo, it�s thrilling to turn back the clock and see the rogue scoundrel before he met Luke and Obi-Wan in Mos Eisley, before he said �I know,� and before he became a legend. The opening narration by Alden Ehrenreich, delivered with classic Solo world-weariness, gives us a glimpse of who Solo was and where he�s going. �I�ve been running scams on the street since I was 10.� We�re not surprised.

2. Hello, what have we here?

The style. The smile. That�s Lando, and Donald Glover � in just a few images � manages to capture the fan-favorite�s essence perfectly. He appears cool and collected (until he�s not, like when a giant tentacle is about to swat the Falcon), and we can�t wait to see more of him.

3. The Millennium Falcon � was clean?

Maybe the biggest shocker of all is that a ship that�s been called a �hunk of junk,� a �bucket of bolts,� and �garbage� ever looked remotely nice. This teaser trailer shows that before we first saw it in all its beat-up glory (and still thought it was the coolest thing ever) in A New Hope, the Falcon had indeed seen better days.

4. That Western feel.

From a desert standoff to the mention of a �crew,� much of the imagery and tone of the Solo: A Star Wars Story teaser trailer seems rooted in classic Westerns � appropriate, considering that the genre was a major influence on the original Star Wars. And especially fitting for an early tale about a scoundrel who blasts bounty hunters under cantina tables.

5. Home run.

We�ve seen Han pull off some fancy moves with the Falcon, and this might be the best. With a TIE fighter close by, Han spins, smashing the smaller craft away and into a fiery explosion. Just awesome, and a moment that exemplifies the Falcon�s can�t-be-matched cool factor. For best results, play on repeat.

Bonus: �I might be the only person who knows�what you really are.�

Actress Emilia Clarke brings some straight talk to Solo, and Ehrenreich�s reaction is pure Han: trying to be tough yet letting his vulnerability sneak through. It�s a very human moment, and that relatability is why Han Solo remains our favorite nerf herder.