Solo: A Star Wars Story Review - 7 Ups And 4 Downs

2. Alden Ehrenreich

Of all the niggling doubts surrounding the movie, one of the biggest was over Alden Ehrenreich. The actor seemed like a good choice when first announced, coming off the back of a scene-stealing performance in Hail, Caesar! but then news broke of Lucasfilm hiring an acting coach for him, and the trailers didn't do much to convince people.

Mercifully, he's more than up to the task.

Ehrenreich isn't just doing a Harrison Ford impression, and if that's what Lucasfilm wanted they'd have hired Anthony Ingruber. That's important, because this is a different Han Solo to the one we know from the Original Trilogy.

The actor has clearly been studying Ford, borrowing a number of mannerisms - there are moments when he runs or points a blaster and it's pure Ford - but brings a lot of his own talent to it as well. There's more of an earnestness to his charm here, which dovetails nicely with the more arrogant elements you'd expect.

Ehrenreich is capable of hitting all the emotional beats, and nicely takes Han through the years and changes up the performance enough to mark the progression, but makes sure the different sides to the character are present. Funny, charismatic, and incredibly likeable, he has to carry the film and is more than capable.