Kelly Lawler
USA TODAY
Published 11:00 p.m. UTC May 26, 2018
It’s time to visit a galaxy far, far away. Again.
Although it seems like no time at all has passed since we hung out with Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) in Star Wars: The Last Jedi last December, we already have another Star Wars movie in theaters this weekend, Solo: A Star Wars Story. The film is a prequel about Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) before he meets Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) in the first Star Wars film, A New Hope.
If you’re planning on catching up on the Star Wars universe before heading out to see Solo, we’ve got a plan for you, whether you’ve never seen Star Wars or want to relive its greatest moments.
If you’ve never seen a single Star Wars movie: Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope
If you somehow managed to miss the phenomenon over the past 40 or so years, first of all I’m impressed. I’m also glad you’re finally jumping on the bandwagon. If you have never seen Star Wars before, it’s best to start at the beginning with the 1977 film that started it all. You’ll meet Han (Harrison Ford) and all the other players, get a feel for the tone of the franchise and get enough info to sit through Solo without being hopelessly lost in the stars.
Available to buy on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.
If you want to know what the whole “A Star Wars Story” thing means: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
So what’s the deal with the “A Star Wars Story” movies? They’re the films that don’t fit into the “Skywalker Saga,” aka all the films that have at least one Skywalker in them, including the original trilogy, the prequels, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The other films are spin-offs, other stories that take place in a galaxy far, far away but won’t affect Rey or Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Rogue One was the first, and it was also a prequel that explained how the rebels stole the plans to the Death Star, a major plot point in A New Hope.
Stream it on Netflix.
If you only have time to watch one: Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back
The best Star Wars film according to many, many fans (including this one), Empire is the distillation of both the franchise and Han if you only have two hours to spare. The film also has the first appearance of Lando (Billy Dee Williams), who steals the show in Solo with Donald Glover in the role.
Available to buy on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.
If you want to get happy: Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi
The final movie in the original trilogy is what fans thought would be the big happy ending to the entire story, at least before the franchise was revived. It’s not the best Star Wars movie, but it is the most joyous, from the teddy bear-like Ewoks to the final celebration when the Empire is defeated.
Available to buy on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.
If you want to get sad: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
So, we all know what happens to Han in The Force Awakens, right? If you want to see both the end and the beginning of Han’s journey, you can check out the 2015 film and then Solo. The Force Awakens is also a great movie all on its own, introducing the next generation of stars.
Available to rent or buy on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.
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