【2017 Archives】

Major spoilers ahead for Solo. Don't read017 Archivesif you haven't seen it.

Here's the thing about early screenings of Solo: A Star Wars Story: the crowds spent a lot of time cheering.

And for good reason: it's a film that practically demands your cheers. There are references, callbacks, and explanations galore. Every familiar character gets a dramatic entrance; every "first" gets a beat, whether it's the first time Han sees the Millennium Falcon or the first (and last) time he is given a last name.

SEE ALSO: Who's who in 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'

And then, of course, there's the new stuff: all the new characters to love, all the new locations to explore.

At times, Solofelt less like a single narrative than a long parade of "fuck yeah" moments – not that we're complaining when the results are this entertaining.

Here are 13 moments that made our hearts sing, our fists pump, and our breaths catch. Or all three at once.

When Han Solo got his name

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Did we need to know the origins of Han's last name? No. But I'm not gonna lie – I'm a sucker for scenes where some previously unloved nobody gets a name (see also: Finn in The Force Awakens), and Han looks pretty pleased about it, so I am too.

Plus, that scene introduced me to my new favorite character: the Imperial official who apparently just goes around saddling people with unoriginal names.

When Chewie emerged from the shadows

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Could Chewie's relationship with Han have had a better origin than this?

Not only did the pit Han was thrown into reference the Rancor scene in Return of the Jedi, it also presented a neat twist on that trope: Han and "the beast" immediately conspire to get themselves out of there.

The part where Chewbacca throws Han out of the hole a few moments later was pretty fantastic too.

When Chewie got into the shower with Han

No, he couldn't have waited. But what happened next?

Han/Chewbacca shippers, this one's for you.

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Every scene with Val

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Val doesn't have nearly enough screentime, but she milks each second of it for all it's worth.

Her showcase scene is the train heist; Thandie Newton should really just show that sequence around town and demand her own John Wick.But her relationship with Tobias makes for a surprising moment of softness in this otherwise gritty adventure.

Well, at least until we learn what an asshole Tobias really is.

When Han met the Millennium Falcon

We've seen that old hunk of junk before, but Han hasn't. He instantly falls in love, and we get to fall in love with it all over again through his eyes.

When L3 told Lando and Han to stop flirting

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Han / Lando shippers, this one's for you. The scene also introduced the world to L3/Lando shipping, as the droid demanded that her co-pilot "do that thing again later."

When we finally got a peek at Lando's cape closet

Lando's capes are the stuff of legend in our galaxy, and we assume in the Star Wars galaxy as well. And Qi'ra, bless her, did exactly what any of us would have in that situation: She went and tried one on.

We have to call B.S. on her next line, though: "Maybe too many capes." No such thing!

When Han and Chewie piloted the Millennium Falcon together

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It just feels so right to see them assume their familiar positions on that familiar ship. Chewie, we're home.

When L3 asked for 'equal rights'

Sing it, sister. (Even better: this line was ad-libbed by L3's alter-ego, Phoebe Waller-Bridge.)

When Lando tossed Han his blaster

I may have actually stood up for this one, I was so excited.

When Qi'ra turned on Dryden Vos

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It's not a callback to anything from the original movies, and it's not even necessarily a defining moment in her arc – her motivations remain murky through end of the movie. It's just a moment of sheer badassery.

When Han shot first

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Solonever explicitly references the "Han shot first" debate, and thank goodness for that. But the script makes it subtly clear which side of the debate it's on -- by having Han shoot Beckett before Beckett has a chance to get to him.

When Darth Maul showed up

Actually, the reaction of anyone who hasn't seen the Clone Warsseries was more like: "whoa ... wait, what? Didn't that dude die in Episode I?"

When Han finally won the Millennium Falcon

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After an earlier scene that dangled the promise of this moment, only to snatch it right out of our grasp, Solofinally gave up the goods in its closing moments.

Finally, fellow Star Wars geeks, we can say we saw Han win the Falcon from Lando in that famous game of Sabacc.

It just didn't go the way you thought.

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In honor of 'Solo' hitting theaters, we talked about what makes Star Wars so magical

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Topics Star Wars