The second of the “Star Wars” anthology films, “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” hit theaters Friday, May 25. Despite massive issues during production, the smuggler’s story proved to be an incredible addition to the “Star Wars” mythos.

Boasting a 2 hour 15 minute run time, shorter than that of “The Last Jedi,” “Solo” follows the adventures of a young Han (Alden Ehrenreich) as he gets tied up in the robbery of an armed convoy carrying spaceship fuel. Also among the cast is “War for the Planets of the Apes” star Woody Harrelson, “Iron Man” star and director Jon Favreau, “Westworld” actress Thandie Newton, “Game of Thrones” breakout star Emilia Clarke, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” actor Donald Glover, “Avengers” star Paul Bettany and Star Wars alum Joonas Suotamo.

From the opening moments, “Solo” does everything in its power to stand out from the rest of the films in the “Star Wars” saga. The usual opening crawl is replaced by blocks of text appearing on screen, which, while not ideal, is new and unique. The tradition of having the title appear in yellow font out in space is completely forgone in favor of a hologram-styled yellow title above the streets of Coronet City. While this fits with the theme of the movie, fans of the franchise will be disappointed to not see the traditional logo style.

“Solo” is also the first film to not deal with a “Rebels vs. Empire” or “good vs. evil” storyline, instead delivering fans a look into the gritty criminal underworld of the “Star Wars” universe. The Empire has more of a cameo role than anything, and none of the characters are purely good or evil. Everyone is a mix of the two. Rather than massive space battles and invasions, “Solo” features gang alliances and shoot-outs. This take on the “Star Wars” universe is something which has never been seen in canon or on-screen before, and to fans of the previous Expanded Universe, it was incredibly pleasing to see.

No “Star Wars” film is complete without stunning visual effects or an outstanding score, and “Solo” does not disappoint. Joining composing legend John Williams is “Shrek” composer John Powell, and the two do not fail to impress viewers. “Star Wars” has consistently set the bar for visuals, and “Solo” continues this trend. Costumes were vivid, each scene was packed with color and references, and each and every alien was unique and stunning.

As fans no doubt are aware, “Solo” faced monumental issues during production. The original directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, were fired three quarters of the way through filming for what is cited as creative differences, and “Apollo 13” director Ron Howard was brought on to save “Solo” from falling into catastrophe. Naturally, these issues, combined with Michael K. Williams being forced to withdraw from the film following the massive reshoots needed due to Howard taking over, made fans nervous about the final product. Fortunately for all, not only was Bettany able to take over for Williams, but the movie fans saw in theaters exceeded all expectations.

“Solo” continues the work of all post-Disney “Star Wars” films and makes numerous events officially canon, or allows groups, such as The Pyke Syndicate, to make their first live appearances. This criminal gang made of aliens, who have been featured in the “Clone Wars”  animated show, makes its first live appearance. Spice, the drug that has been a part of the “Star Wars” lore for years, finally makes an on-screen appearance. Teras Kasi, a force-based martial arts, is at long last made canon with its appearance in “Solo.” Sabacc, the card game first introduced as a minigame in “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,” makes a canon appearance.

As expansive as the galaxy is, “Star Wars” usually only shows a few planets, while the rest get fleshed out in the Expanded Universe. “Solo” marks the first movie appearance of Kessel and the first canon appearance of Corellia and its capital, Coronet City. “Solo” also introduces the planets of Vandor and Savareen, both of which are visually stunning and welcome additions to the “Star Wars” universe.

Even within the genre of heist movies, “Solo” stands out. While a traditional heist film would have the protagonist build himself a team at the beginning of the film, “Solo” breaks the mold by having Han get caught up in a heist and then work his way up to the top of his crew.

“Solo” also features stunning choreography and filmography. Shootouts, specifically those featuring Woody Harrelson, were engaging and thrilling. A scene involving Ehrenreich and Glover had the camera pan around the two stars as they defended each other from an oncoming gang assault. Multiple close-up shots were used throughout the film, either to build suspense or foreshadow something to come.

The one item in “Solo” that deserves praise above anything else: Donald Glover’s performance as Lando Calrissian. Glover perfectly embodies the charismatic performance of Billy Dee Williams and adds his own flare to the character. Glover manages to capture one of Lando’s most prominent characteristics: his mispronunciation of Han’s name. The name, while pronounced H-A-H-N, is constantly pronounced by Glover and Williams as H-A-N. He also introduces the world to the first pansexual “Star Wars” character and fortunately executes his performance perfectly.

“Solo” features the reintroduction of one the best parts of the prequel trilogy: Wookiee combat. While Chewbacca is normally seen fighting with a bowcaster, “Solo” shows Wookiees utilizing their brute strengths to tear through enemies. “Solo” also features a Wookiee rip someone’s arms off in a nice callback to “Episode IV.”

Featured in “Solo” is the fight for droid freedom, one of the more peculiar events in “Star Wars,” now at long last canon. This event has been a major part of multiple video games and comics, but to see it on screen is…interesting to say the least.

Reports have been made that “Solo” will be the first in a saga of Han Solo centered “Star Wars” films, and if this is true, then “Solo” set these future installments up perfectly by introducing a new villain, leaving fans foaming at the mouth craving more.

“Solo” brought forth great fear that fans of “Star Wars” would be treated to another “Attack of the Clones” mishap. After one viewing, fans can sleep easy knowing that “Solo” is everything that was promised. The first dance into the depths of the “Star Wars” underworld is one that is sure to go down as a spectacular show, thus earning it an 9.5/10.