A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…the Galactic Empire was at war with the Rebel Alliance. While you might think you know all about this saga, it turns out that there was a lot more to the story. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story arrives in theaters later this week, and for the first time, audiences will get to experience the first “anthology” film that departs from the traditional “saga” style approach. 

 

 

Set shortly before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, Rogue One tells the tale of how the Rebels managed to acquire the plans for the original Death Star. The story revolves around Galen Erso, a scientist who developed weapons for the Empire. When Erso attempts to leave with his family, he finds that his Imperial employers are unwilling to let him go…and Galen pays a terrible toll for his decision. Fifteen years later, Erso’s daughter Jyn has been recruited by the Rebellion to locate her father, and find a way to stop the Empire from using their latest weapon to wipe them out permanently. With help from some new (and some familiar) faces, Jyn must race against the clock to save her father and learn the secrets of the Death Star. 

 

 

Rogue One expertly walks the fine line of creating something new and original, while rooting itself deep within the Star Wars Universe. Director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) presents a phenomenal addition to the Star Wars franchise, full of gorgeous landscapes, realistic robots and aliens, and layered characters that you will fall in love with. From a cinematic standpoint, the film stands apart from its predecessors by focusing heavily on the gritty side of war. The Rebels launch several all out attacks against the Imperial forces, and it is interesting to see how guerrilla tactics and desperation play into their fight against the evil Empire. We’ve seen glimpses of the beach battle sequence in the trailers in the marketing material, but audiences will be blown away by the visuals of AT-AT walkers fighting rebels on the beach. Imperial Troopers surrounded by palm trees is something completely out of the norm, and it is a gorgeous (yet terrifying) sight to see.

 

 

This latest installment introduces audiences to a different corner of the Star Wars Universe, complete with a wide array of new (and diverse) characters. The film stars Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) as Jyn Erso, Diego Luna (The Book of Life) as Cassian Andor, Alan Tudyk (Firefly) as the droid K-2SO, Wen Jiang (The Sun Also Rises) as Baze Malbus, Ben Mendelsohn (Killing Them Softly) as Director Krennic, Forest Whitaker (Platoon) as Saw Gerrera, Mads Mikkelsen (Doctor Strange) as Galen Erso, and Donnie Yen (Ip Man) as Chirrut Imwe. Jones and Luna are true partners in crime in the film and have some fantastic chemistry throughout the story. Tudyk’s K-2 manages to steal every scene, and comes across as the Anti C-3PO. Yen’s Imwe wins as the most interesting character in the film. Imwe may appear to be a normal human, but this bad-ass blind man has found an amazing balance between himself and The Force which will take viewers by surprise. Mendelsohn’s Director Krennic is extremely different from the traditional evil that we have seen in the Star Wars franchise, and seems to be more of a brown-nosing middle manager who just wants to climb the ranks at the big corporation. Forrest Whitaker joins as a new, yet familiar face, that some fans might recognize. If you watched Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, you might recognize the older version of Saw Guerra, a freedom fighter who originally fought side-by-side with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Guerra has definitely seen better days, and Whitaker’s version of the character has definitely been through his share of battles. While it was great to see this character incorporated into the film, I felt that he was the weakest of the new characters in this new installment.

 

Rogue One also features several returning players, including James Earl Jones (Star Wars: Episodes III-VI) as the voice of Darth Vader, Jimmy Smits (Star Wars: Episodes II-III) as Bail Organa, and Genevieve O’Reilly (Star Wars: Episode III) as Mon Mothma. There are several other surprise cameos in store for audiences, but those are considered top secret, so you will need to find out on your own. I can say that there were three distinct points in the film that I got goosebumps, and the return of Darth Vader was one of them. You will get chills when the Sith Lord returns.

 

 

Music has always been a key component to Star Wars, and Michael Giacchino (LOST, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) has created a score for this film that will blow you away. I absolutely loved everything about the score for Rogue One. The soundtrack feels like classic Star Wars right off the bat, but has nuances that set it apart from all of the others. It was refreshing to hear something new, yet familiar, in terms of the music, and I am sure that John Williams would approve of this new musical direction. 

 

 

Additionally, Star Wars Rebels fans will also be happy to know that there are a few nice nods to the series scattered throughout the film. We won’t go into those details right now, but keep your ears open for some special “announcements.” 

 

 

 

Rogue One seamlessly integrates itself into the larger Star Wars saga, and it truly felt like a story that NEEDED to be told. If you don’t walk away and immediately feel the need to go watch Star Wars: A New Hope, I would be shocked. It has been several hours since the screening, and I am still grinning from ear to ear. 

 

This is what we wanted the Prequel Trilogy to be. This is what we want the Sequel Trilogy and future Anthology Film Series to be. This IS a Star Wars film in the most classic way possible, and it will make you feel like a little kid again. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is our ComicsOnline pick for movie of the year.

 

We can only hope that Gareth Edwards will remain actively involved in the future of Star Wars, because he has one hell of a vision for the events that took place so long ago…

 

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