Rogue One is Lucasfilm’s first Star Wars spinoff, and with it the studio is telling fans that this new series of offshoots will deliver good storytelling over anything else.
Disney’s 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm birthed a new slate of Star Wars films, including a new trilogy. But unsurprisingly, Disney also had other plans: Spinoffs which are being housed in “A Star Wars Story” subtitles. The idea was met with caution from fans. Will they overdo it? Will they pump out films just for a quick buck? Will we grow tired of new Star Wars movies on a yearly cycle?
Hypable saw an advanced screening of Rogue One on Monday. Starring Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, the character works with rebel forces to steal the plans for the Death Star, which was built by her father (played by Mads Mikkelsen). A diverse cast of rebels — Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, Donnie Yen’s Chirrut, Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera, and Riz Ahmed’s Bodhi Rook — quickly band together in the name of hope, a questionable motive for many in the rebel community.
Rogue One is set before the events of A New Hope and lead right into the original Star Wars film. After watching it, you’ll probably be desperate to jump straight into the 1977 classic (It’s too bad movie theaters aren’t offering back-to-back showings). But despite it not technically being a part of the original trilogy, Rogue One throws fans a couple of bones, which are sure to delight audiences when they see the surprises as they’re surrounded by fellow fans.
Rogue One is a classic Star Wars film through and through. Not only does it feature exciting and tight battle sequences, the movie is funny and filled with deep characters you’ll quickly be rooting for. You won’t find yourself missing any of the original aspects of the core series because everything is there (minus, obviously, the characters). Director Gareth Edwards moves the story along at a steady pace, teeing up and then hitting out of the park a brilliant third act with stunning visuals set on a beach.
One of the most pleasant surprises is the sense of humor within K-2SO, a former Empire droid who was captured and reprogrammed by Andor. Voiced by Alan Tudyk, K-2SO delivers some of the biggest laughs in the movie thanks to his sarcasm (it made me think of Family Guy’s Stewie Griffin) and constant interest in calculating odds. You never would’ve seen the laughs coming based on the trailers.
No spoilers, but the thing that makes Rogue One special is that it uses its place as a standalone to tell the most epic story possible. If this is how all “A Star Wars Story” films will be executed, then you can count me a believer in Lucasfilm’s spinoffs. I’m glad the studio and Disney were comfortable going in this direction, and I think this Death Star mission was a brilliant way to kick off this slate of spinoffs.
I’m a casual Star Wars fan and loved Rogue One. It stands right up there with last year’s The Force Awakens. Despite what I was fearing, this isn’t just a film for the diehards. Everyone will want these characters to win, everyone will want to join the fight.
I recommend the movie to anyone with even the tiniest interest in the universe, because it reveals a very important part of the history of the Rebellion. In fact, it’s so good that you’ll wonder why we didn’t get such a movie sooner.
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