More than any other franchise, a new Star Wars movie is a global event. I honestly didn’t feel the same hype as The Force Awakens for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in the months leading up to it. To be fair, Force Awakens was the Star Wars movie we thought we’d never get, so the situation was a bit different. However, as soon as opening week hit and reviews started pouring in, I felt the excitement building. I’m not the most die hard Star Wars fan who reads all the books and watches all the animated series but the movies are something very special. Rogue One is the first of its kind as a stand-alone anthology film. Even CEO of Disney Bob Iger said, “this is an experiment.”  Personally, that comment sparked my curiosity.

     I’m amazingly glad to say that the “experiment” payed off in a big way. Director, Gareth Edwards, makes a big statement with this film. It’s definitely a team effort though and everyone involved should be applauded. The actors especially deserve a lot of credit for their work. Felicity Jones is awesome as Jyn Erso and she is becoming one of my favorite actresses working today. Diego Luna as Cassian Andor was phenomenal and all the other cast members were great as well. 

     That brings me to my next point, which is the setup of each character. There’ve been a lot of complaints about them not being fleshed out enough. I’d disagree. Each and every one of them is a worthy addition to Star Wars canon. Their backgrounds and motivations aren't clearly spelled out but that added to the film. The bigger picture is the Rebellion and it doesn’t matter to me exactly why they do what they do. What matters is they are choosing to fight for whatever reasons they might have. They give small hints to their pasts, still keeping a layer of mystery to their characters. If you look at A New Hope characters like Luke and Han weren’t fleshed out at all. It took a few more films till you got to know them and learn their backstory. The little easter eggs to other Star Wars canon are really cool and also fit in with the story, helping further it even more. Rogue One is a history lesson on the beginnings of the Rebellion and the Empire’s oppression across the galaxy. Not only is that an awesome concept by itself, but when it adds so much depth to the original trilogy(especially A New Hope) it takes it to the next level.

     The action is top notch and the world-building could be the best of any Star Wars film, leading me to my next point. I enjoyed The Force Awakens a lot and thought it was a strong setup for the new trilogy. However, it was too similar to A New Hope and there was something about it that made it feel like a much newer version of Star Wars. It still captured the magic of the original films but the world didn’t feel lived in like this one does. Gareth Edwards did the impossible task of taking an almost 40 year old franchise and making it feel modern while still having the exact feel, story elements, and action as old school Star Wars.

      Everything I wanted to be included was there. I thought some stuff I wanted would never happen but it did!! In that department, they exceeded my expectations. I appreciated the film’s choice in taking a risk that no other big budget/franchise films seem to take nowadays. I won't say anymore than that because I don’t want to spoil anything. 

      The final positives of Rogue One are Darth Vader and the ending. Darth Vader is used sparingly(which I hoped he would be) but so effectively. He is pure badass! The ending is the strongest finish in Star Wars canon. Now that I say that, The Force Awakens had a great ending as well. I guess Lucasfilm really has some solid footing in that category.

     The only glaring negative I see is the opening. The crawl was missing! I know that Lucasfilm has publicly stated they didn’t include it as a way of setting the film apart. The movie still would have felt like it stood on its own even if they included the crawl. The score by Michael Giacchino is generic but it fits the tone of the film. I think they could’ve used more classics from the Star Wars archives. I also wanted to mention, a CGI technique is used in the film that people might not like. While it doesn’t always hit, I think it’s important to start using it and I think we’re getting close to perfection.

     So… Rogue One was awesome!! I don’t know where it ranks with the other films but man did I have a good time with it. It’s the first time in a while that I felt like I escaped the outside world for 2 hours going to the theatre. On the way home, I couldn’t wipe the smile of my face and was literally shouting “oh my god, yes!” because I was so excited. I’m giving Rogue One a 9/10 but that could go up very easily. Stop whatever you are doing right now, get in your car, and buy your ticket!