If you’re a fan of the Star Wars franchise, then you probably don’t even need to bother reading this; you’ll already have plans to see the latest episode in the Star Wars series which now spans 40 years. When we had the opportunity to go and see Rogue One today at a special screening, of course we jumped at the chance. Here’s our spoiler free thoughts on the movie.
First and foremost, this is a movie you can enjoy without having seen any of the others in the series; yes there are tie-ins, yes there are characters you’ll recognise from earlier episodes, and yes there’s set-ups for what come later in the series. Some of these are subtle, and some much less so.
In the chronology, Star Wars: Rogue One fits between Episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith) and Episode 4 (A New Hope), but in terms of actual timing, it’s much closer to Episode 4, occurring as little as a few hours before the events of Episode 4 unfold.
This makes for an interesting premise; we know exactly what happened before this movie, and exactly what must happen by the end of it, otherwise Episode 4 wouldn’t make sense. We know the death star is nearly built, and by the conclusion, the plans must be stolen, and that much is made clear in the trailers for this episode as well.
Where the enjoyment lies in this episode isn’t the unknown, but the quality of the characters introduced, the story lines pursued, and the sheer visual joy to be beheld. The storyline is simple enough, and stays true to the Star Wars formula, with some unique humour, twists and turns to keep viewers on their toes.
There is some amazing technology behind the movie as well, which we won’t spoil for you except to say this; not every human actor in this movie is actually what they seem, and at the conclusion of the movie, prepare for a huge shock that had us both sit bolt upright.
Overall, Rogue One was a great movie and well worth the wait. In many ways, I enjoyed it more than The Force Awakens last year, and it felt … different. It reminded us of the gritty nature of the problem explored in the Star Wars universe, and it comes from the title: war. Star Wars is a universe in which characters find love, explore conflict, and resolve challenges, but the undercurrent of war is ever present, and that grittiness shines through in this installment more than it has in most of those before it.
Do yourself a favour and go see this movie this holiday season. You won’t leave disappointed.
Ausdroid saw Star Wars: Rogue One courtesy of LG Australia.
