There was a quick little moment in the very first
Star Wars (now known as
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) where a character mentions rebels possibly obtaining vulnerability secrets regarding the Death Star. That group of people actually gets their own movie in
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a Star Wars spinoff that is technically another prequel.
It, in fact, tells a story that leads right up to where
A New Hope begins. It’s a strong, rousing action adventure movie that should please
Star Wars geeks along with newcomers to the franchise. It’s also a little different from your typical
Star Wars movie in that it doesn’t mainly deal with the Skywalker saga (although a couple of them make notable appearances) and doesn’t prominently feature the John Williams score (although that makes some appearances, as well).
Director Gareth Edwards (
Godzilla) goes for something a little different here, a tonal shift that reminds of the big change
The Empire Strikes Back brought to the saga. The result is a different kind of
Star Wars film that is immensely entertaining and fun. Felicity Jones is terrific as Jyn, a woman who finds herself with strange ties to the Death Star, and becomes part of the effort to destroy it.
Star Wars fans will delight in all of the tie-ins and cameos, while newcomers will simply have a blast with an action movie that delivers on many fronts.