Many were skeptical when it was revealed that the Star Wars series would be continued with a seventh episode, after Disney had bought the rights from George Lucas; the first three episodes (which were actually made after episodes 4, 5, and 6) had not lived up to the original Star Wars trilogy's standards, and were more or less considered flops, according to this article.
But when the seventh episode, "The Force Awakens," was released in theaters, the 2.066 billion dollars in box office profits were not wasted money. "Star Wars Episode 7" was "by any measure a rousing, even restorative seventh chapter in the immortal space-opera saga established and now relinquished by George Lucas," as said by Justin Chang from Variety in this article. It received a 92% from Rotten Tomatoes, an almost impossible feat to accomplish for sequels. Mark Kermode from The Guardian reported that "our critic was never a Star Wars fan. This time he laughed, cried and cheered at a breathtaking sequel by JJ Abrams with genuine heart and soul." The seventh installment in the Star Wars series was such a smash hit that no one expected a hastily put-together spin-off movie to outshine it.
The spin-off Star Wars movie was announced around the same time the seventh episode was announced; the name came later: "Rogue One." It was revealed fairly soon after that it would take place between the two trilogies, or between the third and fourth episodes. The movie would explain how the plans for the Death Star came into the hands of Princess Leia, which ultimately set the opening scene for the fourth episode and determined the plot for the rest of the trilogy, some would say. But the importance of the movie seemed trivial; the ending was obvious -- the plans would reach the Princess, a.k.a., the good guys would win. Was this movie necessary? Would it be just as good as the main story?
I saw "Rogue One" on the 27th of December in honor of Carrie Fisher, who had died earlier that morning; as a little girl, I had always been a fan of fantasy and other worlds, and Star Wars happened to be one of my favorites. I was a fan of all of the movies, despite the bad reviews for the first three episodes, yet when I saw the seventh episode the previous December, it hadn't impressed me. In fact, I was a bit turned off from the series after I had resurrected the old feelings for it again in time to see the seventh episode. The death of Carrie Fisher, who had played the first bad*** woman I had ever looked up to, Princess Leia, had me buying a ticket to "Rogue One" for old times' sake, and I am very glad I did.
"Rogue One" brought back just the right amount of the original trilogy that any Star Wars fan could ask for; paired with some amazing CGI graphics, the story blended a perfect combination of the first three episodes with the last three episodes while introducing new faces and places to the series. Not only did they incorporate the plot of the movie so well into the original story, they roused feelings in me that even the 4th, 5th, and 6th episodes hadn't done. Throughout the movie, I felt moved.
I cried a total of 3 times during the movie, and I've never been much of a crier; I mostly cry at love stories, and to add a small spoiler, there is not a single love story in this movie, perhaps the first Star Wars movie without one. No, it was the feelings of loss, of devastation, and of bravery that had me crying. "Rogue One" showed the reality of war and of hope, and at what costs both come at.
"For the original generation of Star Wars fans who weren't sure what to make of episodes 1, 2, and 3, "Rogue One" is the prequel they've always wanted," Peter Debruge from Variety wrote in this review.
"Rogue One" is still in theaters now and will most likely be in theaters for many months to come, just like "Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens" was. "Rogue One" received a slightly lower score than "The Force Awakens" from Rotten Tomatoes with an 85%, but that score is still impressive compared to other spin-offs. After seeing "Rogue One," I look forward to Disney's next Star Wars spin-off which will be Han Solo themed. As a die-hard Harrison Ford fan, you can say I have high expectations, but if that movie is at least half as good as "Rogue One" is, I'll be satisfied.
As Sandy Chen from Common Sense Media said, "This is the Star Wars story you were looking for but may not have even known it."
