For more than four decades, Star Wars has soared into the film galaxy as one of the most exhilarating movie franchises ever.  Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader are some of the series’ characters that have entertained audiences for years, but Rogue One offers a different type of story.   With new characters, plot, and action, the movie takes you to some places the other Star Wars movies have not gone.

Set between Episodes III and IV, Rogue One is a side story that sets up Episodes IV-VI.  A new weapon has been created by the Galactic Empire, known to many as the Death Star.  The Death Star has the power to destroy planets, and the Rebellion sees the weapon as a direct threat to the galaxy.  With the help of Jyn Erso – a close relative to an Empire engineer – the light side seeks to intercept the plans of the Death Star before it is too late.

As an avid Star Wars fan, I thought this film was unique.  It told its own story, while tying in with the rest of the series well enough to keep audiences engaged.  Something interesting was that nearly no lightsaber action was used, with mostly just gun-battle scenes.  The acting was well-done, especially for a cast with a lot of unfamiliar faces.  The beginning started slowly, but the pace picked up towards the ending – which I thought was one of the best Star Wars scenes ever.

Since Rogue One’s December 16 release, the flick has been a box-office success, grossing nearly $920 million worldwide (according to boxofficemojo.com).  While these numbers don’t match last years’ movie The Force Awakens‘, they are still very impressive, especially for a side-story.

Bottom line, this was an exciting film, definitely one of my favorites of the series.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelson, Ben Mendelsohn, Forrest Whitaker, Alan Tudyk