Rogue One stands on its own and as a terrific Star Wars movie

Lucasfilm / Disney

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far way …”

Those are the familiar words we’ve come to know as Star Wars fans for almost 40 years. And those words lead off the new movie Rogue One, subtitled “A Star Wars Story” (although not on screen) for a very good reason. While Rogue One has been billed as a “stand-alone” story within the Star Wars universe, it really can be considered “Episode 3.5” as it bridges the events from Episode III to the original Star Wars.

The plot is fairly straightforward: the evil Galactic Empire is in the process of building a new weapon that can destroy entire planets (yes, the original Death Star). The architect of this weapon was not happy with the Empire’s direction, built a hidden flaw into its design (yes, that little port that Luke Skywalker fired his lasers into), and then retreated to the life of a farmer with his wife and young daughter. But the Empire comes calling, kills the wife and takes Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelson) to complete work on the Death Star, while his daughter is left alone, hidden in a cave, then rescued by an ally, Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker).

Years later, the grown Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is a prisoner of the Empire, but a daring rescue puts her into the hands of the rebellion, hoping she can help them contact Gerrera, who may know the whereabouts of Galen Erso … without knowing that Jyn is Erso’s daughter. A defecting pilot for the Empire brings a message to Gerrera for Jyn, not even knowing if she is still alive, revealing the flaw he’s built into the Death Star. Armed with this information, Jyn reluctantly joins the Alliance and sets out to retrieve her father’s original plans to deliver them to … well, if you know your Star Wars you know who ends up with those plans.

Rogue One is probably one of the best, most satisfying Star Wars movies since The Empire Strikes Back. Last year’s continuation of the Star Wars story proper was enjoyable enough on first viewing, but then thinking about it really made one see just how slavish it was to the original film. It was great seeing those familiar characters once again, but it was just a bit too familiar to be considered very original. Rogue One uses the familiarity we have with the series to carry on important plot points, but retains enough of its originality to be a true stand-alone film … even though it is tied very tightly to the three prequels (with Jimmy Smits putting in a cameo as Bail Organa) and the original, with returning characters including Mon Mothma, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones!), and Moff Tarkin (with an eerily accurate digital recreation of the late Peter Cushing’s face). There are a few more here and there, but we won’t spoil things completely.

Lucasfilm / Disney

Rogue One succeeds because it takes a story we’re familiar with and populates it with a host of new characters we’ve never met while using the classic characters to really tell the story. And they start off by giving us yet another strong female character in Jyn. Jyn has a bit of Han Solo in her, that’s for sure, more concerned with looking out for her own best interest before being dragged into the rebellion (thanks to the message from her father). Paired with Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) — who dresses like Starbuck from the original Battlestar Galactica — the two have a contentious relationship that almost always puts their mission in jeopardy. They are assisted by the droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), a reprogrammed Empire droid, who is a bit of a sarcastic smartass and is sure to become a fan favorite. The blind Jedi wannabe Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), starts off a bit grating with his almost too hip, too contemporary one-liners, but his skills and his willingness to step into battle, sightless, will eventually win you over.

The movie is also filled with the tech we know and love, and it’s great to see the AT-ATs in action once again, this time on a beach. You may see a few familiar faces from the Mos Eisley cantina, and there are shots of the preparation to demonstrate the Death Star that come straight out of Star Wars. Add to that Michael Giacchino’s terrific score, peppered with John Williams’ original themes but solid enough to stand on its own. There really is so much to absorb that the film demands several viewings to catch it all. But with a terrific script, some great action pieces, an engaging cast, and the thrill of seeing a story that ends where the whole thing begins does not make multiple viewings much of a chore.

Best of all, Rogue One just might be the perfect way to introduce a new generation to the Star Wars universe. You can literally watch Rogue One back-to-back with the original, and you can even start with the prequels (well, maybe skip The Phantom Menace) to see Bail Organa and how Vader got into his current condition. Rogue One tells a story that has enough going for it that newcomers to the Star Wars universe can enjoy without being lost, and just the right amount of familiarity to keep the fans happy without insulting them. Fans may have been worried when Disney announced this slate of original, stand-alone stories (and make no mistake, this is a one-shot film), but if Rogue One is any indication, we can all breathe a little sigh of relief and look ahead at what’s to come.