Nerds That Geek Movie Review - 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

I still distinctly remember that there was a lot of talk amongst the fans leading up to and following the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and all of it revolved around the fact that at this particular time in the franchise's history...there seemed to be an unhealthy obsession surrounding everything and anything when it comes to Episode IV: A New Hope and this discussion existed with good reason.

After all, The Force Awakens was in many ways the second coming of A New Hope, serving as a 'best of' reel for that film, reminding us of its wonder by paying homage to its finest moments and of course, Rogue One is an outright prequel to that particular film. But the debate as to whether or not this level of nostalgia is acceptable will rage on regardless of anything discussed in this review, so it's far more important we take a moment today and look at Rogue One in an objective fashion and focus on all the important things this story does for the franchise as a whole.

Case in point, this is a motion picture that finally gives us a solid understanding of what life is like under the rule of the Galactic Empire. Yes, we've always known they're an evil bunch, but primarily our dealings with them as fans have come by way of Emperor Palpatine or Darth Vader and while its no secret that Vader pops up in this film as well, by removing the whole Skywalker focus, we are finally taken inside the plight of the everyman by way of Jyn Erso and later on through her new found friends. It is here that we learn that life in the Empire is awful to say the least. It goes beyond being merely oppressed or robbed of basic freedoms...the Empire wants everything and anything it can get its hands on, including one's life if necessary. 

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In addition to showing us the pure hell the people of the Galaxy must endure, Rogue One takes things a step further by showing us what kind of frightening freedoms are extended to officers of the Empire by way of Director Krennic. A man whose personal ambition matters above everything else to the point where people will die and die horribly in order for him to enjoy the glory and grace of the Emperor. Krennic is a chilling character, one that reminds us of the evil that men are capable of when it is encouraged and nourished and when consequences simply do not exist.

But giving us all of those darker story elements is critical to this film's success. We need to know what the galaxy turned into under Palpatine's rule for one simple reason...to inspire hope. It's a word thrown around often in this story simply because of the fact there's little of it to be found. Even Jyn Erso is a woman without hope. She has acquiesced to this awful, awful life and it isn't until she loses everything that she understands the need to fight, in part to provide her soul with a sense of peace, but also to right the wrongs that the Empire is forcing innocent people to endure and when all is said and done, it makes for a compelling and dark Star Wars story, one where you root for the characters a little harder than usual simply because the Empire is finally on display as a brutal, and vicious organization that deserves to be dismantled and defeated. 

However, all of that aside, what truly makes this film so magical and enjoyable...is the fact that it is in many ways the reset button for the entire franchise. By stripping away the mysticism of the Force, by removing the Skywalker focus and presenting us with everyday people in the galaxy struggling for a better life, it serves as a fine reminder as to why we fell in love with A New Hope in the first place, the fact that the story of a galaxy, far, far, away was always about one thing; good triumphing over evil. Everything else was merely a bonus, because the saga introduced us to ordinary people, who discovered they had extraordinary talents and they worked together to make their world a better place now and forever and despite this film's harsh ending and gritty nature, we know that the plight of the Rebels in this film is not in vain, they inspired hope...they made a difference, and if giving us hope and revisiting the wonder of what makes this franchise so great is going to continue to pop up in every single film going forward...then I welcome it because it's exactly what makes Rogue One a wonderful tale and a welcome addition to a storied franchise.

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