Set between Episode III and Episode IV, Rogue One remains one of the best Star Wars movies ever made in the 21st century. In fact, we may go so far as to say Rogue One is second only to The Empire Strikes Back in terms of quality.
Rogue One Focuses More On the Actual War
To be honest, almost all Star Wars movies are guilty of this. Despite having the word ‘Wars’ right in the title, the actual element of War escapes the franchise. Most of the time, it feels like Star Wars has taken the backseat on world-building and making the battles as sprawling and all-encompassing as possible. The movies fell….shall we say small. But Rogue One was the movie that managed to take us right into the heat of battle. From off planet cities to outer space and even the very ground battles, everything looked real and screamed a war between two space based superpowers. There were dogfights and battle scenes in other Star Wars movies. But Rogue One had the audacity to make it as visceral as possible.
Rogue One Shows The Rebels Are Not Flawless
A New Hope showed the Rebels as a force for good. they were noble soldiers united in their fight against the scourge of the Galactic Empire. That was not the case. In fact, it cannot be the case. No one should be shown as that perfect. In an age where Hollywood is experimenting with morally grey protagonists, Rogue One giving us a not so perfect Rebellion movement is a welcome gesture. The rebel leaders were scattered and divided. It was the Battle of Scarif that united them against the Empire. The movie makes them look more genuine as a force for good.
The Scariest Darth Vader We Have Ever Seen
When the trailer showed us Darth Vader is coming, everyone thought it was a cheap trick for getting in more viewers. Rogue One proved us all wrong. The way they used everyone’s favorite Sith Lord in the movie was commendable. The very entry scene of Darth Vader evokes fear and respect of extreme proportions. That scene will be talked about till the end of time. The interrogation scene with Director Krennic was extremely enthralling. There’s a rumor that Darth Vader was added to the script based on a market research survey on test audience response. They did their homework to bring Vader to Rogue One. And then they blew us all away.
Not Featuring The Force
the Force is the greatest concept to ever come out of Star wars lore. An almighty cosmic web that weaves all life together, harnessing the Force can give you Godlike abilities. But only a select few individuals can actually master it, with almost 99 per cent of the Galaxy unaware of and incapable of using the Force. It was a good thing that Rogue One gave us a movie that did not involve the Force, a trend they continued with Solo: A Star Wars Story. Since it is Star Wars, Rogue One did have to include the concept in some form by having the Force sensitive warrior monk Chirrut. But overall, Rogue One was a story of regular people in a galaxy far, far away.
It Is Bleak & Hopelessly Depressing Like It Is Supposed To be
The movie is depressing because it literally entails a suicide mission. Rogue One was a set of events that preluded A New Hope. The characters knew what they were getting into. The audience knew it was NOT going to be a happy ending. Jyn Erso and the gang sacrificed their lives to give the galaxy what Princess Leia claims they now have in the excellent final scene – “Hope”. The events of Rogue One were so gritty and depressing because they needed to be. It was only after that surreal ending that the Rebellion’s victory and the end of the Empire felt so satisfying. Rogue One was all about pain and suffering so that the galaxy can have a better chance at escaping it.
