Star Wars fans, we’re at the dawn of a new era for a galaxy far, far away. After Rise of Skywalker concluded three generations of Skywalkers, Disney and Lucasfilm are building the universe across streaming and on the big screen, and I cannot wait. But before moving forward, it’s a solid time to appreciate our favorite Star Wars entries in recent memory. And I’m pleased to report I’m not the only one who is still gushing about Rogue One.
The 2016 movie took a step back from all the Skywalker drama to deliver a genuine war movie about how a ragtag group of rebels stole the Death Star plans before they were placed in R2-D2's care in A New Hope. Recently, out of nowhere, Rogue One just became a trending topic on Twitter if only for fans to remind each other of its excellence:
Does there really need to be a reason to gush about a great movie? It looks like the movie dominated the social conversation when a viral tweet asked Star Wars fans to make a choice between Force Awakens, Phantom Menace, Solo: A Star Wars Story or Rogue One. And I think we’ve found a winner here considering the resounding words of admiration that were immediately thrown toward Rogue One:
Before Rogue One, Star Wars had been explicitly tied to the story of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. And while Rogue One’s story is definitely part of the puzzle piece here, there was something refreshing about diving into the Star Wars world with Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso and Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor leading an impressive ensemble. Plus, it told a standalone story with a definite ending hat really grounded the Star Wars franchise in a new way.
Not only was it incredibly fun, but it had an effecting story. With each rewatch, it only gets better. And as one Twitter user pointed out, the production design of Rogue One was absolutely breathtaking:
And the way Gareth Edwards’ film got us attached to its characters with the constraints of their limited screen time? Also, unmatched! One fan used the trending topic to share his love for Riz Ahmed’s Bodhi Rook in Rogue One:
Rogue One is truly a standout Disney era Star Wars film and will hopefully inspire more filmmakers working with Lucasfilm to tell stories from different angles that prioritize good storytelling amidst the franchise's large-scale action and special effects. If you didn’t quite give it a chance before, I'd recommend to give it another pass now. This fan says it best:
What’s exciting is Rogue One fans will be getting a prequel to the film with Andor in 2022, a series that will focus on Cassian Andor’s adventures. And there does seem to be more of a focus on standalone Star Wars movies moving forward, including Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron.
Where does Rogue One rank for you against other Star Wars movies? Vote in our poll below and check out all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows coming our way.
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