As the first anthology story that's part of an already established universe and history, was this installment worthy of the "Star Wars" name? The answer is a resounding yes yes and yes! There is a lot of positive things that Director Gareth Edwards, with writers Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, added to the mythology of the Star Wars saga. For some people, they would say that they actually improved on it, by making some necessary additions to some lingering questions about certain plot devices introduced in past installments.
The movie is filled with a smorgasbord of interesting ideas, wonderful new locations, fantastic visuals, memorable scenes, and plot set-pieces, that will only feed into the strong fanbase that Star Wars already has. The premise of the story is also pretty strong, filled with adventure, intrigue, and tragedy. There are also a good amount of fun easter eggs in the movie that pays tribute to the other installments that fans will get a kick out of.
My only real selfish complaint with the story is that I wished it showed us more. Even though there are already a lot of exposition explaining the plot, there is at the same time also a lack of exposition in some regards that would have made the story even tighter. At times the plot is moving too fast, and then at times it's moving too slow. There are also several plot conveniences that we all just need to suspend our disbelief for too. I should also point out that even though this is technically a prequel story, it has this assumption that you've already seen the other movies as well.
Out of all the new characters introduced with this movie, Jyn Erso as played by Felicity Jones is an obvious highlight that anchors the whole thing. However for many people, it's likely that Security Droid K-2S0 as played by Alan Tudyk is the character that steals every scene. I also thought that Chirrut Imwe as played by Donnie Yen, Bodhi Rook as played by Riz Ahmed, and Orson Krennic as played by Ben Mendelsohn, were all also really strong in this. Unfortunately, the other characters didn't really leave as big of a impression on me as I hoped they would, especially co-main star Cassian Andor as played by Diego Luna, or even Saw Gerrera as played by Forest Whitaker. There is also some CG character work that I thought were just absolutely cringe-worthy.
If there's one thing that the Star Wars fans will likely appreciate about Rogue One, is that it's able to really relay a strong sense of danger for the characters. While there are some light hearted moments in the movie, there isn't a lot of it. That sense of wonder to this fantastical universe is downplayed a little bit, in exchange for dread and the conflicts of war. The film just seems to cater to teenagers or adults more so than children, which I suppose is a huge plus for the older fans. Either way, if you're an older or younger fan, I know you'll be watching this anyway.
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