Rogue One: The Beginning of Everything

Caveat: I am not obsessed with Star Wars. I barely remember the original trilogy and apart from recognizing the central characters like Luke, Leia, and Han, I would be hard-pressed to tell you much more about the mythology and lore surrounding this franchise. I loved The Force Awakens last year, precisely because it did not treat me like an idiot for not knowing the backstory and let me enjoy it on its own terms, with a fantastic leading lady to boot. And for similar reasons, I can say that this year, I quite enjoyed Rogue One.

Rogue One is the story of how the Death Star's design plans were obtained by the Rebel Alliance and used to kickstart the events of the original Star Wars trilogy. As you can imagine, that means this movie is far more esoteric than The Force Awakens, and involves miles of backstory that would be a Star Wars fanatic's delight. The first half of the film is about how that fatal design flaw in the Death Star came to be, and introduces Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the troubled heroine who is going to eventually help the Rebels get the plans and save the galaxy. Therefore, I did not understand much of what was happening, stuffed as it was with allusions to events and characters from the original trilogy. Apparently they even used CGI to resurrect the late actor Peter Cushing so he could reprise his role as Grand Moff Tarkin from the first Star Wars movie, a fact that was completely lost on me until I read all the hullabaloo about it online.

Despite that, the movie won me over with its second half and also with the presence of Alan Tudyk as the hilarious droid K-2SO. Ever since Douglas Adams introduced Marvin the Paranoid Android in the Hitchhiker's Guide, having a droid as comic relief has always been the most reliable way to keep me engaged in science fiction. Felicity Jones is also one of my favorite young British actors, and watching her zip around the galaxy with Diego Luna and Riz Ahmed as fellow Rebels was never going to get dull. The action sequences are dramatic and cinematic, and overall, this movie delivers plenty of entertainment even if you have no clue what's going on half the time.

This franchise isn't going anywhere and you can either get on board or get out. Given the sheer number of Star Wars fans I count amongst my friends, I don't have the option to get out, so I'm just grateful that the new crop of movies are proving to accommodating to both fans and novices. As a standalone film, Rogue One is decidedly more dedicated to fan service, but it still delivers remarkable visuals and action, and ensures we can add another brilliant heroine to the previously male-dominated Star Wars canon. I can't say I loved every second of this film, but I certainly enjoyed watching it.