There was plenty of cause for concern amongst fans when this one-off was announced. Although the first installment in the third trilogy, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) had managed to please most fans and critics alike after Walt Disney Studios had bought the franchise from George Lucas. There was apprehension that Disney was trying to recoup its investment too quickly — this prequel is set between the first and second trilogy, and explores how the rebels acquired the plans for the Death Star from the Empire and comes merely a year after The Force Awakens.

There were other reasons to doubt Rogue One as well, of course. For one, after the mediocre second trilogy, the franchise had developed a poor record for prequels. With Rogue One looking to set its own tone, one wondered if, like the second trilogy, it would lack the spirit of SW. Then there were the reshoots, rumoured to have revamped a significant chunk of the film, which is usually when you say “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Rogue One is the Star Wars film you don’t think you need in your life until you see it

Thankfully, Rogue One is thoroughly entertaining and captures the essence of SW while trudging both its own path and tone. Unlike The Force Awakens, which was arguably a superior SW film in terms of whimsy, Rogue One finds the right balance between fan service and the original vision.

There are some issues with the film. The first half, while building a strong narrative and characterisation for its characters, including the rebellious lead Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Rebel Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the blind Force-sensitive guardian Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), fighter Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) and others, has a tendency to feel slightly choppy. There are also issues with certain characters. For example, Saw Gerrera, a Clone Wars fighter who left the Rebels and raised Jyn after her scientist father was forcefully recruited by the Empire to work on the Death Star, isn’t entirely convincing because of an uncharacteristically off-key performance by Forest Whitaker. There are also techniques used to bring old, beloved characters to life that feel creepy to say the least.

What I did find compelling about the opening narrative is how the Rebels aren’t portrayed as completely good either, prone to taking morally questionable decisions for the sake of their cause. It is a pity that this theme isn’t explored further. But I suspect that it would have been too much for a SW film.

The second half of the film, on the other hand, is spectacular and goes from strength to strength. After Jyn and the rest of the Rebels attack Scarif to retrieve plans for the Death Star, an exciting battle ensues that leaves every SW dog-fighting scene in its dust including, yes, The Force Awakens. The special effects are gritty, and the realism only adds to the pulsating action. Rogue One eventually ends exactly where the original trilogy began in sequences that will give goose bumps to every fan of the original trilogy.

Rated PG-13 for sci-fiviolence and action

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine January 1st, 2017