Anchors (Out of Four): 
Call me a fanboy, call me biased, call me whatever you want. I don’t care. “Rogue One” is an instant classic, an incredible return to form for those who felt “The Force Awakens” (Episode VII) lacked some of the trademark sequences and scenes that defined the original trilogy. It’s a thrilling, memorable and thoroughly exciting experience from beginning to end, for Jedi Masters and Padawan learners alike.

A lot of people went into this movie worried, especially when the first trailer came out, that this would be a spin-off film devoid of the character and aesthetic that defined the now four-decade-long franchise that has become an indispensable part of our culture. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is an original story that fits (nearly) seamlessly into the existing canon. We have a lot to talk about, so let’s get started.

Here’s a spoiler free summary: Situated almost directly before 1977’s “A New Hope” (Episode IV), Gareth Edwards’ (“Monsters,” “Godzilla,”) “Rogue One” follows members of the Rebel Alliance, led by the reluctant Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) on a mission to steal the plans for the Galactic Empire’s rumored superweapon, called the Death Star. Normal Star Wars mayhem ensues. It’s a good (but not fantastic) plot, and Edwards ought to be commended for making it stand out while crafting a finished product that works with the other movies, both in terms of content and style.

Before we go further, let’s set something straight. The Star Wars movies are not beyond reproach. Okay, sure, “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back” (Episode V) might be, but I definitely don’t like Jar Jar Binks, and I know that you ought to hate sand because “it’s coarse and it gets everywhere”. The films all have their characteristic flaws that have been pored over ad nauseum by perhaps the most devoted fan base in cinematic history. Similarly, “Rogue One” is not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s more than solid.

I suppose we can’t really start without a quick comparison to last year’s Episode VII, the landmark continuation of the main arc of the series. “The Force Awakens” had a lot to live up to: incredible expectations after over a decade without a Star Wars movie, director J.J. Abrams’ need to make it “feel” like Star Wars while still heavily expanding the universe and the indomitable shadow of creator George Lucas looming large over the first film in the series not to feature him behind the scenes. The product was a great movie that exquisitely captured the character dynamics and general motifs of the earlier movies while adding a fresh twist. Nevertheless, Episode VII needed to please everyone. It’s seizure of massive plot elements and structure from Episode IV highlights this fact.

On the other hand, this year’s Star Wars took a bunch of risks and had relatively low expectations amid talk of extensive reshoots and studio concerns, but it might just be that sense of unexpectedness that allowed Edwards to make some magic with this movie. The best thing I can compare it to is when I first saw “Iron Man” in 2008. Sure, I had seen superhero movies before, but this was something I had no idea about and that took me by surprise with its now infamous success. “Rogue One,” in many ways, does the same.

That’s not to say that this installment doesn’t have more than its fair share of fan service (I shed actual tears of joy during a particular cameo during the climax of the third act). It also perfectly matches the vibe of earlier films, but ironically its strongest aspects are the ones that its 2015 predecessor were weakest on. I’ll put it to you this way: If your favorite scenes from the original trilogy were the Battle of Hoth and the attack on the Death Star, and you’re really into the Force, then “Rogue One” will probably be your favorite film since “Empire.” If you prefer lightsabers, Jedi, and the camaraderie of characters like Rey, Finn, Han, and Luke, you’ll still think it’s good, but probably rank it somewhere between the “Return of the Jedi,” (Episode VI) and “Revenge of the Sith” (Episode III).

It thus goes without saying that “Rogue One” is not necessarily a character driven film. A quick aside, some of the performances really were great, particularly Alan Tudyk (“Firefly,” “Dodgeball”) as the snarky droid K-2SO and Donnie Yen (“Ip Man”) as Force-sensitive monk Chirrut Imwe. And sure, our ragtag group of rebels is fun and memorable, but if we’re being honest I still forgot half of their names when I walked out of the theater. Is that a bad thing? I guess it technically is, but although Jones’ Erso is certainly the protagonist, it seems that the film should instead be considered as a movie about the rebels in general. In this sense, our group works well enough together as representatives of a political and military faction fighting for what they believe is right.  In other words, these are soldiers fighting for a cause before they’re individuals, and just as I don’t remember all the names of the characters in “Saving Private Ryan,” a degree of anonymity here isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Indeed, in many ways this movie was the most brutal of all the Star Wars films to date. It depicts a Rebel Alliance struggling to survive in the wake of Imperial victories, as well as a series of war torn and occupied planets that are the first to truly emphasize the stakes in the battle for the galaxy. From Stormtroopers, to the Empire’s general fascism, to the massive aerial and naval battles (in space of course), George Lucas clearly took cues from World War II in both reality and film when constructing his original works.

In “Rogue One,” the Death Star’s looming mass and destructive potential lent eerie elements of Hiroshima to the film, and the Rebels’ battles against the Empire throughout the film show good guys that are thoroughly outmatched and outclassed, a far cry from what we see even in the opening scenes of “Empire.” Indeed, in some of the final scenes of the movie, the sci-fi movie I was most reminded of was “Alien,” and one sequence left a chill in my spine.  It’s a new path for Star Wars and a welcome one for a spin-off that can afford to deviate from the norm.

Some quick hits of things I didn’t like (minor spoilers in this paragraph.) First, they don’t have an opening crawl (scandalous and infuriating, but something I got over by the end of the first scene.) John Williams doesn’t return as composer for the first time in Rogue One, but is replaced by the competent if repetitive Michael Giacchino (“Star Trek,” “Doctor Strange”). Edwards resurrects some older characters in the form of some CGI that looked more like a good XBox One game than a movie – a good try, but the technology just isn’t there yet to make people look real with computer animation.

That being said, these are cosmetic flaws in a movie with a good plot and characters, beautiful visuals and sequences, and enough uniqueness to make it overall a great movie. Does it get a “Star Wars” bump? That’s a question I’ll have to ask myself as I sit up at night writing my next review. Does it matter? Not to me. Everything is relative, and among space operas, I’m happy to say that this is the one that will fill my dreams for at least the next few months.