Rogue One is so good that even though it’s 10:43pm and I have a review to write, I decided to start watching Episode IV. After watching Jyn Erso’s adventures in a galaxy far, far away, I couldn’t help but see the aftermath of Rogue One’s action.
I thought Rogue One was tremendous. Gareth Edwards definitely wrote a love letter to Star Wars fans in the form of a surprisingly moving war movie. The Star Wars fan in me squealed with glee multiple times and laughed out loud at nods to the earlier movies. The human in me was moved as I connected to characters and invested in their stories
Here are some thoughts I had while watching Rogue One. I’ll do my best to keep things spoiler-free.
Relationships
Rogue One was so moving because of its relationships. Gareth Edwards did an amazing job of creating brand new characters in the Star Wars universe and getting me to care about them quickly. I was especially taken in by Jyn’s relationship with her father and Chirrut Îmwe’s friendship with Baze Malbus. I knew that I would be entertained by Rogue One; I love Star Wars and enjoy most movies that I see. However, I was shocked by how emotionally invested I was in Rogue One. Relationships are a vital part of our lives; it makes sense that we would connect better with movies that feature compelling relationships.
Hope
“Rebellions are built on hope.”
One of my favorite parts about Rogue One was seeing the oppression of the Empire. The Empire doesn’t care who it hurts in order to achieve its goals and readily fires its brand new super weapon at unsuspecting targets. The despair of the Empire made the hope of the Rebellion that much more impactful. Darth Vader is awesome, but when he wasn’t on the screen I was rooting for the Rebellion. The Rebels brought hope to a galaxy trapped beneath the heel of the Empire. In the same way at Christmas we get to celebrate the hope of Jesus, who brought us hope when we were trapped beneath the heel of sin and darkness.
Legacy
Earlier this week I wrote a post all about the importance of remembering. Rogue One is a practice in remembering. The movie featured so many subtle callbacks to the original trilogy, especially Episode IV. Someone who isn’t a huge Star Wars fan may miss out on some of the winks and nudges, but I caught most of them and each one made me smile. Rogue One felt like a Star Wars movie, but also something entirely different.
I loved Rogue One and I can’t wait to see it again. I don’t know if non-Star Wars fans will like it as much but, as someone who grew up on the original trilogy, it was almost perfect.
What did you think about Rogue One?
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