Star Wars Rogue One Review- minor spoilers.

I went to Star Wars Rogue One last night. And I need to nerd out about it.

Going in I was a little afraid of what I would get. I still feel violated by the prequels and this is another kind of prequel. I’m still dreading that Disney will incorporate musical numbers into the films. But gladly that has yet to happen.

I am also quite done with death stars. Yeah they are cool and all but there has been enough for one universe. At least going in to this film I knew it was a central plot element for a Death Star that already existed in the Universe. And I didn’t have a “bigger badder” death star surprise. So I wasn’t really bothered by it.

Having said that; I loved the movie. Unlike the prequels the film was character driven. While it is rife with political themes they fit in more as undertones to drive the narrative. The lines between “good guy” and “bad guy” are blurred. Some good guy rebels do some nasty things, while some bad guy imperials do good things. It comes across as a maturing of the Star Wars universe. War and heroics aren’t simplistic; they are depicted more realistically dirty and complex. These concepts are delved into quite deeply but in a way that doesn’t take away from the flow of the story.

There is something that sets this prequel apart from Episodes I, II, an III. While a few characters (like Vader, Tarkin, and Mon Mothma) have obvious plot armour protecting them from harm, they aren’t central figures in the story. They merely act as supporting characters that move the plot towards pivotal moments. The central figures in Rogue One are characters you have not heard of. This places them at risk, making action moments more interesting.

What I like most are the little moments in the film. Such as the humourous one liner by Chirrut Îmwe in an abduction scene. Or when Bhodi Rook flinches at Saw Gerrera’s respirator noise. You know this is an imperial that has reason to fear that sound. It’s such a minor thing that really defined the character and his motivations. At least in my mind.

While overall I liked the visuals, from massive planet shaking explosions to walker assaults to ship battles, there is one thing that bothered me: Tarkin. The CGI is just that wrong amount off of what a human should look like. He made my brain squirm every time he showed up on screen. Which I hate because this villain is perfect in every other way: duplicitous, devious, cold, methodical, and driven. Every line had a purpose and dripped with conceited malice. A man who has been dead for over 20 years could still steal every scene he was in.

Finally this film does an amazing job at expanding the universe. New characters, new interactions, space feels big again in Star Wars. While there is the Erso family in this film they have no relation to the Skywalkers. There is no “I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate” moment. Nobody married a Skywalker, nor was built by one, nor was a secret sibling. It truly was a universe building film.

And guess what: Vader is a badass again!

Until next time… I’m going to be humming the imperial march often.