Rogue One: A Wary Fan’s View

By CLARE CONNER | Junior Reporter

Going into the theater, I had a somewhat negative opinion about Disney making another prequel.

To be worthwhile, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” must be necessary to the Star Wars timeline. Now I can guarantee that it is.

“Rogue One” can be described as “Star Wars 3.9” because it leads right into “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (the original Star Wars film).

So why is “Rogue One” crucial to the Star Wars timeline? The answer: It fixed the one and only flaw in the concept of “Star Wars IV”: “Why would the super evil geniuses who built the Death Star make it with that one flaw that can allow the Rebels to destroy the ship?”

I won’t give away this key plot point, but “Rogue One” not only fills in the “hyperspace” gap in between prequels and originals, but also gives the Rebels something that the Empire cannot take away.

“Rogue One” is about the Rebels getting the plans for the Death Star. (Spoiler alert, it is destroyed in Episode IV!) “Rogue One” comes a little while after Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, and right before Princess Leia requested help from Obi-Wan Kenobe and friends.

Fighting for hope and a cause to fight for, the characters in “Rogue One” face the overwhelming power of the evil Empire with tremendous courage and resourceful thinking.

This movie was incredibly well made and kept me hanging off the edge of my seat, leaning forward and thinking about what the characters should do, as if this helps them do it. I strongly encourage you to see “Rogue One” yourselves.  If you love Star Wars and the lessons that the series teaches, you just have to see “Rogue One.”

Star Wars has been around so long and has completely changed the world. “Rogue One” is a perfect model of its success, filled with the action, mystery and courage of all of the other movies. The Force is still with us, and I have a feeling that it will be for quite a while. What powers the lightsaber? It’s a crystal. What powers a Star Wars ship? Most of them are powered by hyper-matter fuel. What powers the characters in “Rogue One?” The fact that, in the end, they might actually have A New Hope.