'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Review and Trailer

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" had its world premiere screening in Hollywood last weekend, and despite strict no-spoiler guidelines, there's still a lot to talk about.

With the huge box office success of the 2015 "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" keeps the Force alive as a spinoff/anthology set just before the original 1977 movie, "Star Wars" (now subtitled 'A New Hope').

Directed by Gareth Edwards ("Godzilla"), the newest Star Wars story is set in a time of colossal civil unrest, with a plot to steal the evil Empire's secret plans for their superweapon battle station, the Death Star.

Moviegoers meet prisoner Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) who is freed by the Rebels. Before long, she becomes the commander of this rogue mission. In the process, we learn about her father Galen (Mads Mikkelson), Rebel Alliance Intelligence officer Capt. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), cargo pilot Bodhi Rook (Ariz Ahmed), blind monk warrior Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), and assassin Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen). And let's not forget the new droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk).

"Rogue One" is not merely a prequel giving a justification to the existence of "A New Hope," but rather a story full of substance, grit, and determination. Between the peaks and valleys of the storyline, there's a balance between war and peace that doesn't require new fans to know the chronicles of the franchise in order to be blown away.

Moviegoers who are already Star Wars fans, however, won't be disappointed. They'll learn that Edwards has managed to meld the old and the new–a poignant and nostalgic homage to the first film. They'll also be quite happy to see X-Wings in aerial combats, which debuted almost 40 years ago. And in terms of lightsaber fights? Donnie Yen takes center stage to delight the audience.

The film's cinematography is a beauty to behold as it takes the audience deep into aerial maneuvers, well-choreographic fights, and emotional perspectives. The action is coupled with a solid and compelling set of characters whose struggles we could easily relate. Jones's Jyn is feisty and unwavering; Luna's Capt. Andor is captivatingly mysterious; and the rest are equally intriguing.

In all, "Rogue One" takes the franchise to a new height of excellence. Could December 2017 please come sooner so we can get the next Star Wars story? We're ready.

Watch the "Rogue One" trailer:

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