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After nearly 40 years, the "Star Wars" franchise is taking its first step into a larger world with "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
More than any of the seven previous movies set in George Lucas' galaxy far, far away, "Rogue One" takes seriously the "war" part of "Star Wars" — as it sets aside the familial struggles of the Skywalker clan to explore a bigger story of oppression and the plucky rebels who fight against it.
It is, to quote the opening crawl of "The Empire Strikes Back," a dark time for the Rebellion. (By the way, "Rogue One" skips the traditional opening crawl and the John Williams fanfare. Get over it.) It's just before the events of the original "Star Wars" — oh, fine, "A New Hope" — and rumors are spreading of a fearsome new Imperial weapon: a planet killer called the Death Star.
A Rebel operative, the dashing Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), is assigned to find Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), an Imperial scientist and one of the Death Star's designers. In a prologue, we learn that Galen left the Empire but was dragged back in by Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), the ambitious, white-caped director of the Death Star's construction. When Krennic took Galen away, his young daughter Jyn was left to fend for herself.
The Rebels bust the adult Jyn (Felicity Jones) out of Imperial custody in hopes she can persuade Saw Gerrara (Forest Whitaker), a Rebellion extremist who was once Galen's friend and Jyn's mentor, to provide a clue to Galen's whereabouts. Jyn is told the mission is to free Galen, though Cassian has other orders: to kill Galen before he can help the Empire any further.
As the story progresses, Jyn and Cassian gather a team of compatriots: Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), a blind martial-arts master who believes in The Force; Chirrut's loyal muscle, Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen); Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), an Imperial defector; and a reprogrammed Imperial 'droid, K-2SO (voiced and performed by Alan Tudyk), who is Cassian's co-pilot.
The script, by Chris Weitz ("About a Boy") and Tony Gilroy ("The Bourne Legacy"), respects the "Star Wars" universe, melding new characters with the familiar in just the right mix. Only once did a reference to old favorites feel forced, but it's quick and forgivable.
Where director Gareth Edwards ("Godzilla") breaks from tradition most forcefully is by setting a tone that's less Saturday-morning serial — Lucas' preferred storytelling mode — and more wartime action movie, the kind where John Wayne or Ronald Reagan would give a rousing rally-the-troops speech about freedom from tyranny.
In locations ranging from Iceland to Jordan to the Maldives, Edwards stages impressively sweeping battle sequences that remind us, as no other "Star Wars" movie has done so forcefully, how billions of lives hang in the balance of this conflict. And if it's not clear to you, Jones' Jyn is given one inspirational speech that drives the point home (and will likely fuel the anger of folks who see political enemies in their breakfast cereal).
In telling this compelling story, building on the audience's shared love of "Star Wars," Edwards uses all the high-tech tools at his disposal and shows off some new ones. There is one instance of character animation — I won't say what — that is an absolute game-changer in the visual-effects world.
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" upends Lucas' familiar saga by zeroing in on the compelling lives outside the orbit of the Skywalkers. There's one word that accurately conveys what this movie does to the "Star Wars" universe: rebellion.
Twitter: @moviecricket —
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'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'
Rebels try to steal the Death Star plans in a rousing action drama that shakes up the "Star Wars" franchise.
Where • Theaters everywhere.
When • Opens Thursday night, Dec. 15.
Rating • PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action.
Running time • 133 minutes.