As evidenced by last year’s release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the galaxy, “far, far away,” reigns supreme over pop culture once again. But the next release in the Star Wars universe proves to be a rather different, and somewhat challenging, sell for audiences: a spin-off set between episodes three and four of the intergalactic saga. Without the Skywalker family or lightsabers (mostly) as the main focus, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a view of the inner workings of both sides of the all-out war between the Rebellion and the Empire. Rogue One could have easily been just a “cash grab” simply by inserting the words “Star Wars” to its title, but luckily, for the most part, it isn’t. Despite some issues, Rogue One is a fine expedition filled with new characters on both sides of the conflict that feel somewhat meaningful to the Star Wars universe.
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