Director Gareth Edwards takes on the first spinoff to the Star Wars franchise, one in which normal people are forced to come together to fight the Empire as opposed to relying on the Jedi or the Force. The film is centered on research scientist Galen Erso’s daughter, Jyn, and a group of heroes, the Rebel Alliance, on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star from the Galactic Empire. Prior to the main plot, Galen Erso was forcibly captured to complete the design for the Death Star, a space station that has the ability to destroy entire planets.

“Rouge One” is close to the originals in action and suspense. Since it is a prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, the film fits in perfectly with the timeline. Using a mixture of both CGI and practical effects, the film displays a fluency of realistic visuals. These are key elements that Star Wars fans would expect; the original trilogy employed mostly practical effects.

Although the visuals were realistic and effective, the film lacks a plot build-up and some character development. The plot may seem interesting and exciting prior to watching the film, but the first act started off slow. However, while the pacing eventually did pick up throughout the movie, the character development did not. For instance, Saw Gerrera’s (Forrest Whitaker) role in the film was so irrelevant that it was difficult to pay attention. Despite the disappointing character development in most of the characters, the female protagonist, Jyn Erso, (Felicity Jones) was the only character that had significant growth. By the third act of the film, viewers will eventually care for these characters, although their development was not up to par.

Even though “Rouge One’s” plot and characters may not be well developed, the visual effects and action shots hold this film up. Overall, Rogue One is a satisfying to the Star Wars franchise.