Finally, a Star Wars prequel worth of the name

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2017)

So I grew up with Star Wars. I was a kid when the original came out, and I loved it from the start. And each following movie was great in their own way, concluding with Return of the Jedi. The movies had the "magic" for lack of a better word; they had the right blend of likable characters, compelling stories, drama, and humor that make a movie great.
And then came the prequels...
The Star Wars prequels are basically proof that Lucas forgot how to tell his own story. Instead of using dazzling effects to help tell a story, he wrote a story that would showcase his effects. Flat characters, a plot line that was an uninspired confusing mess, and truly horrific direction. For many, Star Wars died with the prequels...especially after the beloved originals were edited for the umpteenth time and the theatrical releases basically impossible to get.
So when Rogue One came along, I was hesitant. The story was intriguing; always wondered how the Rebels got the plans for the Death Star. And hey, Vader was back, and Tarkin, and that was something I really wanted to see. I was a bit worried about the director; Edwards has talent and tells a visual story really well, but his "people" stories are often lacking and can be flat; just watch 2014's Godzilla, and you'll see what I mean.
But wow, was I pleasantly surprised at this movie! It has all the things that made Star Wars so great in the first place. The story is simple, yet compelling and above all LOGICAL; none of this bizarre non-sensical plot lines from the prequel trilogy. The story made sense from start to finish, and that was a huge plus.
The characters are likable, as well, though you know if you've seen the original that things can't end well for them. The blend of drama and humor is spot on, with the humor largely provided by the voice talents of Alan Tudyk as K2SO, a snarky droid.
And as any Star Wars movie has, the effects were eye-popping. And I don't just mean the space battles and such; while excellent (and this is where Edwards can really shine), they were not the most amazing thing about it. No, that goes to the extremely clever way that characters from A New Hope were fit into this film in a seamless way. First you have Tarkin. Played in the original by Peter Cushing, the idea that he would be back bothered many fans; that's a guy you just don't recast. But with advances in computer tech, and using a good actor to play the part, Tarkin was back and bigger than life. He even has a bigger role than in the original, and unless you knew Cushing was dead you'd never know it wasn't him on the screen. It's nearly flawless, how it was done. And other characters were brought back as well; Red and Gold leader from A New Hope were in the film, too, by the simple trick of using unused footage from the original to get them in the story. It really helped make the film "feel" like it was happening at the same basic time as the original.
The attention to detail was impressive as well. Vader has the same costume as his original; it's not as advanced and "shiny" as his outfits from Empire or Jedi. The storm troopers and Rebel fleet troopers have on the same outfits as in A New Hope; indeed, some actually ARE the same costumes, pulled from storage. Everything looks and feels right, and that's a huge plus for the film.
And while one iconic part of Star Wars history wasn't involved - John Williams, the man behind the music - Michael Giacchino does a great job of putting his own twist on the classic themes of Star Wars while adding new ones of his own.
All in all, this was just a great movie. In many ways, it's not even really a Star Wars movie as much as it is a story like Where Eagles Dare or The Dirty Dozen that takes place in the Star Wars universe. But it's so well crafted and blends the surrounding story elements (from the cartoon series Rebels to the movies themselves) that it fits just fine even if it's not a classic Star Wars kind of story.
If you haven't seen it, and you didn't like the prequels or even The Force Awakens, give it a try. It just might be the movie you've been waiting for. It was for me, and I couldn't be happier with it.