A "new hope" for spin-offs and a return to an old faith

Rating: 9/10 (1 January 2017)

My expectations for this film was less than enthusiastic. Being a fan of the seven films (I never explored the expanded universe or the cartoons)I thought a spin off wouldn't be worth watching in theaters: I was wrong. Having watched this film twice, I came up with two conclusions: it a new standard for spin-offs and its the most faithful to the cinematic antecedent of the original Star Wars. The film takes the vital elements from the original and prequel trilogies (mostly the plot to steal the plans of Death Star) and adds a new layer of depth to the canon--a well balanced spin-off. An ethnically diverse cast (loved the blind master and his sidekick), there is definitely a worldly atmosphere that hasn't been explored in the other films of the canon. Given how simple the plot is, the filmmakers managed to create an engaging story with solid action and characters. Although there are a couple of minor CGI that bothered me (particularly the unnecessary shot of Princess Leia in the last shot, bless you Carrie Fisher), and some dull characters these flaws are a product of the inseparable faith to the chronology of the original film. This brings me to my second conclusion: its faithfulness to the cinematic antecedent. People forget that the original concept of Star Wars was George Lucas' tribute to the old Saturday matinée serials of the 30's and 40's (á la Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers) which were episodic."Rogue One" (while being a prequel) fits the episodic tone of those Saturday matinée serials: not being to over reliant on the chronology, but having enough elements that keep the series flowing.