When the Star Wars franchise came under fire for having too few strong female leads, they jumped in with both feet, first with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and now with “Rogue One.”
Both are solid representations of the Star Wars legacy, offering up fast-paced action while delivering funny lines and load of character. In fact, some critics felt “The Force Awakens” was a bit too similar to the original trilogy.
Rogue One doesn’t have that problem, but it might not have the cheeky appeal fans might be expecting. There’s no love story, either. The leading lady and man don’t even start out all that friendly.
Fans already know “Rogue One” is the story behind the Death Star’s fatal flaw and how the plans got into the right hands. What they might not be ready for are the rich new characters we catch a glimpse of before the credits roll.
Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is a renegade in the Empire. After being separated from her parents as a child, she fell in with extremists, so she knows her way around both ships and guns.
Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is a smart and savvy pilot and rebel fighter. Paired with a reprogrammed Empire android companion, K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk), he’s willing — and able — to do whatever it takes to bring peace to the galaxy.
The film introduces an intriguing new villain in Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) and an even stranger, more unsettling, ally Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). In addition, there are new weapons, new stormtroopers, new destinations and a whole lot of things die-hard fans might have trouble taking in all in one sitting. That said, “Rogue One” is probably the best new movie in the franchise since Return of the Jedi.
Rated PG-13 and running 133 minutes, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” will be playing at the Lyric Theater in Osceola from Jan. 20 to Feb. 2.