Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was the primary spinoff anthology movie Lucasfilm produced below the possession of Disney. It informed the story of how the Rebels acquired their palms on the Loss of life Star plans, alluded to throughout the opening crawl of A New Hope. The movie, I feel, has been getting older fairly properly, however it wasn’t and not using a few tough spots. However now that Andor has come to a conclusion, I can say that Rogue One undoubtedly feels extra earned and refined because of the story informed in that present.
One of many greater points towards Rogue One previous to Andor was its first act, in that it was very rushed and a bit clunky. We rushed from location to location and have been tossed into the center of occasions with out a lot context past one thing essential is going on now. I’d say the largest change Andor makes in favour of Rogue One is that it makes the opening a lot extra fluid and pure, particularly the Ring of Kafrene scene close to the start of the movie.
In Rogue One, Cassian Andor meets up with certainly one of his contacts in Noticed Gerrera’s partisan group and is knowledgeable in regards to the Empire’s plans for the Loss of life Star. How his contact happened this info and what it means to the Empire is finally irrelevant, a minimum of within the eyes of the filmmakers. We, the viewers, know that the Loss of life Star equals hassle, and we simply roll with it. Because of the ultimate arc of Andor although, we will watch this scene with a brand new appreciation.
In Andor‘s remaining arc, Luthen learns of the Loss of life Star from Lonni, his ISB mole, however the Rebels doubt the validity of each Luthen as an asset at this level within the timeline, in addition to his supply. However characters like Cassian and Mon Mothma know that if there’s even an opportunity to verify this info, which incorporates the key phrases “Jedha, Kyber, Erso”, that Luthen’s remaining contribution to the Insurrection (and the galaxy) will probably be validated. Within the authentic perspective of this scene, we by no means actually know or care why Cassian places emphasis on the identify Galen when asking his contact in regards to the identify of the scientist offering this info, however the urgency of confirming Galen Erso is one thing that feels much more crucial and determined now, as if he’s on the cusp of an ideal revelation. Likewise, him studying that the Imperial tremendous weapon that Luthen introduced forth is in reality, a planet killer, solely heightens that sense of doom and urgency. The whole lot feels extra essential and excessive stakes due to the narrative stakes cooked into the narrative because of Andor. It makes Cassian’s homicide of Tivik that rather more drastic and tragic, as Cassian is aware of he has to get out of there with the affirmation and is aware of that the informant would solely gradual him down. It’s chilly and callous, however we all know the form of insurgent Andor is now.
That is undoubtedly the scene that feels essentially the most remedied because of Andor, however there are narrative and mathematical beats that now hit tougher. Chief amongst them is when Cassian tells Jyn about all of the horrible issues he and the opposite rebels have finished within the identify of this rise up. Earlier than, we didn’t have context, and we needed to take issues at face worth, however now we have a larger understanding of what these phrases imply now, each on a private degree for Cassian in addition to the rise up as a complete. The heroes of this story have finished some horrible and shady issues within the identify of preventing the Empire, and we all know how soiled loads of their palms aren’t any,w because of Andor’s narrative. I feel that scene actually hits within the context of Mon Montha’s arc, who was sheltered from the struggle till her escape from Corsucant, and he or she witnessed Cassian homicide her driver proper in entrance of her, bringing the horrors of the struggle she’s funding into her life.
There’s just a few issues in Rogue One that you just both have to just accept exist as a result of it got here first, or as a result of there’s some character beats that will simply require interpretation, versus taking it at face worth. That features Cassian admitting he’s by no means been in a cage whereas captured in Jedha at Noticed’s hideout. We all know this to be false as a consequence of season one’s glorious jail arc, so we will take this as maybe Cassian simply touchdown, or the writers didn’t need to be certain by earlier works. I select the previous. Cassian additionally naturally by no means references or hints at his relationship with Bix, which isn’t actually a giant problem for Rogue One, however the ending of Andor actually makes Cassian’s final destiny that rather more tragic. I favored how she acquired to look at the dawn whereas Andor ends his arc on a metaphorical sundown.
Rogue One additionally isn’t with out its faults; its opening twenty minutes or so fly by at lightspeed, with us going from Kafrene to Jyn’s rescue specifically feeling rushed and uneven, and it’s a movie that’s finally gentle on characterization, which, relying in your tolerance and expectations, may very well be a fault or a non-issue. However it’s a gorgeously shot movie (cinematography from Dune’s Greig Fraser) with some nice motion scenes and a few real stakes. The ultimate act is wildly entertaining, with arguably the very best area canine combat within the franchise thus far, and the film simply feels ballsy and never protected when see that all the heroes within the movie find yourself dying as a way to get the Loss of life Star plans to the Rebels. Once I first noticed it, I totally anticipated a minimum of certainly one of them to make it out, however nope. This, together with the extra war-story method to the movie, the place assassinations and transmission interceptions are a part of insurgent life, helps floor Rogue One right into a extra mature movie. When coupled with two seasons of Andor, which do the heavy lifting for the characterization of each the present’s lead and the world he lives in, Rogue One finally ends up feeling extra full and realized in consequence. Because of time, the context of the state of the franchise generally, and Andor’s backstory, Rogue One is a movie that will not be excellent, however is getting older like fantastic wine and appears like an earned finale for the Andor present.
