The first question you must ask is where does “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” fit in the larger “Star Wars” universe. Since it takes place between Return of the Jedi and Empire Strikes Back, it’s a prequel and a set-up film for the original trilogy. But what about a kid-friendly movie? What about a young Han Solo? All these questions and more are important to ask when evaluating the movie.
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Episode I — The Phantom Menace is a kid-friendly movie
While the film is rated PG, there are still some scenes that may disturb kids of this age. For example, Han Solo stuffs Luke into a tauntaun. In addition, Princess Leia is chained to a chair and wearing an extremely revealing outfit. Other scenes may make parents uncomfortable, but most kids under 10 won’t have any problem watching this movie.
Rogue One is a set-up film for the original trilogy
In terms of plot, Rogue One is a solid movie in its own right, but it is not the perfect Star Wars movie. Its political vision has always been incoherent, and the films of the original trilogy suffered from this too. George Lucas took Star Wars way too seriously, and the original film was a mere episode in a bigger saga. The opening title crawl waved away any potential audience questions and made any loose ends feel thrilling.
It takes place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi
The sequel trilogy of Star Wars begins with Episode III, which closes the first big-screen movie, The Empire Strikes Back. Set some 19 years later, this film introduces characters and lays down the status quo for what’s to come. It takes place between the events of 1977’s A New Hope, which is also known as Episode IV. The sequel trilogy covers approximately a year, making R2 66 or 67 years old by the end of Episode III.
It has a young Han Solo
A recent Variety report claimed that Disney and LucasFilm are in the process of casting a young Han Solo in their upcoming Han Solo film. According to Variety, the production is scheduled to begin in January, and Disney has set a release date of May 25, 2018. Additionally, the Variety report also indicated that a young Han Solo will appear in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Whether or not this is true is still unclear, but it does appear to be a positive sign for fans of the franchise.
It has a Death Star
The movie has many problems, not the least of which is that the Death Star is overused, underselling its villains’ potential. The superlaser was originally located in the upper hemisphere, along the equatorial trench, and it was relocated to the northern hemisphere by accident. Film crews forgot to notify Imhoff and Cuba of the shift. It is not a surprise that the Death Star is vulnerable to proton torpedoes.
It has a comic book miniseries
Rogue One has a new comic book miniseries in the works! Previously, it was only the animated movie that had a comic book miniseries, but now Marvel is bringing it to print as well. The first issue will be out in October. Marvel will also be releasing a novel in the coming year, as well as two more comic books in the fall.
It has an animated series
Animated shows are a great way to introduce younger audiences to Star Wars. Disney has released two animated series based on the franchise: Rogue One and Rebels. These shows are aimed at kids but have a few differences from the original movies. Rebels features an original story and characters, while Rogue One follows a different storyline. Both series are free to watch on Disney+.
