“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, and Ben Mendelssohn revolves around Felicity Jones’s character Jen Ersyo as she and a courageous band of rebels attempt to steal the plans for the Galactic Empire’s new superweapon, the Death Star. The film combines humor, heart, and terrific special effects to bring audiences an awesome new edition to the Star Wars universe.

     The characters in “Rogue One” are very likable. Felicity Jones, who plays Jen, does a great job bringing yet another strong female character into the Star Wars universe. By far the funniest character in the film is the droid K-2SO. He’s witty, sarcastic, and incredibly honest. His character has many similarities to C-3PO. However, most characters in “Rogue One” lack depth. None of the characters, with the exception of Jen, are given a sufficient back story making it harder to root for them. Along with the new characters, the film also brings back old ones. Darth Vader makes two appearances in the film, which is hardly enough. There are a number of other cameo appearances, but none of them are nearly as significant as Darth Vader’s.

The special effects in Rogue One are amazing. The film employs physical sets and practical effects to bring the surrounding environment to life. The film’s CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) is also well done. Of note is the recreation of Grand Moff Tarkin. This is the first time that a character whose actor is deceased has been fully recreated for use in a movie. The film also makes use of antique footage to recreate a scene in the space battle. It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Star Wars franchise continues to set the standard in terms of special effects.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is an excellent addition to the Star Wars universe. Although lacking in character development, the film makes up for it with humor and great special effects. “Rouge One” undoubtedly has Star Wars fans looking forward to the future of the franchise.