Behold the Final Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer
Happy Thursday, gang. Disney has released the final trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Rather than tell you what you likely already know (that the film stars Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, the leader of a band of rebels out to steal the plans to the Death Star, which lead directly to the events in the very first Star Wars), we’ll go ahead and let you enjoy the trailer first, then we’ll discuss.
So whatever concerns you might have had about re-shoots and the like, after this final trailer all that is likely to remain in the galaxy is excitement. Director Gareth Edwards looks to have made a non-saga Star Wars film for the ages. Let's dive a bit deeper.
From the very opening shots of Death Troopers trailing Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), we're plunged into a very Star Wars world created by Edwards that manages to look of a piece but feel like a much grittier, more dangerous corner of the galaxy than we've seen before. The first big reveal of this final trailer is we finally get to see Mads Mikkelsen's character, Galen Erso (Jyn's father), who is trying protect his daughter any way he can. But how? This brief moment between father and daughter is your emotional hook; Galen seems like a good guy, and whatever happens to him would be a credible reason for Jyn to become a rebel and do whatever it takes to seek revenge against the Empire.
Then we see what is likely the last moment Jyn ever lays eyes on her father—he's face-to-face with Director Krennic and his Death Troopers in a field. And there, folks, you might think, ah ha! The inciting incident! Jyn Erso's father is murdered by Krennic, and Jyn devotes her life to fighting against the Empire ever after. This would make sense, only Rogue One complicates matters. Galen Erso is vital to the creation of the Death Star, and the events of Rogue One seem to be about more than just the heist mission to the steal the Death Star, but for Jyn to find her father—a father who might have been instrumental in building a weapon that would effectively destroy the rebel cause. Is this what he meant by doing whatever it takes to protect her, become a stooge for the bad guys?
As we've been writing since the beginning, Rogue One feels more like a war movie than any Star Wars saga film we've seen, including the prequels which staged huge battles in open fields, no less. The final trailer has us convinced that, come December 16, Rogue One will prove that the non-saga Star Wars universe will be rich territory indeed.
Who says you need a Skywalker to make it a Star Wars film? And besides, Rogue One has Vader, anyway.
