A new Star Wars tv show called Andor comes out this Wednesday. The show follows the character of Cassian Andor from the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. A few weeks ago, we went and saw Rogue One at IMAX as part of my Only The Best Movies Club. And although I've seen the movie many times before, this viewing got me thinking about how it is actually the best Star Wars movie made. The movie is set not long before the original Star Wars movie and follows a group of rebel spies whose mission is to steal the Death Star plans which are pivotal in Star Wars: A New Hope.

For Star Wars Day earlier this year, I released an article ranking every Star Wars movie. In that article, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story came fifth. If I were to write that article again, I think the order would be different and Rogue One would be slightly higher, however, Rogue One still isn't my favourite Star Wars movie. But it is the best. To explain what I mean by this, I need to explain my love for Star Wars movies.

I was talking to a fellow Star Wars fan and he said something very interesting, and perhaps controversial, which I agree with. We love the Star Wars movies but they aren't great movies. I will continue to watch the movies hundreds of times but if someone were to ask me for a movie recommendation, I probably wouldn't say Star Wars. I can't explain why I and thousands of other people around the world love the movies so much. They certainly have some incredible cinematic elements, however, overall aren't incredible movies. The originals are old which creates some issues surrounding special effects, the prequels have bad dialogue and acting, and the sequels have no continuous storyline. Rogue One, on the other hand, is an incredible movie and one I would certainly recommend.

But what makes Rogue One so good? Well, it takes everything good from all the other Star Wars movies and somehow manages to fit it all into one movie.

The original Star Wars movies were phenomenal and original pieces of cinema when they first came out in the 70s and 80s. They created loveable characters and had a story that appealed to everyone. They managed to make us feel like we are in a world hundreds of light years away. Of course, the movies are outdated by today's standards, however, one of the great aspects of Rogue One is that it embraced that original Star Wars feeling. There are some loveable characters and the movie feels like an adventure in a galaxy far, far away. Beyond that, Rogue One feels so realistic. When watching the movie, you feel like a part of the Star Wars world which is what was felt in the original Star Wars movies. This attention to detail was lost quite a bit in the prequel and sequel trilogies but was done to perfection in Rogue One.

Something that I feel like the prequel movies do well is how they tie into each other, the original Star Wars movies and prequel-related media like The Clone Wars tv show. Rogue One goes beyond the prequels' correlation to other Star Wars media. I don't want to spoil the movie but it finishes literally minutes before A New Hope setting up the storyline perfectly. The movie also features characters from the original and prequel movies as well as referencing and featuring things from the tv shows Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars which would only be noticed by die-hard fans. Other Star Wars movies often do this as well but often at the cost of skews within the Star Wars continuity.

Due to the sequels being newer movies, they obviously have much better special effects than any of the previous movies. They also have much more modern humour. Rogue One reflects this and has some of the best effects in all of the movies.

Rogue One is not only the best overall Star Wars movie, but it also has some of my favourite Star Wars scenes. The whole movie is fantastic, but the last hour of the movie (from around the hour twenty mark) is in my opinion the best Star Wars we have ever seen finishing with a classic satisfying ending. It is also a great movie without any of the other Star Wars movies. It does tie in significantly with the other movie as has been discussed, however, it is a standalone movie and an outstanding film whether you're a Star Wars fan or not.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is quite clearly the best Star Wars movie until another one comes and takes its place. Obviously, Rogue One wouldn't be what it is without the Star Wars movies that came before it. Return of the Jedi is currently my personal favourite Star Wars movie, but Rogue One is a better all-rounded movie. If you only wanted to watch one Star Wars movie, I'd certainly be suggesting Rogue One; it is the best of Star Wars.

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (M)

Director: Gareth Edwards

Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn

Year released: 2016

My rating: 10/10

Compared with...

Every other STAR WARS movie

Directors: George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand, J.J. Abrams, Ron Howard, Rian Johnson

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac

Years released: 1977-2019

My ratings: 6-9/10

Review by Tristan Carr

Last edited: 17/09/2022