Rogue One Is Out and So Is My Inner Child

I think my father’s generation could more or less accurately be described as “the Star Wars generation.” He was thirteen when A New Hope hit theaters, the perfect age to feel intense, passionate excitement about a fantasy world — old enough to know a good thing when he saw it, young enough to be free of the self-conscious contempt of adolescence.

In 1977, the now-cheesy special effects of the first trilogy were cutting-edge, Harrison Ford’s chest hair was roguish rather than outré, and “We’ve got company!” was considered an acceptable line of dialogue in an action movie. It was a simpler time.

Maybe I’m guilty of the aforementioned adolescent contempt — much as I love to pick apart the flaws of the franchise (I have rewatched the prequels solely to laugh at Jar Jar Binks and Hayden Christensen’s terrible acting), Star Wars has a peculiar and unrivaled hold on my heart. Some of my favorite childhood memories come from watching the original trilogy with my father and brothers. Maybe it was Carrie Fisher’s acerbic delivery or the pull of the Hero’s Journey narrative (it certainly wasn’t George Lucas’s dialogue), but my love for Star Wars hasn’t diminished over the years.

In no particular order, here’s what I’m looking forward to from Rogue One:

The Star Wars franchise has always made use of the most stunning, otherworldly landscapes on Earth to conjure up the feeling of being on another planet, and Rogue One promises to be no exception.

I spy metaphors about imperialism! Star Wars was always a story about revolution, so cheers to political parallels being examined more fully.

Felicity Jones looks like she combines the best qualities of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. Clearly she’s got the roguish smirk down pat.

Things will explode! Okay, not very cerebral, but you have to admit it’s an integral (and fun) part of the films.

Bravery! Heroism! Derring-do! Pilots aiming for an impossibly small target but succeeding despite the odds!

Humans have been writing about battles for survival against a much larger foe for millennia. There’s just something elemental about it.

How can these tiny little planes destroy a giant battle station thingy? BUT THEY WILL because it’s Star Wars.

Felicity Jones is #goals

Feeling the Star Wars nostalgia? Tell us about it! Let’s all geek out!