The long-anticipated eighth installment of the Star Wars anthology finally released on Friday, Dec. 16. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story takes place in between Revenge of the Sith (the third prequel), and the original film. This movie combined modern special effects and nostalgic references to the other movies. Because of this, Rogue One was visually appealing and emotionally grabbing.

The movie takes place during the rise of the tyrannus Galactic Empire. Following the fall of the Jedi Order, a small rebellion has been forming to overthrow this superpower. The rebels learn of a new planet-killing weapon, the Death Star, and fight to find the blueprints that will ultimately lead to its destruction. The protagonist, Jyn Erso, is the daughter of a Death Star engineer. Raised by an extremist rebel, she is courageous and spiteful of the Empire. Other characters include the power-hungry Director Orson Krennec (the man responsible for building the Death Star), Captain Cassian Andor (a brave rebel leader), and even a blind monk who is strong with The Force. Many characters from both the original trilogy and the prequels are also present in the film.

The plot of the film, while a little slow at first, was engaging in the long run. Any Star Wars fan would be instantly hooked on the story. The special effects were very good, proving again that modern technology pairs well with this franchise. However, there was one character, brought back from the dead and unnamed to prevent spoiling, who was created with CGI. This may have taken me a little out of the movie, but the acting still made him a chilling character. The locations and filming made the film very pleasing to the eye. There were also unique new planets to give the movie more of a fresh feel.

Although this film had a lot of references, it was very much its own movie. Interesting new characters, beautiful filming, and an engrossing storyline make Rogue One: A Star Wars Story an instant classic.