Rogue One: 8 Reasons To Be Excited Even If You Aren't A Star Wars Fan

2. It's Not A Star Wars Movie - It's A War Movie

Rogue One Beach Tudyk
LucasFilm

It's odd to think that a franchise called 'Star Wars' hasn't really delivered on the second half of its name yet. Sure, we've seen a number of space dogfights and small, gun-based skirmishes, but we've never really seen anything that closely resembles a full-blown war. Star Wars has stuck so rigidly to the sci-fi space-opera formula since it was created, and that's limiting its appeal.

Fortunately, Rogue One looks to be expanding in this regard, with a grittier, darker approach that stands a better chance of satisfying both franchise veterans and franchise newcomers alike. It won't just be a sci-fi adventure. It's part heist film (the plot revolves around a group stealing the plans to the Death Star) and part war movie (the hectic, ground-based combat in the trailers is evidence of that).

Because Rogue One isn't a numbered episode, it can afford to take liberties with the formula and change things up a bit. This effect directly impacts the audience too - if you don't like the quintessential, numbered Star Wars movies, then Rogue One is offering you something else - it's a war movie with Star Wars coated on top, not the other way around.

And if you need one last piece of evidence, just look at the title. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - not Star Wars: Rogue One. This isn't your traditional Star Wars film, and for people who aren't fans it could prove a big enough departure to get them on-board.

Contributor
Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for over ten years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. In 2022, he took charge of WhoCulture and has grown it into the biggest Doctor Who channel on YouTube, and one of the biggest Doctor Who communities on the web full-stop. He has been writing and video editing since his early teens, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers, off the back of a burning obsession with the Matt Smith era of the show. Like many his age, he first got into Doctor Who with the 2005 revival, but has since gone back and fallen in love with the classic years too. If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order, or to give you a random factoid about the making of Gridlock, Danny is the person to ask!