Star Wars: Rogue One - 10 Niggling Concerns No Fan Wants To Admit

The trouble with prequels is that we already know how they’re going to end, because the ending is a forgone conclusion. George Lucas’ prequel trilogy – despite its many flaws – was stifled by its inevitability, upsetting any sense of tension or narrative intrigue. We knew the ending; it’s set in stone before the opening crawl has even started, hampering the dramatic tension.

In the end, the plans are successfully heisted, and the consequences of said heist result in the destruction of the Death Star. This isn’t a spoiler – I mean, I found this out at age six – it’s always been the ending, and it’s unlikely to change. The ending is certain, so investing in the movie may prove challenging, the prequel trilogy seeming as though an extended formality predicating a predetermined conclusion.

Somehow, Rogue One needs to tell its own, original story simultaneously, introducing its own stakes independent from pre-existing mythology. Otherwise, it’ll seem remarkably stale by comparison.