For decades there has been a widely practiced tradition among Star Wars fans: stay up and watch the midnight release of the latest movie, costumes on, popcorn in hand. On the Dec. 16, expect movie theaters everywhere to be filled to the brim with Siths, Skywalkers, and Solos. That’s right, Star Wars is back again with its brand new stand alone movie, “Rogue One.”

“Star Wars: Rogue One” is following another Star Wars tradition: not fitting into the timeline in a conventional way.

“Rogue One’s” plot is set between the original series and the prequels. It will show the adventures of a team of misfits attempting to obtain the designs for the evil Galactic Empire’s new superweapon. The weapon’s name may sound familiar, because the the team is trying to steal designs that belong to none other than the famous Death Star. The movie will follow a cast of Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, and Mads Mikkelsen. Not much is known about exactly who each character is, but they are reportedly “misfits.”

The new movie will tie loose ends, generate new theories, and bring back one of the most famous villains in movie history, Darth Vader. There has been buzz that other fan favorites will appear, though the gossip can not yet be proven.

The movie has not yet been released, but there has already been a divide in the Star Wars fanbase about whether or not the new installment will be worth seeing. Some say that it isn’t necessary, and that it will only complicate the series. Others say that it will provide an interesting look between movies.
I believe that “Rogue One” will not be the best or most memorable Star Wars movie, but it will be entertaining and a good way to answer questions that many have about the Star Wars universe. It will also tie over fans from now until the next addition to the series, which is to come almost exactly a year after “Rogue One” is released. After the 10 year gap between movies, the rapid fire release of new content is a nice change of pace.

Overall, expect Rogue One to be interesting, but not ground breaking. I expect it to be good filler material, but nowhere near as memorable as the originals, or as exciting as “The Force Awakens.” However, seeing it will be a must.