Rogue One: The Star Wars Stand-Alone Prequel That You Don't Want to Miss

Rogue One is set to open in cinemas all across the globe this week. Initial reactions from critics and early movie-goers are in and they're mostly good.

Rogue One: Episode 3.5 Rogue One is the first stand-alone movie released in the Star Wars franchise. In the timeline, it falls somewhere in between Episodes III and IV.

The story focused on the mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. In Star Wars: A New Hope, Princess Leia already had the plans in her possession. The movie will answer how Princess Leia was able to get ahold of the plans and put them inside R2-D2.

Kudos to Director Gareth Edwards. Director Gareth Edwards, previously credited with other movies including "Godzilla", did a fantastic job. With everyone already knowing how the movie ends, he was still able to keep you on the edge of your seat all throughout the film.

He paid homage to the aspects that made the original trilogy great, without over explaining, a problem faced by the prequel trilogy. He incorporated a mix of delightful and endearing characters and gave them a heroic adventure story against all odds. It was a mix of action, adventure, nostalgia, drama, suspense, and comedy.

The main character, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) was both charismatic and unforgettable. She is given a simple but compelling backstory.

Edwards aptly gives Erso a stellar team. One of the elements that fans loved about the original Star Wars trilogy are the secondary characters - Boba Fett, Chewbacca, Yoda, R2-D2 - who are all fascinating enough to have their own stories told but don't necessarily eclipse the main plot and stars of the movies.

Erso was joined by an epic supporting cast: K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), Chirrut Inwe (Donnie Yen), and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). In particular, K-2SO was easily the show stealer, perhaps putting him at par or above R2-D2 as the franchise's favorite droid.

Darth Vader: The Greatest Star Wars Villain of All Time. One of the best parts of the movie was the return of Darth Vader (played by Spencer Wilding and voiced by James Earl Jones). No doubt the ultimate Star Wars villain and one of the most iconic villains in movie history, we were given a true taste of his force choking abilities and lightsaber skills.

Without a doubt, Star Wars fans old and new will truly appreciate Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. If you haven't already seen it, the movie is definitely worth watching and something the whole family will enjoy.