‘Andor’ Season 2 Trailer Instant Reaction

 

“The revolution starts now.”

So, before I get into it, if you have ever liked Star Wars – or even if you don’t – you need to watch Andor Season 1. Hard stop. It’s by far the best Star Wars show on Disney+ and it stands as an excellent companion piece to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is widely regarded as the best Star Wars film Disney has produced since acquiring Lucasfilm in 2012. So yeah, expectations are high.

More than two years after its outstanding first season, Andor is back April 22 – now called Andor: A Star Wars Story – and its new trailer kicked us in the teeth just a few hours ago as of this writing. Like its first season, it looks raw, it looks emotional, and it looks, dare I say it … rebellious. And the modern-day music in the trailer that accompanies the bold visuals just feels right.

But don’t just take my word for it. Check out the Andor Season 2 trailer below!

Why "Rogue One" is the "Star Wars" Film We Needed

X-wing Starfighters. Imperial Walkers. The Death Star. Darth Freakin' Vader. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is brimming with fan service to titillate Force-sensitive aficionados of that galaxy far, far way. And yet, this is the most non-Star Wars film in the franchise, bearing only a few of the saga's signature touches to bring us a story that is simultaneously warm-and-cozy and shiny-and-new. If you felt like last year's excellent-but-familiar The Force Awakens was a retread of A New Hope, you'll be delighted to hear that Rogue One's differences from the core Star Wars films extend far beyond the lack of an opening scroll and a John Williams theme.

Making The Empire Strikes Back look downright cheery by comparison, Rogue One is decidedly dark, and it's definitely not for children under the age of 10. Heroes die and the costs of war are on full display in the inaugural Star Wars anthology film, taking us outside of the Skywalker family saga to chronicle the Rebel Alliance's theft of the Death Star plans that were at the center of the original 1977 film. Even though kids might not exactly thrill to the sacrifices of the main characters of Rogue One, including the impetuous Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the deceptive Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and the snarky droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), adult fans of the saga will find much to debate and dissect this year as they impatiently await the arrival of Episode VIII.

I wasn't necessarily overjoyed by the prospect of Gareth Edwards taking the helm of the first standalone Star Wars flick, since I was fairly disappointed by his vision for Godzilla back in 2014. And yet, after the somewhat slow first act of Rogue One, I appreciated his unique take on George Lucas' universe. Edwards made new locales like the bustling city of Jedha and the sun-soaked beaches of Scarif fit right into the established Star Wars universe and feel overwhelmingly real compared to the artificial locations on display in its fellow prequel films. That's right, folks. Rogue One is a Star Wars prequel. Equally real are the smaller interactions between the main characters, whether it's Jyn sharing a tearful moment with her father, Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) or a tense conversation between Darth Vader and the ambitious Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn).

Speaking of performances, not all of the standouts in Rogue One are flesh-and-blood. A far cry from the bumbling and grating Jar Jar Binks in the other prequel films, Rogue One brings us a remarkable digital creation in the form of Grand Moff Tarkin, resurrecting the late Peter Cushing with surprising realism. It's not perfect, stumbling into the uncanny valley on more than one occasion, but there are certainly moments when you forget you're watching an actor that is no longer with us. A similar work of digital wizardry de-ages another A New Hope character during the film's finale, albeit a tad less effectively. That being said, we're very close to photo-realistic human characters on film, and that's both awesome and terrifying.

Although the film starts out a bit on the tedious side, with out-of-place text informing us which planet we're on as the film jumps around like a caffeinated womprat, Rogue One becomes an outstanding adventure once it gets going. The final is an intense battle between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire that takes us from outer space to the shores of Scarif, representing what is arguably the most exhilarating Star Wars action sequence ever filmed. It's these jaw-dropping final moments of the film that prove to be the most effective, being satisfying in their own right and bringing new context and gravitas to the 1977 film, which begins mere moments after Rogue One's conclusion.

And yet, as much as Rogue One is a lead-up to the original film, which is made all the better as a result, it deserves and perhaps demands repeat viewings in its own right. I can't wait to watch the blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) drop an entire Stormtrooper squad with a stick again, just as I can't wait to see Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) go all Rambo on some Death Troopers just one more time in theaters. Hell, I'm even looking forward to seeing Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) sic his mind-reading squid on former Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed). Because that scene is just weird.

But weird is OK, and even though Rogue One doesn't always feel like a traditional Star Wars film, it still feels like it belongs in that galaxy we know and love.

Let's Unite Over the New 'Rogue One' Trailer

Social media has been a pretty toxic place in the lead-up to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, with people on both sides of the aisle spewing vitriol at the other with little regard for compromise. I'm trying to stay out of it, for the most part, which unfortunately means limiting my interaction with the digital world as much as possible. That's a major reason why it's been a few weeks since I've posted.

Yet, I think there's one thing that we can all agree on in these divisive times. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story looks freakin' amazing. The final trailer for the forthcoming Gareth Edwards film chronicling the heist of the Empire's plans for the first Death Star was released today, giving us a better idea of what the Rebel Alliance is truly up against, the nature of Jyn Erso's mission and, finally, what "Rogue One" actually stands for.

What I dig most about the new trailer, embedded below, is that Edwards made a conscious effort to shoot this movie differently than any Star Wars film before it, but it still feels like that galaxy far, far away. We're in for something special on Dec. 16.

Watch the trailer below.

Darth Vader Confirmed for 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

Most of us suspected it, but now we know for sure. As revealed by Entertainment Weekly, which features an in-depth cover feature on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story this week, Darth Vader will appear in Gareth Edwards' heist film, set in that galaxy far, far away between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

In addition to heralding the cinematic return of The Dark Lord of the Sith, EW also gives us a deeper look at never-before-seen Star Wars technology (including new Imperial walkers and TIE fighters), the heroic Rebel squad led by Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and why longtime fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars should be super psyched about Forest Whitaker's character.

I feel like it would be a huge misstep to set a film at this point in the Star Wars timeline without Vader's looming presence, so it's reassuring to know that we'll definitely hear his labored breathing and, hopefully, see his crimson lightsaber when Rogue One arrives in theaters Dec. 16.

For more on EW's Rogue One goodness, click here.

Why We Can All Stop Freaking Out About 'Rogue One' Reshoots

If you're a Star Wars geek (and really, who isn't?), you probably know by now that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is undergoing four weeks of reshoots this summer after Disney executives screened a rough cut of Gareth Edwards' standalone film set in that galaxy far, far away. According to reports, the changes are to match the lighter tone of previous Star Wars films.

Many fans on social media are losing their minds over this news, worried that the film will be a massive misstep following the critical and financial success of The Force Awakens.

To steal a phrase, I find their lack of faith disturbing.

Movies undergo reshoots all the time, largely to address studio notes and streamline the narrative, which is necessary since we're dealing with the first Star Wars film that doesn't revolve around the Skywalker family. Marvel's The Avengers had extensive reshoots, as did The Force Awakens, the surprisingly funny Ant-Man and, if we want to go further back, The Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future and even Rocky required additional shooting after principal photography. The studio isn't panicking, they just want to give us the best version of Rogue One possible. This is a good thing.

I know we're in an outrage culture these days, constantly searching for a reason to froth at the mouth, but maybe, just maybe, Disney knows what they're doing. Let the Mickey win.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on Dec. 16.

My Thought on the 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Teaser Trailer

What, you thought Disney wasn't going to immediately follow the Blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens with something awesome? I find your lack of faith disturbing.

The House of Mouse has released the first teaser trailer for Rogue One: A Story Wars Story, Gareth Edwards' spinoff that takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The film, hitting theaters Dec. 16, follows a group of rebels as they attempt to steal the plans for the first Death Star and set in motion the events in the original 1977 Star Wars film.

The trailer is loaded with familiar elements, like Original Trilogy Imperial Stormtroopers, Star Destroyers, AT-ATs and even Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma (now played by Genevieve O'Reilly), but there's something about it that feels very different from the Star Wars movies we've seen before. Perhaps it's the more grounded feel of the teaser or the fact that the trailer is loaded with humans with nary an alien to be seen, but I think this will nicely set the tone for these standalone spinoff movies. These should stand apart from the main movies, and based on what we've seen thus far, Rogue One will do just that.

Central in the trailer is Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, a criminal loner who is selected for the Rebel Alliance's ultimate heist. I've already seen plenty of folks complaining online that this is the second Star Wars film in a row that features a young, dark-haired woman with a British accent in a lead role, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing at all. If she's also really good at scavenging in the desert and bypassing hyperdrive compressors, we might have an issue.

I also really dig that Forest Whitaker is in this, as I never imagined that the guy who played Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland would ever star in a Star Wars flick. I can't wait to learn more about his role in Rogue One.

Check out the trailer below!

'Star Wars: Rogue One' Details Emerge

Wow, guys. It's an amazing time to be a Star Wars fan. This weekend at Star Wars Celebration, some details and a quick teaser trailer came to light about Star Wars: Rogue One, the first of the franchise's stand-alone "Anthology" films, which are movies set outside of the core saga. The Gareth Edwards-helmed film will be set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, and will follow a band of resistance fighters as they attempt to steal the plans for the first Death Star. Rogue One will also be the first Star Wars film without Jedi, and is set to star The Theory of Everything star Felicity Jones.

Rogue One is set for release on Dec. 16, 2016.

'Star Wars: Rogue One' Announced, 'Episode VIII' Gets a Director

It was a big day for Disney. At a shareholder meeting in San Francisco, The House of Mouse not only announced a sequel to Frozen (ensuring that Elsa costumes will be en vogue among little girls for the foreseeable future), but dropped two huge bombshells for Star Wars geeks. The December 2016 Star Wars stand-alone film directed by Gareth Edwards will be called Rogue One, and Episode VIII, set for release the following May, will be written and directed by Rian Johnson, whose previous credits include Looper, The Brothers Bloom and three episodes of Breaking Bad.

It's exciting to see Episode VIII taking shape, but I'm most interested in Rogue One, which will star Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything). Based on the title, it's easy to speculate that this will likely be a film about Rogue Squadron, the Rebel Alliance's elite squad of fighter pilots co-founded by Luke Skywalker. Could this film takes cues from Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston's X-Wing series, showing us how the group evolved past the destruction of the second Death Star? Will it feature new characters, or established favorites like Wedge Antilles? What role will Jones play? We'll likely get more answers to such questions as Rogue One locks its S-foils into attack position and begins shooting in London this summer.

Even though I wasn't necessarily a fan of Edwards' take on Godzilla last year, I appreciated a lot of what it tried to do, especially from a visual standpoint. Let's hope Rogue One stays on target when it hits theaters Dec. 16, 2016.

Episode VIII, meanwhile, is set for release on May 26, 2017. For more on these upcoming Star Wars projects, visit StarWars.com.