A Star Wars movie without an opening crawl or a John Williams score? Whatever.

I may have said that before December 15, but I can now say that I was more wrong in my expectations of Rogue One than I’ve ever been in a movie. It may have lacked the famous rolling explanation and the legendary sounds of John Williams, but that was intentional.

The lack of typical Star Wars elements was to show that Rogue One wasn’t a part of any trilogy, prequel, original, or new. It was a Star Wars Story, meant to explain some of the events that lead to Episode IV.

The cast was amazing, starring the first Hispanic actor Diego Luna as Captain Cassian Andor alongside Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera and Felicity Jones as the main character, Jyn Erso.

The appearances made by Star Wars legends Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin were a welcome surprise, even though the use of  CGI was visible. Despite the slight differences that made it possible to tell the difference between the real and CGI characters, their inclusion drove fans, including myself, nuts.

Darth Vader’s return, once again voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones, made the whole thing worth it. Even if the movie hadn’t had an interesting story line and plenty of action and intrigue, his appearance alone made the ticket price worth it. Reprising his role as a certified bad-a**, Vader intimidated and force-choked his way back into the hearts of fans, even though he never truly left. (His sweet fortress on Mustafar, the planet where Obi-Wan defeated Anakin, didn’t hurt his image either)

The plot was captivating and satisfying, mixing in enough action with background story to make it a true Star Wars film. The Death Star’s appearance and destruction of Jedha city, reminiscent of the destruction of Alderaan in Episode IV,  both tie it directly to the original trilogy.

Overall, Rogue One was a great film, full of action and Star Wars easter eggs that are sure to please any fan, young or old.