How much do you want a new "Star Wars"? When J.J. Abrams' "The Force Awakens" opened to enormous fanfare last December, it felt like watching a beloved rock band making its comeback tour after a long hiatus. Sure, the original members couldn't quite muster the same energy and half of them seemed to have been replaced by session musicians, but the tunes still sounded pretty good.
That film's follow-up isn't due until next December, but in the meantime we've got Gareth Edwards' surprisingly dour "Rogue One." Billed as "A 'Star Wars' Story," as opposed to an episode of the main saga, it's a standalone movie that plays more like an extended bit of fan service, treating the myths and minutiae of the "Star Wars" universe with equal reverence.
Set in the days immediately before the original "Star Wars" (aka "Episode IV: A New Hope"), it focuses on a rebel mission to steal the plans of the Death Star, the planet-zapping weapon that was ultimately destroyed by Luke Skywalker. That this bit of narrative marginalia has been spun off into its own film could be seen as enterprising or shameless, depending on how generous you're feeling.