Full disclosure: I’ve never been that big of a fan of Star Wars. Sure, I think the concepts and characters presented in the films are intriguing and interesting, but my thoughts on the subject have never gone much further that: “Oh, laser swords are pretty fucking sweet.” I’ve never lionized the movies as anything other than just movies. All of that being said, I can say that Rogue One is A) Not for kids and B) probably my favorite Star Wars film. Here's 5 reasons why this movie changes the tone and tenor of the Star Wars Universe (including spoilers out the ass, so read on at your own peril).

Someone Finally Decided to Tell a Different Story

If we’re all being honest with ourselves, we can say that we never really needed Episodes I-III. The story of how Darth Vader came to be is not one we have to understand in order to enjoy the story of Episodes IV-VI. All we needed to know is that he was once a Jedi who fell to the Dark Side. We didn’t need George Lucas shoehorning in characters that shouldn’t know each other in the intervening years before Luke was born. Over and over again, for 30-plus years we’ve been watching the story of the whiny, christ-like Skywalker clan. It was about time we saw what the rest of the universe looked like.

It’s not a pretty place.

Rogue One doesn’t explore an overly drawn out backstory. It’s not rehashing yet another side quest of The Jedis. Yes, Rogue One does tie us into the rest of the Star Wars Universe, but in new and exciting ways. This is Tears of the Sun as told through the lens of Star Wars. There are no fluffy Ewoks to be seen here. For the first time in a Star Wars movie, we actually see what war is like in an advanced, space faring, reality. And it’s terrifying.