Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One both played parts in kicking off a new chapter in the 40-year-old franchise. And while both Star Wars films exploded at the box office and found love from critics and fans alike, they might not have been as successful as stories.
Michael Tucker compared both films on his YouTube channel Lessons from the Screenplay to see what they got right and wrong about the fundamentals of storytelling. The Force Awakens has stronger and more active characters that make you root for them than Rogue One, but Rogue One’s final act is stronger, as it offers a unique story in the Star Wars movie canon. He also argues that Rey’s beliefs don’t have many consequences while Jyn Erso’s emotional arc doesn’t hit as much it likely meant to.
Although Tucker thought The Force Awakens was more successful at what it aimed to do, Rogue One has plenty of high points.
That’s not to say that these flaws make them bad movies. As Tucker pointed out, they each have elements that help make them quintessential Star Wars films and they revived an already beloved franchise, something we might not have believed possible just a few years ago.