Latest ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ trailer reveals film’s emotional center

While ordinary folk are counting down the days to Christmas, the rest of us hear the word “December” and are immediately transported into that galaxy far, far away. Well, it’s understandable; “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is almost upon us, and with that realization comes excitement and expectations.

So far, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” has managed to intrigue cinema and science fiction fans around the world. Compared to the movies in the main trilogies, this standalone film has a markedly different feel. It’s dark and gritty, but in a good way, highlighting the “Wars” in “Star Wars,” and therefore giving us something that almost feels like “Saving Private Ryan” in space.

As impressive as previous “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” trailers have been, they seem to lack an emotional center—a more intimate reason for us to root for the main character, Jyn Erso, than “there’s a threat to the galaxy, so the heroine must save the day.”

It’s great, then, that the film’s latest trailer exposes a side of Jyn Erso’s character that we haven’t really seen before.

Like most “Star Wars” heroes, Jyn’s childhood was… complicated. Now that we have a good idea about her relationship with her father, we can understand her motivations in the story.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” focuses on a team of Rebel spies, and their efforts to steal the plans for the Death Star. It stars Felicity Jones as the main character, Jyn Erso, and Mads Mikkelsen as her father, Galen Erso. The other actors include Forest Whitaker, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Alan Tudyk, and Ben Mendelsohn. Serving as director is Gareth Edwards, who is mostly known for 2014’s “Godzilla” reboot. — BM, GMA News

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is scheduled for release on December 16, 2016.