Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Review
Rating: 8.5/10
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is an action-packed, visually breathtaking and tension-filled war film that brilliantly ties into the original 1977 film STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE and also works splendidly as its own intriguing standalone story.
I really enjoyed this story about a group of resistance fighters who attempt to steal the schematics of the Death Star on behalf of the Rebel Alliance. What this story captures so well is the boots-on-the-ground feel and realistic approach to the rebellion. This film has a dark and gritty tone and the heroes of this story are desperate and morally ambiguous, which is perfectly displayed in the opening scene where Cassian Andor kills a spy in the back as he escapes from stormtroopers. The people in the Rebellion aren’t all noble heroes. There are shades of grey to these characters because of their desperation and urgency caused by the actions of the Empire, and it adds to the gritty and realistic feel of this film.
Speaking of characters, there are plenty of new characters introduced here and a great ensemble cast to bring them to life. The standouts for me are Diego Luna (Cassian Andor), Felicity Jones (Jyn Erso), Mads Mikkelsen (Galen Erso), Ben Mendelsohn (Orson Krennic), Riz Ahmed (Bodhi Rook), Forest Whittaker (Saw Gerrera), Alan Tudyk (K-2SO) and Donnie Yen (Chirrut Imwe). The film does a great job at developing the main protagonist of this story, Jyn Erso, and her relationship with both Galen Erso and Saw Gerrera, but my only negative for this film is that I wish there was more time spent on fleshing out the surrounding cast of characters such as Cassian Andor, Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus.
Going back to the positives of this film, the stunning cinematography by Greig Fraser and the incredible CGI makes this such a beautiful looking film and adds to the immensity of the scale. The score by Michael Giacchino is magnificent and it brings emotional weight to every scene. The action sequences are thrilling and the 3rd act of this film is absolutely incredible. It’s filled with tension, epic battles, and high stakes, which the film expertly sets up through the 1st and 2nd acts. The pacing is also really good for a 2 hour and 13 minute runtime.
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is a spectacular war film that not only serves as a perfect prologue to STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE, but also works well as its own film by telling a compelling story, introducing exciting new characters and exploring new fascinating worlds.
Director: Gareth Edwards
Writer: Tony Gilroy, Chris Weitz, John Knoll, Gary Whitta
Runtime: 2h 13m
Release Date: December 2016
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