In Rogue One, we get to watch the events described in the opening crawl for Episode 4 play out. A spy entrenched deep inside the Empire is able to send a message to The Rebel Alliance, warning of a super weapon capable of destroying entire planets. Imprisoned rebel Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is freed by Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a member of The Rebel Alliance, and is roped into a scheme to steal the plans for The Death Star. They are joined by repurposed Imperial droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), blind guardian Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), his bodyguard Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang), and Imperial Pilot turned good guy Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed). The mastermind behind The Death Star, Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), has Jyn's father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) trapped helping him create the weapon. Our rag tag group of rebels will have to steal the plans and maybe save Jyn's father along the way. The fate of the entire galaxy rests on their shoulders, can they succeed and survive?
Every member of the cast does an excellent job with the roles they are given. Alan Tudyk is memorable and funny as the sarcastic K-2SO, Donnie Yen impresses with his fighting skills as Chirrut Imwe (he gets a scene in which he takes on a bunch of Storm Troopers using just a stick), Diego Luna looks like he belongs in this universe as Cassian (He feels very organic, like he's been in The Star Wars universe for a while. He's also bad-ass. ), and Ben Mendelsohn makes for a terrific, all too hate-able villain. For my money though, Felicity Jones is the real scene stealer. She has a tragic backstory that propels her character forwards throughout the film, and is very likable. It also doesn't hurt that she is drop-dead gorgeous. Felicity Jones is one hell of a talented actress, and the Star Wars universe is all the richer for having her a part of it.
Rogue One is a refreshingly dark, downbeat entry into The Star Wars Saga (It's about as dark as Empire Strikes Back, maybe darker). The whole film is dirty, grungy, and looks worn. It looks and feels like it takes place in the original trilogy timeline, and there are many set pieces that are sure to remind some of places and things they saw in episodes 4, 5 and 6. Some of the costumes worn are also VERY reminiscent of those from the original trilogy. Yes, there is A LOT of fan service in this film, but it all feels very natural and organic. Everything feels like it belongs here. We get Tie Fighters, Imperial Starships, The Death Star, Darth Vader (who is in all of two scenes and is a complete bad-ass in both), Grand Moff Tarkin (via some obvious CGI), X-Wings, AT-ATs, and more (including some super cool surprises). I also loved getting to spend some time with the Rebel Alliance (before Luke joined. They are more morally grey than ever here.) and The Empire (So cool to have them back on screen).
I also really loved that Rogue One has actual stakes in it. It is made clear that any one of our heroes could die by the time the end credits roll, and that helps to keep us on the edge of our seats. We care about our protagonists, and don't want to see any of them bite the bullet. It was also surprising (and very cool) that the last act of Rogue One essentially becomes a war film. Every action scene is fantastic, and the CGI throughout the film is great. The first 45 minutes or so is a little bumpy as we are introduced to our leads and some exposition, and the film does drag at points. It's 134 minutes and can feel that way at odd intervals. We also do A LOT of planet hopping (although I liked this aspect, and getting to explore different planets). Luckily, once Rogue One takes flight, it manages to stay in the air for the rest of the film.
Gareth Edwards has had a shaky track record, but I'd say Rogue One is easily his best film thus far. You can tell he relished getting to be a part of this universe. He does a fantastic directing job, and the cinematography (by Greg Fraser) is consistently gorgeous. I saw Rogue One in 3D, and I'd best describe the experience like watching a living painting. Not much flies out of the screen, but a decent deal of depth is added. Everything looks beautiful, but I wouldn't necessarily say the film is a must in 3D.
Rogue One is without a doubt the finest Star Wars film we've gotten since Empire Strikes Back. It felt good to be back in the timeline of The Original Trilogy, and it was so cool to see some iconic vehicles and characters back on the big screen. I'm surprised I'm even saying this, but Rogue One may be my favorite film of 2016 (for me, it was easily on par with Empire Strikes Back). I loved the hell out of Rogue One. It was thrilling, super dark, nostalgic, action-packed, emotional, and altogether a very memorable, and rewarding film. For myself, it definitely surpassed the hype.
5 STARS
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