"We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope!" - Jyn Erso
Happy New Year to all. I've held off reviewing the latest Star Wars as by the time this review goes out, I will have seen the film twice. Being that Star Wars is one of my favourite film series, I think it's only fair to give my full opinion after having seen it again in the cinema. One of the biggest films of last year, Rogue One has been a massive hit with critics, but more of a mixed bag with fans. Me personally, I'm leaning more to the critics side for this one. Finally, I'd like to mention that this review does contain spoilers, so if you have yet to see the film, check back here after you've seen it.
In the opening text of 1977's Star Wars, we are informed that the Rebels have stolen plans to a weapon known as the Death Star, an enormous space station used by the Galactic Empire to spread fear throughout the galaxy. Rogue One takes place a few days before this event, where we meet Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), whose father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) has been captured by Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) to complete the Death Star's construction. In an attempt to rescue her father, Jyn joins the Rebels, teaming up with Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk). Upon learning that the plans to the Death Star are located on a planet occupied by the Empire's military, Jyn assembles a rag-tag group of soldiers to launch a desperate assault against the Empire in a bid to rid the galaxy of their rule.
When I first heard of the plot of the film, I wasn't too excited. Granted, we've never seen the story of how the Rebels stole the plans to the Death Star, but I didn't think it was an interesting enough idea to sustain a two-hour plus blockbuster. However, upon the reveal of a new plot point that will change the way you look at the original Star Wars, I was fully immersed. One thing most people point out as being one of the silliest aspects in the first Star Wars was how easy it was to blow up the Death Star. In Rogue One, that issue is addressed with a clever solution as to why that is. From that point on, I was completely drawn in, and it allowed me to appreciate director Gareth Edward's new angle for a Star Wars film. Tone-wise, Edwards has crafted a very different look to previous entries in the series, appropriately going for a grittier, darker presentation. The violence isn't highly stylised, instead opting for intensity and suspense. There is no slick choreography or crazy stunts like in the prequel trilogy, which allows for greater drama and engagement. It's the first Star Wars film to actually feel like a war film, which was a good decision given the nature of the story and to give audiences something new.
Like The Force Awakens, fans were excited to meet new characters in the Star Wars universe, as well as the return of some familiar faces. The new characters comprise the main cast, with Jyn Erso as our protagonist and Orson Krennic as the primary villain. Jyn is very similar to Rey in The Force Awakens, growing up without a real family and being thrust into a war where she will have a key part to play. Starting out as reckless and eventually learning to care about and trust the Rebels, Jyn goes through quite a journey throughout the film's two hours, and I found her to be an engaging lead. I felt her transition to becoming a leader was well handled, as she shows strength and courage right from the beginning, and she uses these qualities to inspire hope for the Rebels. Orson Krennic is quite the opposite. Completely self-centred and using fear to get what he wants, Krennic is a ruthless individual. Such is his desire to elevate beyond his current position, that he clashes with several other members of the Empire, including Darth Vader. He also has history with the Erso family, capturing Galen and killing Jyn's mother at the start of the film. I was very pleased the story didn't just become a revenge fantasy for Jyn and kept its focus on the greater storyline of the Rebel's struggle against the Empire. Still, when Jyn and Krennic finally come face-to-face, it is an emotionally driven confrontation and was one of a number of highlights in the film for me.
Now the spoiler stuff, which I thankfully avoided completely before my first viewing. One of the big talking points of Rogue One is the inclusion of Grand Moff Tarkin, a character who appeared in the first Star Wars played by Peter Cushing. Cushing died in 1994, and so it seemed his character's inclusion in this film was impossible. However, to my amazement, Tarkin actually shows up, with his first appearance facing away from the camera. When he turned around, there was Peter Cushing. Much has now been written about the techniques involved in creating this state-of-the-art digital recreation, but more so on whether or not bringing back dead actors via this technique is indeed ethical. Seeing how the filmmakers received permission and help from Peter Cushing's estate and that Tarkin is a central character to the Death Star story, I think this inclusion was incredible. It was such a shock to see his face again, but I was delighted to see more of this character. Later on, the same process is used to have Princess Leia appear as she did back in 1977, with her delivering the film's last line. Surprisingly, despite her face only appearing for a few seconds, the effect is inferior to the CGI Tarkin, but I still love that they had her in the film, especially now after the passing of Carrie Fisher.
Then there's Darth Vader. Having already been shown in the trailers, I knew he would appear at some point, but I also didn't expect him to play a large role. He has only a few scenes, but I thought each of them were great. He has arguably the best moment in the film: mercilessly cutting down a group of Rebels like the Grim Reaper. James Earl Jones returns to voice Vader, and it really wouldn't be the same without him. Hearing that iconic voice again reminded me of watching the original trilogy as a child, which is exactly how The Force Awakens made me feel. If they continue to make Star Wars films in this way, I'll almost certainly love each and every one of them.
The negatives I have are to do with the pacing of the beginning and ending. I imagine pretty much everybody has seen the original Star Wars, but I think the film was too reliant on this, as it wastes no time in chucking a ton of exposition at you. We visit far too many planets in such a small amount of time, which makes it difficult to establish exactly who the characters are and at what point in the Star Wars timeline we are in. The ending also throws all it can at you in terms of the final battle. There's ground battles, sky battles and a space battle all going on at the same time, ending with Vader's invasion of the rebel ship. Like the opening of the film, I found it difficult to process where all the characters were despite having seen the film twice now. I enjoyed the action overall, but too much at same time is a bit exhausting, especially when the only battle that really mattered was Jyn and Cassian's attempt to steal the Death Star plans.
While some see Rogue One as the beginning of a process that "cheapens" the Star Wars experience, I for one are more than happy to see more anthology films if they are this well made. Though the beginning and ending was a bit too much all at once, the bulk of the film exceeded my expectations. It builds upon previously established Star Wars elements with new ideas and engaging characters, as well as having more than enough well done fan service along the way. Like The Force Awakens did for the sequel trilogy, Rogue One has paved the way for the next instalments in the anthology series by delivering an exciting, intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable Star Wars film. May the force be with the next films, because Rogue One just upped the game.
When I first heard of the plot of the film, I wasn't too excited. Granted, we've never seen the story of how the Rebels stole the plans to the Death Star, but I didn't think it was an interesting enough idea to sustain a two-hour plus blockbuster. However, upon the reveal of a new plot point that will change the way you look at the original Star Wars, I was fully immersed. One thing most people point out as being one of the silliest aspects in the first Star Wars was how easy it was to blow up the Death Star. In Rogue One, that issue is addressed with a clever solution as to why that is. From that point on, I was completely drawn in, and it allowed me to appreciate director Gareth Edward's new angle for a Star Wars film. Tone-wise, Edwards has crafted a very different look to previous entries in the series, appropriately going for a grittier, darker presentation. The violence isn't highly stylised, instead opting for intensity and suspense. There is no slick choreography or crazy stunts like in the prequel trilogy, which allows for greater drama and engagement. It's the first Star Wars film to actually feel like a war film, which was a good decision given the nature of the story and to give audiences something new.
Like The Force Awakens, fans were excited to meet new characters in the Star Wars universe, as well as the return of some familiar faces. The new characters comprise the main cast, with Jyn Erso as our protagonist and Orson Krennic as the primary villain. Jyn is very similar to Rey in The Force Awakens, growing up without a real family and being thrust into a war where she will have a key part to play. Starting out as reckless and eventually learning to care about and trust the Rebels, Jyn goes through quite a journey throughout the film's two hours, and I found her to be an engaging lead. I felt her transition to becoming a leader was well handled, as she shows strength and courage right from the beginning, and she uses these qualities to inspire hope for the Rebels. Orson Krennic is quite the opposite. Completely self-centred and using fear to get what he wants, Krennic is a ruthless individual. Such is his desire to elevate beyond his current position, that he clashes with several other members of the Empire, including Darth Vader. He also has history with the Erso family, capturing Galen and killing Jyn's mother at the start of the film. I was very pleased the story didn't just become a revenge fantasy for Jyn and kept its focus on the greater storyline of the Rebel's struggle against the Empire. Still, when Jyn and Krennic finally come face-to-face, it is an emotionally driven confrontation and was one of a number of highlights in the film for me.
Now the spoiler stuff, which I thankfully avoided completely before my first viewing. One of the big talking points of Rogue One is the inclusion of Grand Moff Tarkin, a character who appeared in the first Star Wars played by Peter Cushing. Cushing died in 1994, and so it seemed his character's inclusion in this film was impossible. However, to my amazement, Tarkin actually shows up, with his first appearance facing away from the camera. When he turned around, there was Peter Cushing. Much has now been written about the techniques involved in creating this state-of-the-art digital recreation, but more so on whether or not bringing back dead actors via this technique is indeed ethical. Seeing how the filmmakers received permission and help from Peter Cushing's estate and that Tarkin is a central character to the Death Star story, I think this inclusion was incredible. It was such a shock to see his face again, but I was delighted to see more of this character. Later on, the same process is used to have Princess Leia appear as she did back in 1977, with her delivering the film's last line. Surprisingly, despite her face only appearing for a few seconds, the effect is inferior to the CGI Tarkin, but I still love that they had her in the film, especially now after the passing of Carrie Fisher.
Then there's Darth Vader. Having already been shown in the trailers, I knew he would appear at some point, but I also didn't expect him to play a large role. He has only a few scenes, but I thought each of them were great. He has arguably the best moment in the film: mercilessly cutting down a group of Rebels like the Grim Reaper. James Earl Jones returns to voice Vader, and it really wouldn't be the same without him. Hearing that iconic voice again reminded me of watching the original trilogy as a child, which is exactly how The Force Awakens made me feel. If they continue to make Star Wars films in this way, I'll almost certainly love each and every one of them.
The negatives I have are to do with the pacing of the beginning and ending. I imagine pretty much everybody has seen the original Star Wars, but I think the film was too reliant on this, as it wastes no time in chucking a ton of exposition at you. We visit far too many planets in such a small amount of time, which makes it difficult to establish exactly who the characters are and at what point in the Star Wars timeline we are in. The ending also throws all it can at you in terms of the final battle. There's ground battles, sky battles and a space battle all going on at the same time, ending with Vader's invasion of the rebel ship. Like the opening of the film, I found it difficult to process where all the characters were despite having seen the film twice now. I enjoyed the action overall, but too much at same time is a bit exhausting, especially when the only battle that really mattered was Jyn and Cassian's attempt to steal the Death Star plans.
While some see Rogue One as the beginning of a process that "cheapens" the Star Wars experience, I for one are more than happy to see more anthology films if they are this well made. Though the beginning and ending was a bit too much all at once, the bulk of the film exceeded my expectations. It builds upon previously established Star Wars elements with new ideas and engaging characters, as well as having more than enough well done fan service along the way. Like The Force Awakens did for the sequel trilogy, Rogue One has paved the way for the next instalments in the anthology series by delivering an exciting, intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable Star Wars film. May the force be with the next films, because Rogue One just upped the game.
