I remember last year about this time, I was sitting in the theater waiting to see The Force Awakens for the first time. There were butterflies in my stomach and I couldn’t contain my excitement. I knew that there may never be a more anticipated film in my lifetime. With Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, the likelihood that there would be a significant gap between Star Wars films became next to zero.
Of course, The Force Awakens left me wanting more. Where would the story of Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, and Luke Skywalker go from here? I couldn’t wait for Episode VIII to be here.
But between VII and VIII was this film called Rogue One. We knew it was about stealing the plans for the Death Star and that it took place right before the original Star Wars film. However, my excitement was tempered. How interesting can a film be when you know the end result? Will these spinoffs be the direct-to-video equivalent component to the Star Wars Universe?
Additionally, Bob Iger kept downplaying the film’s expectations, which seemed to be mirrored in diminished “hoopla” for the film. No major Force, trailer reveals, or sneak peeks this time around. Did they know something the world didn’t? Perhaps the movie wasn’t worth all that excitement this time around. And let’s not forget reports of major reshoots that were supposedly undertaken to fix the film (even though reshoots are quite common on blockbuster films.)
Then the tide started to change. After members of the press were shown 28 minutes, the buzz was unanimously positive. Our own Alex Reif could not stop raving about what he saw. I was starting to get excited.
Now that I have seen Rogue One, I can say it is amazing. First of all, let me state that I am going to tread lightly as I don’t want to reveal any spoilers. However, the fact that there are spoilers is news. While we may know that the Rebels end up with the plans for the Death Star, how that happened is far from straightforward. There are twists and turns which you may not expect from a prequel.
It takes a bit to wrap your head around what this film is. It definitely takes place in the Star Wars universe with familiar characters, costumes, and topics, but stylistically the film is very different. The tone, cinematography, and pacing are unique from the “saga films.” In my opinion, that is what makes this film special. It differentiates us from the movies hat show the Skywalker story and allows the Star Wars storytellers to make different kinds of movies (just like the folks at Marvel do).
I am glad the first “Star Wars Story” isn’t fleshing out the backstory of an existing character. By bringing us a unique crew, the harder break from the characters we know help us understand that these films are supposed to be different than the ones we already know.
But how is the movie? It is excellent. I will be honest that the movie does take a bit to get going. I didn’t expect this much exposition for a story that I thought I knew. But any issues the movie has getting into gear are more than made up by the third act that features my favorite battle in all of Star Wars.
All around, the acting is superb. But standouts include Donnie Yen as a blind force-sensitive temple guardian without a temple to guard and future Disney Legend Alan Tudyk as K-2SO a reprogrammed imperial droid with a dour attitude.
The look for the film is much more ground level than we are used to in Star Wars. It is a war movie and it looks like one. Gone are the sideswipes and in are harsh transitions that mirror the hardship our heroes are going through.
Michael Giacchino’s score does not disappoint. The score is the one way that the film showcases its Star Wars heritage. It borrows heavily from John Williams’ classic score while adding a brash new component which fits the film perfectly.
The story fits seamlessly with A New Hope. On initial viewing, you may be a bit distracted by the various connections the film makes to its predecessors, but as the film progresses, you will find yourself engrossed in the new plot and characters as well as the glimpses into the familiar.
One word of warning: Rogue One works best when you are familiar with the original Star Wars film. I wouldn’t recommend making this any kids first experience with Star Wars. Watch A New Hope first, then use Rogue One to show how they got the plans that set the events of the first film into action. If you have seen A New Hope before, be prepared to have the pressing need to see it again after watching Rogue One.
Rogue One sets a high bar for the “Star Wars Stories” to come — they will not be viewed as the stepchild of the saga films but as movies that can stand on their own in terms of quality and enjoyment.
I give Rogue One five out of five Death Stars (real ones — not Spaceship Earth wannabes).