[yasr_overall_rating]
The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.
When Disney bought Lucasfilm back in 2012 for the staggering amount of $4 billion, fans around the world knew not what to do. Confused they were. But when Disney announced shortly thereafter that a new Star Wars movie, titled “Episode VII,” was in pre-production, and that original trilogy stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher would be returning in their iconic roles, fans rejoiced. Then came word that Disney was planning to make stand-alone films that would be set in the Star Wars universe but that would not cross over with the films of the sequel trilogy, and would include origin stories about Han Solo, Yoda and Boba Fett. Fans celebrated like the Ewoks and the Rebel Alliance on Endor after the destruction of the Death Star at the end of “Return of the Jedi.” And here we are, the first spin-off movie is upon us. So how does it stack up against Episodes I-VII? Honestly, I would rank it up there next to “The Empire Strikes Back” and “A New Hope.” “Jedi” was a great movie up until the Ewoks (they should have all sacrificed themselves), and the less we say about the prequels the better but even with “The Force Awakens” last year, though it was a rehash of “A New Hope,” while it was fun, it was nowhere near the greatness of episodes IV and V. “Rogue One” is a dark film. It is very similar in tone to “Empire” because up to this point, the formation of the Galactic Empire throughout the galaxy has been unstoppable and with nobody to stand in their way, their domination and supremacy is almost guaranteed. While the rebellion have most certainly made their presence known, they are but a blip on the Empire’s radar. Until now!
As a young girl, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) watched as the Empire killed her mother and snatched her father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), a renowned engineer and scientist, to work on their deadly superweapon, the dreaded Death Star. Left an orphan and raised by Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), a hardcore resistance fighter, Jyn lives her life under the assumption that her father is long dead and grows up reckless and rebellious until she is captured by the Rebel Alliance, where she quickly determines that her father is still alive. In a hologram message, he informs her that the Death Star is almost complete and that a major weapons test is imminent, stating that it is capable of destroying an entire planet. Before his message ends, he notifies her that while working on the project, he intentionally created a defect within the design, a flaw so small the Empire would never discover it, thereby giving the rebellion a fighting chance. Now Jyn and a squad of rebel soldiers must travel to the exotic planet of Scarif, the destination of a major Imperial military installation, where the plans for the Death Star lie, with the intent of stealing them and returning them to the rebels.
“Rogue One” has more in common with the original trilogy than the prequels. For one, the original trilogy used more practical effects which put you right in the middle of the action, as opposed to the prequels, which were saturated in CGI, conveying an artificial feel, more akin to a video game, than a realistic one. Even “The Force Awakens” balanced both elements successfully but with “Rogue One,” it almost feels like director Gareth Edwards went back in time to 1976 when George Lucas was shooting “A New Hope,” and shot his film the same way. It feels dirty and grungy, and authentic, and when necessary, it is a very convincing war film, especially during the climactic battle on Scarif, where both the bad guys and the good guys take on catastrophic losses, with no preferential treatment. There are no cuddly creatures, or annoying comic relief sidekicks, this movie is straightlaced and unrelenting in its seriousness, and it benefits from this approach. There are some welcome moments of levity though, thanks mostly to Alan Tudyk’s K-2SO, a security droid who at one point served in the Empire’s armed forces but somewhere along the way, was reprogrammed to serve the Alliance. Sarcastic and seething with contemptuousness, think of him as a more animated and functional C-3PO.
The cast throughout play their parts well, especially Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic, a volatile Commander in charge of the Death Star’s security, he lacks empathy and compassion and chews up the scenery surrounding him. Felicity Jones as the leader of the rebels, exudes confidence and determination, all the qualities you would expect from the leader of a suicide squad and along the way, we are introduced to some old faces but you have to be quick, some of them appear and disappear in an instant. One aspect that had been talked about for some time, was whether or not the movie would have the famous Star Wars opening crawl, the three-paragraph summary of events immediately prior to the events of the film. With “Rogue One,” there is none. We do get “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” but then it begins like any conventional movie. It was a little jarring initially as we are so accustomed to hearing the signature Star Wars theme follow but once the action takes over, you settle down and get right into it.
There are no Jedis in the film, the closest character resembling a Jedi, is that of Donnie Yen’s Chirrut Îmwe, a spiritual warrior-monk who can channel the Force when needed. With no Jedis and no Sith Lords, apart from Darth Vader’s all-too-brief cameo, one could be forgiven for thinking that it cannot be a Star Wars movie without these attributes but with enough familiar characters from “A New Hope,” both good and bad, appearing occasionally, the constant display of the Death Star, and a thrilling final battle that takes place on the ground and in the air, employing both the Empire’s AT-ATs, first seen in “Empire,” as well as the Rebellion’s X-Wing Starfighters from “A New Hope,” believe me, it takes Star Wars to a whole new level. Sit back, relax, and have fun, you’re about to watch a new Star Wars film.
In theaters Friday, December 16th
