Review: Rogue One - A Star Wars Story
Simultaneously one of the best and most pointless entries in the Star Wars franchise, Rogue One can be likened to filler. An excellently made and often exhilarating filler, but filler nonetheless as it serves as a bridge between the original trilogies, specifically as a set-up for the events of Episode IV.
The film begins promisingly enough, establishing itself as part of and separate from the main narrative. A familiar bird-like aircraft alights upon a remote and distant planet as a young girl runs to warn her parents, who are already aware of the impending arrival. "He's come for us," her mother whispers. The young girl is Jyn Erso, her father is Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) and he is the reason why Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) of the Imperial Army has come. Galen and his family have been in hiding, but Krennic wants the former Imperial scientist to return and finish the Death Star. Within minutes, Galen's wife is dead, Galen taken into custody and Jyn, who had witnessed all this from afar, has been safely taken in by rebel leader Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker).
Fifteen or so years later, Jyn (Felicity Jones) has grown into a slightly bitter and apathetic young woman who, tired of living under the cloud of her father's reputation as a traitor, would rather believe him dead than a coward who has submitted to the will of the Empire. Yet there's no escaping her value as Galen's daughter to the Rebel Alliance, who capture her in order to utilise her as bait to get to Gerrera, whose militancy has caused the Alliance numerous problems but who has in his possession a smuggled holographic message from Galen. The Alliance intend on authenticating the message, tracking down Galen and killing him in order to prevent him from finishing the Death Star.
The mission mutates as Jyn hops from planet to planet, amassing a ragtag group of warriors for what will essentially be a suicide mission. Along for the ride are rebel spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), reprogrammed Imperial security droid K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk), pilot and Imperial defector Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), muscled mercenary Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), and blind mystic zealot Chirrut. The latter is played by Donnie Yen who thankfully has more to do here than Iko Uwais and his The Raid co-stars did in The Force Awakens. Screenwriters Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy do a reasonably good job in introducing and defining each of these characters, though most of these characters feel limited in depth and scope. All the actors do well individually, but at no point do the characters coalesce into a team and while that doesn't lessen the impact of their respective fates, it does impact the overall rousing nature of their endeavour to "Save the rebellion! Save the dream!"
If Rogue One doesn't go too far out of the box as far as its characters, dialogue and main narrative are concerned, it does distinguish itself from the other entries in the franchise in other ways. Arguably no other Star Wars film has had locations more lovingly rendered or photographed than those featured in Rogue One. Director Gareth Edwards has a keen compositional eye and even a relatively innocuous scene like the rebel fighter planes skidding against the Empire's defense shields is imbued with a catch-your-breath freshness. Most importantly, Rogue One is genuinely the first film in the franchise wherein the soap opera carapace is shed to fully liberate the war movie within. The fulfillment of hope often comes at incredible sacrifice, and the business of killing is certainly less abstract here than in previous installments. The action scenes are staggering and the final moments, which include Darth Vader going all Old Boy on the Tantive IV as they race to get the Death Star plans to Princess Leia, are very nearly worth the price of admission.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Written by: Chris Weitz, Tony Gilroy
Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Genevieve O'Reilly, Jimmy Smits, James Earl Jones
