Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Review

133min

Genre:     Action, Adventure, Sci-fi

Director:  Gareth Edwards

Cast:       Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn…and more

Writers:   Chris Weitz, Tony Gilroy, John Knoll… and more

-Synopsis-

The first of the Disney era Star Wars “Anthology” films and a spinoff/prequel to the beloved series in a galaxy far, far away; set before the events of ‘A New Hope’ where a talented young trouble-maker joins the rebellion against the Empire on a mission to steal the blueprints for the first “Death Star”.

In what is becoming a rival of or perhaps a commercial companion to Christmas, December now signals the start of ‘Star Wars’ season around the globe after Disney’s billion-dollar resurrection of the beloved franchise last year. And this year’s annual adventure in a galaxy far, far away is our first look at Lucasfilm’s “anthology” series; a selection of standalone films set in a familiar universe but aiming to push tonal and thematic envelopes, and looking like prequel/spinoffs for the foreseeable future.

Armed with a $200 million budget and an eclectic multi-cultural cast, arguably the most diverse in Sci-fi history; Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) wins the filmmaking lottery and gets to craft his own take on the most famous saga in film history for only his third film in the director’s chair, carving his corner of a beloved franchise and expanding the ‘Star Wars’ dimension from fantasy westerns in space and classic sci-fi into gritty war drama territory.

Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything, Inferno) leads this band of rebellious rabble-rousers as “Jyn Erso”; a tough galactic loner raised as an orphan but with a familial connection to the imminent “Death Star”, co-opted by the rebel alliance to undertake this dangerous mission. She joins up with rebel captain “Cassian Andor” (Diego Luna) and his re-programmed imperial droid sidekick “K-2SO” (Alan Tudyk), who steals the show and provides the comic relief in this otherwise sombre story, along with a host of unique and talented outcasts in this dark but hopeful adventure.

As expected ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ is a visceral visual spectacle with stunning cinematography from Greig Fraser, impeccable production design and glorious action set-pieces, brought to life by a combination of the best practical effects and digital wizardry money can buy. But nothing  was more impressive than the “likeness CGI” which briefly but convincingly brings some familiar characters back to the screen, and a certain legendary actor back from the dead over 20 years after his passing.

In a clear sign that this is a standalone ‘Star Wars’ film, there’s barely a hint of the iconic John Williams themes here, apart from the return of a certain heavy-breathing and caped Sith lord of the empire. Instead ‘Rogue One’ is set to an original score by prolific and versatile composer Michael Giacchino (The Incredibles, Star Trek), inspired by the original trilogy but evocatively going beyond it.

With the sheer anticipation for this ‘Star Wars’ left turn and the expectations set by last year’s warmly received ‘The Force Awakens’, it’s perhaps unsurprising that some of the fan and much of the critical reception has been mixed. Rather than recreate the now familiar light tones and character dynamics of its beloved predecessors, screenwriter  Tony Gilroy (The Devil’s Advocate, The Bourne Identity) and his fellow writers have gone with a grittier and more down-to-earth “blue collar” narrative, which makes ‘Rogue One’ as close to a war drama as it is to sci-fi fantasy/adventure.

Employing a group of “misfits on a mission” dynamic from classic films like ‘The Dirty Dozen’, and with World War II undertones and echoes of “La Résistance” vs “The Third Reich”; Lucasfilm holds up a magnifying glass to the “Wars” part of their franchise’s title, with a film which shows the human cost and sacrifices required in this fight, going slightly beyond the simple “good vs. evil” proposition and blurring the lines between resistance and terrorism, and between order and tyranny.

But fear not this is still ‘Star Wars’, and it’s a Disney film after all so there’s plenty of action, adventure and unadulterated fun to feast on, in a film which effectively balances nostalgia with something a little different. And despite not having the luxury of fleshing out a whole host of new characters over the course of a trilogy or more, Gareth Edwards et al have done as much as could be expected in terms of creating memorable personalities for us to hold on to… before throwing them head first into the fires which burn into ‘A New Hope’.

The Bottom Line…

Darker, grittier and more sombre than any previous ‘Star Wars’ film, it’s unsurprising that ‘Rogue One’s’ reception has been lukewarm from those with expectations set by 2015’s ‘The Force Awakens’, or the original trilogy. But we applaud the change of pace and tone that director Edwards & co. have introduced to this beloved cinematic universe, as Disney signals its intent to expand the dimensions of its $4 billion acquisition, with a series of “Anthology” standalone films which dare to challenge expectations… and most importantly entertain.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

30 years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, a new dark force casts its shadow over the galaxy seeking absolute power through the destruction of the resistance and hunting down the last remaining Jedi opposition. An encounter between a talented scavenger and a dissident Stormtrooper brings together an unlikely group of allies to stop this menacing “First Order” in yet another epic space adventure, 3 decades in the making.

Directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Harrison Ford among others.

Comments

comments

Comments are closed.