Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Movie Review

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the first of an upcoming series of spin-offs that take place within the Star Wars universe. In Rogue One. we travel back to before the first Star Wars film, with the Empire still in control of the galaxy and the Rebel Alliance just starting to grow. This film is more of an experiment than anything, to see if the Star Wars universe has any potential outside of the main series, which follow the story of the Jedi and the Skywalkers. I was very excited for the idea of exploring a new side of this universe, since the galaxy of Star Wars is filled with limitless potential in terms of story-telling. Because I'm such an enormous fan of the franchise, I was looking forward to anything Star Wars-related, really.

Exploring a new side of the Star Wars universe while still drawing on familiar material was probably the best route to go for this film. While any Star Wars fan knows how the story of the Death Star ends, this film is giving us a look at the journey of how the plans for the battle station came into the Rebellion's hands. The character we follow on this journey is Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), as her father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) was the one who oversaw the Death Star's construction. Jyn assembles a ragtag team with the help of the Rebel Alliance to recover the plans for the Rebellion, while Director Orson Krennic (Ben Medelsohn), the Imperial officer in charge of the Death Star, pushes for his weapon to be tested.

This film definitely stands alone in the Star Wars universe, in terms of story and style. It very much returns to a more gritty vision of the galaxy, and that's greatly helped by the lack of mysticism that the Jedi naturally bring. Characters do talk about the Jedi, and the Force is mentioned here and there, but the focus is kept on a much more grounded story. Because of this more realistic approach, there's a notable increase of tension surrounding the characters (also because none of them have any clear connection to any other films). It's never quite clear who's expendable, or if a stray shot will be all it takes to drop a main character in the chaos of battle.

As nice as it is to have a Star Wars film that's more unique in tone, pace, and structure, those things are also a detriment. This film feels like it's trapped between what it has to be and what it wants to be; it can't push itself too far in terms of intensity or darkness, and it has to pay homage to and include certain elements because of its place in the timeline and its place in the Star Wars film universe. There aren't that many specific references to the other Star Wars films, but when some of them do appear, they stick out like a sore thumb. The film doesn't integrate these references in any clever way, it just grinds to a halt to accommodate all these useless additions. There are a lot of things in the film that felt pointless; there are a series of small conflicts and story beats that change nothing about how the story progresses, and only made me question why they were there.

The most glaringly awkward part of the film is how heavily it ties into other Star Wars films, especially A New Hope. While certain connections are essential to the plot, a few appear that are more distracting than anything. The most notable example of this is certain characters from A New Hope being re-created with CGI, and while it sometimes looks believable, it also dives headfirst into the uncanny valley in a way that broke my immersion in the film. Darth Vader is another aspect of the film that contributes nothing; while he certainly has an imposing presence, he could have easily been excised and the story would have lost nothing. As a matter of fact, this whole film seems like it was made to address one fan complaint that has risen over the years about the Death Star.

The first act of Rogue One is very choppy, and everything is established in a very quick way, to the point that the foundation of the film feels rushed. While the story is structured in a way that stands out from other Star Wars films, it doesn't establish the characters in a more significantly effective way. Jyn Erso in particular is fairly bland and uninteresting, which is unfortunate considering that she's the main character. She doesn't really have an identifiable character arc, either; at first, she's just in it for herself, then she wants to find her father, and then she just has a full belief in the Rebellion and is willing to do whatever it takes to get the plans. She gets to throw in a few "inspirational" speeches about hope (which is included very repetitively), and she does seem to be fairly capable on her own, but there's nothing particularly memorable about her.

The film had a really interesting opportunity when it came to characters, because we're essentially following terrorists as protagonists. There was a lot of potential to portray moral greyness, but the film never really tackles that, even with so many chances to. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is presented as a ruthless, cold-blooded Rebel operative who will follow orders to the letter, and then he just ignores his orders for a reason that doesn't line up with who he is as a character. The same can be said for Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), an Imperial pilot who defects to the Rebels. Instead of giving insight as to what life inside the Empire is like, and why allegiances might change, Bodhi is just on the Rebel's side, and his character never creates the conflict or questions about loyalty that he probably should have.

In terms of wasting actors, both Mads Mikkelsen and Ben Mendelsohn aren't left with much to do. Mikkelsen is one of the most talented actors working today, and he's once again stuck with a blockbuster character that doesn't take full advantage of his talents (although he's without a doubt the best part of any scenes involving him). Mendelsohn as Krennic was a great choice, but his performance is so cartoonishly evil that he lacks the menace that his obsessive, driven character is supposed to give off. Krennic simply doesn't leave much of a mark, which is unfortunate. The same point applies to Saw Garrera (Forest Whitaker), where it can literally be said that he does nothing but stand around and talk for about five minutes.

That being said, none of these elements drag the film down to the point of being bad. Rogue One is without a doubt the best Star Wars prequel we've ever had (though that bar was beyond low already), but it doesn't go above passable into greatness very often. It was strange to watch a Star Wars film and not feel a significantly heightened level of investment in the story or characters. Maybe the lack of mysticism and adventure took away from the experience that a Star Wars film gives. I was certainly open to the idea of something new, and the new elements that Rogue One brings to the table are the best aspects of the film. It expands on the lore of Star Wars in a natural way, and adds new details to how both sides operate that flesh out the galaxy in interesting ways. Maybe the lack of positivity and lightness among the characters took away from from the connections that I could have drawn with them. Unfortunately, Michael Giacchino's score doesn't distinguish itself in any way, and is fairly generic.

If there's one distinct thing that Gareth Edwards brings to the table with Rogue One, it's a sense of scale. The Death Star has a looming presence, and the overwhelming size of the Empire has never felt more present in the galaxy. It's very clear that the Rebel Alliance is outgunned and outmanned, and since we see a younger, scrappier iteration of the Alliance, their desperation for an advantage in the war makes a lot of sense. There's even a point where orders get mixed up that result in a plan going awry, showing that miscommunication can be just as deadly, and that the Rebellion has a long way to go. Edwards' directorial style adds a degree of grittiness that this story really needed, and his unique vision allows the film to stand alone in a satisfying way. The more disjointed aspects of the film seem to be a result of re-shoots, so I have no doubt he had a strong vision for this film from the beginning. Some darlings just needed to be killed.

On a technical level, this film excels, possibly beyond any previous Star Wars film. The mixture of classic and modern elements is seamless, which gives the film a very nostalgic atmosphere, while also doing something new. Rogue One shows off what is without a doubt the best cinematography in the entire series; the film looks absolutely beautiful. The visual effects - with the exception of CGI character recreations - were spectacular, and show how much potential these new Star Wars films have to show fans the things we love in ways that we never would have been able to in the past. As a fan, seeing the universe portrayed in a fresh way is such a satisfying experience. The aesthetic of the original trilogy is very much intact, but it's being delivered in an original way. The best characters were representative of that; Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang) are monks of a sort. They believe in the Force, but whether it actually influences them is unclear, and the relationship between them was the only one that had any real impact. Exploring a different side of familiar themes is exactly what these anthology films should be doing, and Rogue One is at its best when it does that.

The third act of the film is nothing short of breathtaking. For all of the strange editing, story, and character choices, it was worth it for the unrelenting explosion of action that the climax delivers. It's an enormous, sprawling battle that balances the space and ground combat masterfully, and imbues them both with identifiable, impactful stakes. The battle on the ground is so engaging, and reaches the perfection of what war in the Star Wars universe can look like. The final act is the only time that the film really gives off a sense of tension; characters' lives become more and more precarious, and the Rebels' success - even though it was assured based on the existence of A New Hope - almost seems unlikely. Everything about it just feels enormous, especially in regards to the space battle, which is without a doubt the strongest in any Star Wars film. The third act is on a level that I wish the entire film could have reached, although the ending delivers something that Star Wars fans will be very excited to see. Outside of the third act, there are a lot of incredible action set-pieces and solid humour beats, but the film takes a while to really kick into gear, and it drags.

While Rogue One is an undeniably flawed film, it's also undeniably fun. It presents an exploration of new worlds, characters, and storytelling opportunities unlike any Star Wars film before, and the only real downside to it is that it doesn't do much with those elements. Really, the downsides of the film have more to do with missed opportunities than flat-out failures. I would say that it's a successful experiment as a film; the anthology Star Wars films definitely show some promise, but a lot of care will need to be put into them to make them truly great. Especially considering the next film is going to be about a younger version of a beloved character (which has never gone wrong in Hollywood before). Nonetheless, I do have hope for the future. Even if I don't consider Rogue One to be an instant classic, it's still a very enjoyable experience. It's just a shame that it couldn't draw out a more significant emotional response from me, especially considering how directly it ties into one of the most important films in my life.

Oh, well. There's always the next one, as I'm sure I'll be saying until I die. Because if there's one thing that Star Wars isn't doing anytime soon, it's stopping.