REVIEW - ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Gets Under The Skin In Ways Few Blockbusters Manage These Days
Gareth Edwards' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set to hit theaters this weekend, and the review embargo has now lifted. What did this massive Star Wars fan make of the movie? Find out after the jump...
Rogue One arrives in theaters this weekend, coming off very positive first reactions and what will almost certainly be huge critical acclaim. It's always great when a movie is well received of course, but it also means that it runs the risk of being overhyped - especially when you consider how many die-hard Star Wars fans (I count myself among them) are out there. So, did this prequel live up to expectations?
We've all seen A New Hope, and so we're all well aware of the conclusion of this movie - but trust me, it's the spinning of this particular yarn that is going to hook audiences in. From the opening shot (no, there's no crawl - but it works fine) of Director Krennic's shuttle making its way to a desolate planet to confront Galen Erso, all notions that you know what's coming are sure to evaporate. From here, the dirty half-dozen of the galaxy far, far away gather for an adventure that's bound to surprise and enthral in equal measure.
Director Gareth Edwards has gathered together a top notch cast here, and while you could argue that the likes of Jiang Wen (Baze) and Riz Ahmed (Bodhi) don't get quite as much to do as the others, they still more than make an impact. Felicity Jones is superb as Jyn Erso, an you'll have no problem believing that her team would risk it all to follow her into battle. Diego Luna offers terrific support as Cassian Andor, who brings more ruthlessness and shades or grey to the table than you might have expected. However, chances are it's going to be Donnie Yen as blind warrior Chirrut Imwe and Alan Tudyk's snarky droid K-2SO that resonate more than the leads, as each provide both the biggest laughs and the most emotional moments.
Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to the man in black! So without jumping into spoiler territory, Vader is used sparingly, but very effectively. Some may argue that his appearances seem a little shoehorned in, and in a way I suppose his presence does qualify as fan service - but I can't see there being too many complaints once the credits roll.
There is a lot of action, but the set pieces never threaten to overshadow the characters, and are incredibly well realised. You've heard that this was more a gritty war movie than any of the previous instalments and that's true - but unlike most recent tentpole flicks, there are real stakes involved, and a sense of danger and tension pervades every battle scene. The last 15 minutes will ensure this film gets under the skin in ways very few blockbusters manage these days.
There are a few minor issues with the film, but most are only nitpicks and not really worth bringing up. That said, I do have a couple of sightly bigger problems, but they'd definitely count as spoilers so I'll hold off on discussing them until the movie is out.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story had its work cut out for it. The first in a series of standalone films without any of the familiar saga characters, that told a tale we already knew the end of, and was then weighed down with rumors of extensive reshoots . Many fans were expecting a dud, but what they'll get instead is over 2 hours of intense action, laughs, excitement and heartbreak, that really is up there with Empire as one of the best Star Wars movies yet.
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