I am one with the Force…
This prequel to the greatest saga of all time takes place right before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. With the Empire close to completing the first Death Star, a band of Rebels led by Jyn Erso rush to steal plans containing a weakness. This story brings together a collection of unique characters all affected by the Empire in their own way. When the Rebel Alliance begins to fall apart, they set out on a rogue mission deep into the heart of Imperial territory.
I found the character development in this movie to be spot on. With the introduction of so many new characters, I was worried that the film might feel rushed. But Rogue One exceeded my expectations and may prove to be one of my favorite Star Wars films ever made. Each character was very memorable, and by the end I found myself wishing they would make a sequel. As soon as the credits rolled, I ran straight home to watch Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The hidden, and not so hidden nods to Episode IV were well thought out. Many pilots from the Death Star battle made an appearance, and even some lesser known side characters. Most notable of all, Darth Vader himself showed up on screen multiple times.
Nostalgia for the Original Trilogy
Because this movie took place so close to the original trilogy, the Rebel Base on Yavin IV was brought back to life. Filled with X-wing’s Y-wing’s and more nostalgia than one could want, this movie really felt like part of Episode IV. I almost see them as one movie with two parts.
The improvements to CGI allowed for a much better looking, but still believable world. I found the lack of an opening crawl to be a little weird, and despite being conducted by John Williams, the music didn’t feel as “Star Warsy” as expected. The whole thing felt more like a war movie set in the Star Wars universe than an actual Star Wars film, but honestly I liked it. I have no real complaints, as the acting was quite good as well. I continue to love everything with the name Star Wars on it, and I highly recommend catching this amazing film in theaters.
Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Wen Kiang, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Rize Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, Jimmy Smits, Alistair Petrie, and many more…
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 134min
HFR Rating:
