Rogue One is an uncompromising Star Wars film that isn’t afraid to throw some dirt and grime on the screen. A prequel story and the first of what’s to be several upcoming standalone films, it’s directed by Gareth Edwards as more of a taught, frequently brutal, and consequential war movie as opposed to the swashbuckling fantasies of other films in the series. While J.J Abrams’s Force Awakens brought a considerable amount of intensity to the table, this latest picture is even more measured in tone, lacking any sort of characters like BB-8, the Ewoks or anything that approached a “cuteness factor” in last year’s holiday blockbuster.
Yet this film still manages to maintain the essence of hope and optimism that generally defines the series. If I had one complaint, the story starts at a slow pace. You may see that as an advantage if you like for a picture to gradually build up its drama, but it doesn’t have the immediate adrenaline rush that Force Awakens’ first third had. But at a certain point, the movie kicks into a higher gear and gradually becomes increasingly enjoyable.
Much has been said about the diversity of the cast, and the symbolic imagery of their battle against a homogenous looking, villainous empire. But Star Wars has always had an anti-fascist undercurrent to it, and Jyn Erso’s quest here is no different. She’s played very well by Felicity Jones, showing both vulnerability and toughness when needed. Arguably she may be too straightforward a heroine, the rest of her team is more colorful, but I thought she was likable.
The rebellion commissions her to find her missing father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen), a scientist who was kidnapped years ago by the Empire to develop a powerful weapon that eventually becomes the Death Star. Accompanied by Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and the sarcastic droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), she meets her old friend Saw Guerrera (a very good Forest Whitaker), to gives her a message from her father: there is a way to stop the deadly device, the plans hidden away in a heavily guarded Empire base.
With the aid of turncoat pilot Bodhi (Riz Ahmed), the blind- force-infused warrior Chirrut (Donnie Yen, both badass and hilarious at points) and his best friend Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), the group banters, engages in battles and eventually must overcome disagreements to retrieve the plans and stop the Death Star. Ben Mendelsohn is despicable but still entertaining as weapons officer Orson Krennic, savoring his lines and barking orders at his Stormtroopers with an old school “you bumbling fools!” villain tone. James Earl Jones reprises his iconic role as Darth Vader, and his scenes will easily make some of the strongest- and downright terrifying- impressions on the audience.
Alongside the heightened drama and peril our heroes are put through, I think I enjoyed the dogfights in Rogue One more than Force Awakens. The movement and cinemograph of the space battles here felt more cohesive, and the imagery of many scenes our crew travels to are stunningly designed. However, this is still easily the most warlike Star Wars film to date, deliberately shot in a way to emphasize the terror of the situation as opposed to merely highlighting pretty effects- a trap that many of the prequel films fell into.
The climax erupts with considerable fury and emotion. It’s genuinely thrilling, but always serious. Casuals and especially diehard Star Wars fans will likely get chills down their spines during many scenes, particularly in the final five minutes. It closes with some of the most haunting and memorable images I’ve seen in the series.
As gritty, adult and somewhat flawed in some spots as Rogue One is (mostly some pacing issues), there’s enough heroism and charm in it for me to recommend it as an enjoyable holiday action film. Be warned, while it’s not excessively graphic, it’s far less kid-friendly than Force Awakens was, and your mileage may vary on whether that’s a positive or otherwise. But I nevertheless grew attached to Jyn and her motley crew, and as the movie progressed I only became more invested. Maybe the prequels aren’t a big hurdle for the newer Star Wars films to clear, but so far they’re making up for Episode One through Three’s mistakes in fun and unique ways.