Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
/"Save the Rebellion! Save the dream!"
Filmology Rating: 3 out of 4
In a time of conflict right before a New Hope, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the Death Star plans after hearing there is a fatal weakness hidden in the blueprints. Is any more of an introduction needed to one of the most anticipated films of the year?
A new Star Wars film! I will not even try and deny the fact that I am a huge Star Wars fan. I could go on and on nerding out but you guys just want to know if this movie was any good or not right? So I'm going to cut the crap and just get into it…..
Yes this movie is good but it is not by any means perfect. I enjoyed what I saw but left wanting more and feeling that this could have been so much better. Let me get into the reasons how it could have been better first….
A lot of people will be comparing Rogue One to The Force Awakens because these are the two most recent films so people will want to size them up with one another. My biggest flaw with Rogue One is that the characters were good….. wait what? You might question how characters being “good” are a bad thing. It’s a bad thing because they weren't great and they could have been. The biggest let down was that they lacked really any emotional appeal. Really the only character that they gave time to build any emotional appeal was the main character Jyn Erso played by Felicity Jones. She was the only character that you could tell that the writers actually tried to give her an emotional appeal. While all of the other main characters in Rogue One were cool, funny, and badass, they lacked any emotion. They were fun to watch but you never really grow emotionally connected to them like you did with Rey or Fin in The Force Awakens. All of the other characters were “good” and fun to watch but I never felt emotionally invested in them. This problem could have been fixed with honestly just a few extra lines of dialogue to help strengthen their background story to help us connect with them more; missed opportunity here in my opinion.
Rogue One is a very different Star Wars film. It felt to me like a slow building action thriller instead of an action adventure. This is not the bad thing! It was a different feeling that worked well with this gritty war type vibe that this film gave off. For some people, and at times myself, this was a little too slow however. (side story, the woman next to me feel asleep and started snoring after the first 45 min or so. While this was VERY annoying, rude, and frustrating as a viewer, it also was slightly verified by how the pacing of this film was laid out.) Like I said, it was a slow building film that builds to a great finale at the end but until then, it does seem to take a while getting there. There were some action sequences thrown into the first 2 acts but they were very underwhelming and nothing too special. Enough to keep you motivated and interested but not enough to wow you. This does lead into a positive aspect with the film….
The special effects and the CGI in Rogue One were fantastic (Apart from two VERY obvious CGI characters, one of which got way too much screen time). I loved the final action sequence in which they were fighting on the beach. The way it was shot, the AT-AT Imperial Walkers looked amazing. They looked huge, ominous, and it was shot in a way were you feel like you were put on this beach fighting with the Rebellion. This was an extremely fun aspect of the film. The greatest special effect however was when the Death Star cannon was fired. I won’t go into how it was different but just know that it was amazing.
One of the biggest parts that I liked about Rogue One was that it answered a big question and problem that people have had since the very original film a New Hope. I don't want to spoil what this but just know that it worked extremely well and will stop all of us nerds from complaining about this detail ever again.
One last part I’d like to address, Darth Vader. People have gone nuts seeing him in the trailer for just a few seconds and have looked forward to seeing him in this film. I will say this, his character is NOT in the movie for very long. He only has two scenes actually, that total maybe 5 minutes tops. While I did not have a problem with this, a lot of people have been complaining on the internet. It is not a problem so those people need to chill. I will say that one of his scenes gives you goosebumps because of how mesmerizing it was. He made the most of his time on screen and he left you wanting more. (I would love a solo Darth Vader film that follows right after Revenge of the Sith where we see an emotional tormented man who is struggling with the Dark side and inner light trying to break through. Sign me up Hollywood, I’ll knock out a script for you!)
Alright, props to you if you’ve made it this far! My novel is done. Overall, Rogue One is a good film that just needed more emotional depth to its main characters. I feel this emotional depth would have also solved the slower pacing at the beginning because then you are more connected to the character and while the story and characters build, you build with them. This wasn’t a factor and this was the biggest issue I had with Rogue One.
Rating: See It
-Nick
At long last we have the first standalone film in the Star Wars universe. Many fans were cautiously optimistic about the film’s chance of success. How would a director new to the Star Wars universe handle a film that is not only a prequel to the original film, but also a completely different film stylistically and tonally? Fans can put their fears aside. Rogue One delivers a refreshing cinematic experience thanks to its diverse cast, gritty style, and incredibly exciting third act.
Beginning 15 years prior to 1977’s A New Hope, Rogue One centers on the Erso family and their relation to the Empire. Troubled by his contributions to the Empire’s new superweapon, Galen Erso has left the Empire to live in isolation with his wife and daughter. When the Empire arrives to demand Galen’s return, his daughter Jyn is thrust into hiding before being picked up by a Rebel friend of the Erso’s. 15 years pass before Jyn is picked up by members of the Rebel Alliance. Having grown into a capable and rebellious adult, Jyn fights only for herself, reluctant to join even the Rebel Alliance itself. The defection of an imperial pilot with plans for a superweapon prompts the Alliance to recruit Jyn’s help in making contact with Rebel Extremist Saw Gerrera. On her mission, Jyn is joined by several colorful individuals including Rebel officer Cassian Andor, reprogrammed imperial droid K-2SO, imperial pilot Bodhi Rook, blind fighter Chirrut Inwe, and heavily armed mercenary Baze Malbus. Together they must uncover the Imperial superweapon and find the weakness needed to destroy it.
Rogue One does right in so many ways, but no way more so than the diversity and talent of its cast. The diversity of the cast fits in perfectly with the scale and variety that makes the Star Wars universe so unique. Felicity Jones plays the lead as Jyn with a sense of purpose and power that makes her a welcome addition to the growing list of strong female characters in film. Alongside Jyn is the mysterious Rebel officer Cassian played by Diego Luna. Cassian’s growing bond with Jyn, coupled with his ulterior motives, give the film a cinematic pairing that wisely focuses more on friendship than romance. The other characters in Rogue One don’t share as much screen time or importance, but they are vital to the story. Alan Tudyk’s voice work as K-2SO gives the droid just the right amount of life, while also contributing nearly all of the film’s comic relief. Mads Mikkelson plays the role of conflicted Imperial scientist with ease, while Ben Mendelsohn’s role as Imperial villain is quietly menacing and effective. Donnie Yen as Chirrut Inwe is perhaps the most interesting as the blind force devotee who fights only with a staff. His pairing with Baze Malbus (played by Web Jiang) as the aggressive mercenary guarding gives the film its duality between belief in the force, and belief in military might. Forrest Whittaker’s Saw Gerrera isn’t on screen for long, but he contributes significantly to the growing Star Wars lore. The final member of the cast, Riz Ahmed’s Imperial pilot Bohdi Rook, is very important, but often feels underdeveloped despite a great performance by Riz Ahmed. While every performance on screen is commendable, the true spirit of Rogue One is its diversity. Culturally speaking, the screen is shared by two American actors, two British actors, two Chinese actors, one Mexican actor, one Danish actor, and one Australian actor. This degree of diversity is incredibly rare in cinema and must be recognized.
Where Rogue one stands firmly apart from its’ predecessors, is in its style. While most Star Wars films prefer wide shots and long distance filming to establish an epic feel, Rogue One primarily keeps its camera low and close. This filmmaking choice gives Rogue One a grounded and gritty feel, providing the Star Wars universe with the sense of realism it occasionally lacks. While this may be off-putting for some fans of the series and The Force Awakens, those who are seeking a refreshing take on the Star Wars universe will be delighted. Director Gareth Edwards imbues his film with what we expect from a Star Wars film, but also contributes a directorial eye to the scenes of war and chaos. Under Edwards, the terror and might of the Empire can be fully felt. Although Edwards style serves the majority of the film well, some of the more emotional dialogue based scenes do feel lacking. This isn’t wholly surprising considering his direction of 2014’s Godzilla, a film that succeeds in blockbuster spectacle, but falters in the many quieter scenes. Edward’s departure in style is most evident and effective in the third act of the film.
Much will be said for years to come about Rogue One’s third act. The vast majority of the promotional material for the film takes place in the final third of the story. This is truly the section where the War of Star Wars is most clearly on display. A combination of epic space dogfights, and brutal grounded warfare give Rogue One a level of excitement unlike most Star Wars films. Most films in the franchise hinge on one-on-one battles of good versus evil, while Rogue One gives the focus and voice to the common soldiers fighting for change. Hopefully future Star Wars iterations will take a page out of Rouge One’s book and deliver spectacular action set pieces that stay true to the source material, while also blazing new trails.
Rogue One is a great film. Thanks to a talented and diverse cast, as well as a wise change in style, Rogue One will stand as one of the great films in the franchise, even if it falls just short of being a masterpiece.
Rating: See It
-Tyler
I don’t think I need to state that I love Star Wars. It’s a brand I grew up with and am incredibly grateful that it will continue now long after I have passed on. I’m that person who saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens six times because I was on such a nostalgia trip that I never wanted to get off. Then you have to imagine the excitement of knowing in under a year I would be getting a new Star Wars story, it’s basically a dream come true. I went out and bought the prequel novel “Star Wars: Catalyst” and read it quickly so I would have all of the information in the book before being spoiled by the fan community. I then went back to rewatch all of Star Wars: Rebels season one and watched the second season for the first time thinking that some of the plotlines from the Rebels television show would show up in Rogue One. Needless to say, I was excited to see the latest story in the Star Wars saga.
Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones, has been on the run from the Empire almost her entire life. Her father Galen Erso, played by Mads Mikkelsen, was captured by the Empire when Jyn was a small child. Galen was one of brightest minds working on kyber crystal technology when the Empire forced him to use the technology for the secret weapon they are developing, the Death Star. Jyn has a chance for freedom when the Rebellion offers her safety in exchange for helping find her father so they can stop the weapon from ever being used.
One of the biggest issues going forward with the Star Wars universe is that it is one giant story. When Disney bought Lucasfilm they cleaned the slate of the old canon universe and claimed that every story would matter going forward. Let me state, before getting into my actual thoughts on the film, you don’t need to spend around twenty hours of your life watching Star Wars: Rebels or reading “Star Wars: Catalyst.” While they are both enjoyable in their own right, they feel like they are being reverse engineered to fit all of the expanded material into what already exists. As a lifelong Star Wars fan it does seem like I’m being lied to by the Lucasfilm story group but I’ll still try to remain optimistic as I buy my next Star Wars novel.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story finally brings the actual wars part of Star Wars to the front and it truly is a wonder to behold. For those fans who have been waiting to see what a Saving Private Ryan or Apocalypse Now would look like in the Star Wars universe, you have finally got your wish. The director Gareth Edwards, who previously directed Monsters and Godzilla (2014), clearly knows how to make all the heroes in his films feel small. The scope that Edwards has is incredible during the third act of the film and even during some of the action during the first act but everything else seems to get lost in the heat of the moment.
For me story is always the most important part of the film. It could look fantastic and make huge gains in the special effects world but if the story falls flat then I’m left with a film that is about to fail. This is not me saying that the concept of the film is a failure, I think the idea of the Rebels stealing the Death Star plans has the makings of a great heist film. The problem with Rogue One is all of the characters are one dimensional. No one has room to grow, and when certain aspects of the plot hinge on the motivations of characters yet you don’t feel those motivations and why they could have changed, you find yourself questioning the film.
One of the best examples is when Diego Luna’s character Cassian Andor is given the job to assassinate a character, you are lead to believe by one line of dialogue later in the film that it was one of the biggest moral dilemmas of his life. This character is making a huge change in his life and it’s never explained, never shown on his face why he would make such a change. You are expected to turn your brain off like you would at a Transformers film and go along with it. I might be able to forgive these character development sins if it were only one or two characters, but when it is almost all of the characters then you are left with a hollow feeling in your heart.
For most people, the third act of this film is where it clearly shines and I must agree the third act of the film is definitely the highlight of the film. In actuality the third act was the only part of the film that got me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. I never found myself caring for the actual characters on screen other than wanting to watch the Rebels get a victory against the Empire. And while the action is staged incredibly well and I’m seeing the starships doing things I have only read about, by the end I’m feeling like I’m watching a video game that I’m not in control of.
Perhaps I’m too much of a fanboy to enjoy this film or perhaps this is finally where the critic side of me wins over the fanboy. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will satisfy any craving that a war loving filmgoer might have, but for those who like characters with dimension you will sadly be looking at the wrong film.
Rating: Rent It
-Jonny G