"Rogue One" Movie Review

   When "Rogue One" was announced a lot of people looked at it with cautious optimism. It was going to be the first "Star Wars" movie to not be centered around a Skywalker and its early synopsis showed it was going to cover a part of SW lore, the acquisition of the Death Star plans by Rebel forces, that people have been curious about since it was introduced as a throw away line in "A New Hope". Now that it's here though you can take the cautious out of there as "Rogue One" delivers on every front and is in the running with "The Empire Strikes Back" for the top "Star Wars" movie of all time! Now that may seem to be hyperbole but folks I assure you it is not, if this is the quality we can expect from future installments then the franchise is going to blow your mind for years to come.

   A lot of criticism was leveled at "The Force Awakens" for being more or less a rehash of "A New Hope", which in all fairness it kinda was. Director Gareth Edwards must have been listening as even though he has a movie more closely tied to the original trilogy then "The Force Awakens" he has created something that feels both entirely original and yet still part of the existing universe. The term "war movie" has been used to describe "Rogue One" and that description is quite accurate. There's a gritty feel to this movie that isn't really present in other installments. There are no Jedi in this installment which takes away a kind of win button the other movies could rely upon. Now instead we get real soldiers and a real sense of tension as we realize our heroes are almost hopelessly outmatched by the Empire but remain intent on their mission that could turn the tide of the war to the fledgling rebellion. While this is without a doubt a "Star Wars" movie by stripping away the more fantastical elements in favor of a more militaristic and grounded approach the movie never gets bogged down and keeps its momentum going for the entire running time.

   So "Rogue One" follows our lead Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) as she is recruited by an as yet unformed Rebellion to retrieve the plans for a new rumored super weapon from an Imperial pilot defector Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed). This weapon is being developed by her father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) and the Empire and has the potential to enslave the galaxy for generations to come. She is accompanied on this mission by Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and Imperial Droid K2-SO (Alan Tudyk), Two members of the Rebellion who have a secret mission of their own in addition to retrieving the plans. Along the way they also run into a pair of defenders of the force in Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen). The group then teams up to take one last swing at stopping the Empire no matter what. This simple set-up is just the jumping off point of course but the way these actions are woven into the fabric, seamlessly at that, of the original trilogy is just one of the ways this movie surprises. Not to give anything away but its almost impossible to walk out of this movie and not immediately go home and start watching Episode IV as this is the perfect lead into watching it. "Rogue One" is able to make itself both completely necessary for but not dependent on the previous movies and established lore. Its truly a remarkable feat and one that exceeded all expectations.

   So lets get into the acting shall we, absolutely incredible across the board. Felicity Jones effortlessly holds the movie together as Jyn, Ultimately this is her movie and she is more then up to the task. She is able to exude a sense of vulnerability and toughness at the same time that would be completely lost by a less capable actress. At no point does she come across as anything less then believable and this makes her an easy heroine to root for, not to mention in just one movie she's already managed to create a character that stands out in a series full of strong female leads. This is the kind of star making performance that should launch her into that next level of Hollywood she was just flirting with before. She's not alone though as Diego Luna is also excellent as conflicted Captain Cassian, a man who is torn between his mission/orders and what he thinks is best once he's in the action. You never question his motives or his decisions even though they don't always line up with Jyn's or what we the audience thinks he should do as his justifications seem completely honest and legitimate. As good as they both are however they are routinely shown up by the newest amazing droid in the "Star Wars" universe as K2-SO is an absolute scene stealer every time he comes on screen. His sarcastic tone and comedic timing help break the tension in many parts and add some much needed levity at times. Its hard to make an impression as a droid in this universe but if he doesn't walk away as a lot of people's new favorite character I'd be amazed. In lesser roles we have Donnie Yen who brings a stoic but unyielding faith to the force as a Jedi Temple defender, no surprise given his talent that he provides the best hand-to-hand fighting scenes in the movie as well as a good amount of the comedy and heart as well. Jiang Wen isn't given much to do but that actually ends up working as his quiet and disillusioned mindset, as well as his weapon choice, is a perfect contrast to his partner Yen and the two work off each other excellently as they play the "old gunslinger" on one last mission roles.

   Another interesting addition is a character off the TV series with hero of the "Clone Wars" Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) adding what the more extreme version of the rebellion looks like. Its through him and Cassian that this movie explores the more morally ambiguous side of the rebellion and makes it less of the black and white good vs bad the original movies were and more of a grey area. By asking questions about how far is too far and is the rebellion necessarily any better then the Empire when they resort to torture and guerrilla tactics without regard for civilian casualties this movie gains a more adult and nuanced feel that's refreshing when viewed against the more stark lines of previous movies. It really does make you ask questions about what is OK to do or become even if you're ultimate motivation is a positive one. Is it ever OK to assassinate civilians? Is lying to people about their actual mission OK if you know they wont agree if they knew the truth? At what point do civilians or soldiers become expendable in the course of a war? It's these morally ambiguous questions that really make you think about what war is really like and are also ideas that can be applied to our own world both now and the coming years.

   Speaking of villains we can't do a review without covering that as "Rogue One" is simply brimming with top tier villainy. The main bad is Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), Imperial Science officer and man in charge of the Death Star's development and construction. Mendelsohn is excellent as he gives the character a kind of slimy ambitious yet charismatic charm that if you were on his side you could totally see yourself being on his side. His ability to manipulate people or situations, whether through pure charm and intelligence or more dubious blackmail and coercion we receive a portrait of a man who we can see would advance through the ranks of the Empire as we know it with relative ease. As villainous, talented and ambitious as he is however the fact that he's the THIRD most evil villain is what truly makes this movie special. Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) is back in a much hyped return and let me tell you it was not over hyped. Any menace or intimidation Vader may have lost with the prequels or even the end of "Return of the Jedi" is brought back and then some in this appearance. We see exactly the reason Vader is the most feared man in the galaxy. His mere presence is enough to intimidate anyone without even saying a word and when pushed into action we're reminded about just how much of a bad ass he truly is. This return to form is one of the best surprises as Vader is once again a villain worth being afraid of.....but he's still only the SECOND biggest bad in the film. No our big bad is actually the return, quite literally really, of Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing). Yes you read that right as Peter Cushing is brought back from the dead through the use of digital effects and steals every scene he is in. This is a man who can actually talk to Vader as an equal without fear and if you can do that, without the possession of any physical power to speak of, you know we're dealing with a special kind of villain. Through a mix of unused footage, audio tracks and digital recreation we see a man brought back from the dead and even though we know its not real we still believe every bit of it. The coldness and matter of factness of his entire aura is 100% recreated here, bringing to life once again one of the series most iconic bad guys, If this is the future of digital technology I'd be very nervous if I was an actor right now because the tech is incredible!

   Another highlight of "Rogue One" is the action. No lightsabers or force magic to be found here folks. Instead what you get is a movie that feels more "Full Metal Jacket" or "We Were Soldiers" when it gets to battle then a "Star Wars" movie. Our camera angles on the ground are down with the troops, we feel their almost panic as they're pinned down behind a sand dune with blaster bolts landing all around them. We see huge walkers towering overhead and bearing down on us as the rebels desperately try to retreat and regroup. The use of actual military tactics is a must as they can't simply rely on a Jedi to come save them and therefore we the audience can feel the immediacy and almost desperation that the troops feel during these battles. This feeling of being outnumbered and almost hopeless is ever present, especially in the movie's third act and adds a grittiness that the series has avoided until now but still feels right at home. At the same time we're also treated to one of the best space battles in movie history as the action flows from space to the air to the ground and back again with such grace and fluidity that you'll be on the edge of your seat the whole time. This isn't the mindless space battles of the prequels either but much more in the vein of the original trilogy but with an extra layer of violence that simply wasn't possible in the '70's. That and the use of unused footage from Episode IV (it makes sense) just makes this movie feel......right. There's no other way to put it really. Everything about this movie just feels right. 

   All of this writing and I haven't even gotten to all the cameos and fan service that is all throughout this movie.......and i still wont now. Suffice it to say there are a HUGE amount of them and all of which will bring a huge smile to your face if you're an avid "Star Wars" fan. Its just incredible with today's technology what filmmakers are able to do in terms of effects. Not to mention looking forward that there is now a whole generation of filmmakers who may have their own idea for a "Star Wars" story and now that its been proven that you can make these kind of concepts work i can't wait to see what some of these talents may have in store! In short of you are a fan of "Star Wars" this movie is a must see but if you're just a fan of movies in general "Rogue One" also will be able to capture your imagination and take you along for the ride. Check this movie out as soon as you can.

**10/10 Stars**

I am one with the Force, The Force is with me