» Blog Archive Review: Rogue One Keeps Momentum Going *Spoiler Free* -
Evan Conway Movies, News, Reviews

rogue-one-1“Another year, another Star Wars movie” is something I’m going to have to get used to saying. After Episode VII did pretty good at the box office last holiday season, the already-planned Rogue One: A Star Wars Story guaranteed fans that the franchise’s new home at Disney was going to put love and care into each of the installments that they had planned up until at least 2020. Rogue One serves as the first in an anthology series, in which the film details how the Rebels came to have the plans for the Death Star in the first place. So, that begs the question: is this a path worth traveling?

In short: yes. Rogue One may not be the best film in the franchise, nor does it need to be, but serves as solid ground for the ever-expanding universe to expand and explore new ideas that might not fit in with the episodic adventures at hand every other year. Director Gareth Edwards (2014’s Godzilla) brings an amazing, artistic vision not seen before in the franchise, and one that could only be achieved in these stand-alone films, one that is immediately apparent from the film’s opening moments.

rogue-one-23Rogue One centers around the team of freedom fighters that come together under intense circumstances and eventually adopt the film’s title as their call sign as they embark to retrieve the Death Star plans. It’s Felicity Jones’ character, Jyn Erso, that the film centers around, and given the key items in the plot that she becomes involved with, she ultimately seems like the right person to address the problem. Along with the company she meets, they face the hardships of the ongoing Galactic Civil War and some of the risks that need to be taken in the name of freedom.

If it’s one thing the film does effectively, it’s paint the Rebellion in a chaotic neutral light. While the idea of the Rebellion is a just one and not without a good reason to exist, Rogue One doesn’t shy away from the morally grey areas the army operates in. Building off of the world already established so firmly in people’s minds is a risky idea to begin with, but doing it in a way that has only been shown in past Star Wars stories, particularly the comics, is definitely a major plus for the film.

rogue-one-2That might be a plus for the film, too, depending on who you ask. Personally, the movie itself feels like a story from the legendary Dark Horse days of Star Wars comics. Jyn, Cassian, K-S2O, Chirrut, Bodhi, and Baze all feel like characters picked from that era of Star Wars’ Expanded Universe. In short, the characterization of these main players feels like Disney knows what made stories like this work with the characters that could be made, and as such it shows that they’re winking at fans such as myself, saying “Don’t worry, we know” in the process.

The characters themselves are where the film becomes conflicted and comes up short. In a story where the suspense must be felt by the bond formed with the characters because we, the audience, know what eventually becomes of the Death Star. With that said, to compare these to the main series’ characters may seem unfair, but while those characters may be lovable, Rogue One’s cast is, simply put, likable at best. Not much history is given the majority of these players aside from Jyn and a few passing mentions to others, but that’s it. Bodhi has good in his heart and is likable, but the film only gives him an ounce of backstory to work with. While Chirrut and Baze are a duo that compliment each other like Yin and Yang, you get just enough information about them to enjoy their presence on screen. It varies in the main cast, it seems, but some others require more backstory for sympathy and understanding to push them forward, of which they don’t receive.

rogue-one-4The film finds its true standout actor with Ben Mendelsohn’s Orson Krennic, the man who serves as the Director of the Advanced Weapons Research for the Empire. Overseeing the Death Star’s construction, Krennic is a cold and often sniveling villain who fits the criteria for an  immediately dislikable character all around. Mendelsohn truly slips into the role excellently, and even as he shares the screen with other heavy-hitting actors such as Mads Mikkelsen, he never shrinks into the background. We don’t need to know much about Krennic, that’s for certain, other than the fact that he is, through and through, a prick. That works excellently for him, because the presence he commands when on screen is only matched by a certain fan-favorite that we all know was going to have a part in the film.

Without delving into spoilers, fans who know the ins-and-outs of Star Wars will certainly be in for a treat. While the film features plenty of new locations and tries new things throughout, there’s plenty of the old and, possibly, done in a better way than The Force Awakens did. Old holograms are identical to those of the original trilogy, the entire variety of the Rebel’s fleet is displayed in action, and even an identical Yavin 4 base that feels as claustrophobic as the original, but just a bit newer. There’s so much authenticity and plenty of tiny, little details that will be picked up, that it’s more than enough to make you go home and give Episode IV a watch once you get home.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Death Troopers Ph: Jonathan Olley �Lucasfilm LFL 2016.

Rogue One is by no means the best film the franchise has, but so long as Episode II is a thing, it sits nicely in the middle of the franchise, of which it may need me to rethink my own personal ranking. With new ideas at play, a slightly darker tone than usual, and everything that makes it feel like a Star Wars movie, this year’s return to a galaxy far, far away is sure to satisfy fans who wanted something fresh in the franchise. Gareth Edwards brings the big guns to Rogue One, and truly it seems like he was made for this franchise. Personally, when all this is said and done, it would be great to see him tackle the Boba Fett film that was so close to being a reality.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to need to play some Battlefront right about now…

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