REVIEW: Rogue One- A Star Wars Story

It's a genuinely strange feeling to get two Star Wars films in two consecutive years. Disney has made it clear that they intend to follow the path of their Marvel properties and release each film annually, one year after another. While it's naturally exciting to see more adventures set in the Star Wars universe, it's also potentially worrying. A constant stream of annual releases tends to lead to a series of progressively middling, formulaic films which take few risks and rarely improve upon the groundwork laid by prior entries. Sure, the films may be passable, but is that truly all that we want? A never-ending stream of "not bad" movies, year after year, quantity trumping quality? One nice thing that can be said about the prequels (heinous as they are) is that they were very different films compared to the original trilogy. As much as I adored watching The Force Awakens last year, it was a painfully safe outing. As time has gone by, the hype has worn off and its flaws and imperfections start to shine through all that lovely nostalgia. The only way this modern-day revival of Star Wars doesn't end up like the result of a Monkey's Paw wish is if the filmmakers responsible for each of these films take real risks and deliver innovative, original stories that branch out on their own, independent from what's safe and profitable. Having seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (the first in a series of anthology films framed around the background of the main series), I can safely say that they're definitely on the right track.

The film takes place literal days before A New Hope; Luke is still farming moisture on Tatooine, Han is off ducking Imperial freighters, and Darth Vader is totally jazzed about his fancy new Death Star. Built by the reluctant Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), the weapon is nearing completion and could likely spell doom for the galaxy (specifically places occupied by the ragtag Rebel Alliance). Overcome with an Oppenheimer-esque sense of guilt over what he's created, Galen entrusts a renegade Imperial pilot (Riz Ahmed) with delivering a message to the Rebels, informing them of the Empire's planet-killing capabilities. This information finds its way to his long-lost daughter, Jyn (Felicity Jones); under the command of Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Jyn and a team of Rebel spies must steal the plans to this new battlestation and deliver them to the Rebellion, before the Empire's stranglehold over the galaxy is made absolute.

To anyone who's seen Star Wars before, this plot would seem somewhat inconsequential at first glance. Apologies for spoiling a film that was released in 1977, but the Rebels get the Death Star plans and use them to blow up the Death Star. Shocking, I know. It's true that we never saw how the Rebels ended up with the plans (the title crawl in A New Hope simply says they were stolen by Rebel spies following their first victory over the Empire), but the outcome of this film was literally the first part of the Star Wars story ever experienced by the public. Thankfully, the film understands this and thus places emphasis on the journey, rather than the destination. We're left in suspense not in regards to the plot, but moreso in terms of our characters. There's no question that they accomplish their mission, so the drama focuses on whether or not they'll make it out alive (or at the very least, unscathed). Up to this point in the saga, we've only ever followed the point of view of heroes like Luke Skywalker; Rogue One, to put it bluntly, is a film starring the cannon fodder that makes up the remainder of the Rebel forces.

The film takes full advantage of the fact that, while every other Star Wars film has focused on the heroes of the story, none have focused on the soldiers. This is an entry in the series that feels much more like a war movie than a space opera; the characters are vulnerable, the conflicts are brutal, and the morality is framed through many varying shades of gray. We see through Galen Erso that not everyone who works for the Empire is a villain; at the same time, not every Rebel is a hero. Though they fight the totalitarian regime of the Emperor, there's no shortage of killers, assassins, and extremists allied with the Rebel cause. The movie sets out to show that heroes are born when people stop "just following orders" and do what is right. Appeasement isn't the answer, yet neither is extremism. There's a fine-line separating good and evil, and it can be very easy to step over that line whilst fighting for what feels "just". This is definitely a story that takes full advantage of its spin-off status and expands upon the comparatively black-and-white morality we get in the standard Star Wars adventure.

That said, a heavier tone comes with its own set of problems. The first half of this movie tends to drag a great deal; while watching it for the first time, I found myself flashing back to The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochy Show, asking when our gang of Rebels was going to get to the proverbial fireworks factory. Conversely, the pacing in the beginning is as erratic as the opening of Suicide Squad, jumping from planet to planet for the express purpose of getting the character introductions out of the way so that the plot may begin. As sloppy as it starts out, the film more than finds its stride in the last hour; everything comes together gorgeously into one of the absolute strongest third acts in a series known for pulse-pounding and iconic third acts. 

The characters are all more or less fine, with a few standouts. Felicity Jones is a serviceable protagonist, though she often lacks the raw emotion and conviction one would expect from a main lead. Diego Luna's Captain Cassian presents a very interesting character arc, as he learns just what separates the freedom fighters from the Stormtroopers. Mads Mikkelsen acts his heart out in this role and feels much better implemented here than in Doctor Strange; he's got a defined personality and a clear sense of purpose in the plot. He feels necessary, which is more than I could say for Strange's Kaecilius. My personal favorite additions to the cast include Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen as Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus, protectors of an ancient Jedi temple in the Imperial-occupied city of Jedha. These two had great chemistry and were a joy to watch in any given action sequence (in particular Yen, though this should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his past work). I also really enjoyed Alan Tudyk as K2-SO, a reprogrammed Imperial security droid who accompanies Cassian on missions for the Alliance. The character feels like a bizarre blend of the best elements of C-3PO, Han Solo, and Chewbacca rolled into one; it's altogether refreshing to see a droid character who has a purpose that generally goes beyond unlocking doors and being cute.

We also have Ben Mendelsohn as our antagonist, Imperial Director Krennic. He does a good job playing the part of the top-brass slimeball who was put in charge of the Death Star project, but he's unfortunately overshadowed by the return of Darth Vader (Daniel Naprous and Spencer Wilding) and Grand Moff Tarkin. Vader is voiced once again by James Earl Jones (who hits the mark, despite the age evident in his voice) and you'd be forgiven for thinking Tarkin was played by the late Peter Cushing, risen from the dead. In reality, he's portrayed by Guy Henry under a heavy layer of CGI prosthesis. It's noticeable, of course, but I still found the effect to be absolutely stunning. I won't spoil anything here, but Tarkin is not the only jaw-droppingly innovative display of the power of digital makeup and unused archival footage. It's this clear sense of care and attention to detail that makes Rogue One the perfect compliment to A New Hope. It manages to enhance the original film and frame it in a new light, all while standing on its own as a wholly engaging tale of its own.

While I found the pacing to be equal parts plodding and erratic for the first half of the runtime, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story manages to rise above its flaws and stand out as its own film, amounting to more than the sum of its parts. The characters aren't necessarily as endearing or memorable as Han, Luke and company, but their story is one that feels entirely necessary and relevant within the universe of the Star Wars saga. Most importantly, this is a film that takes risks; the Star Wars name prints money, so quality isn't necessarily a factor. Despite the overwhelming amounts of evidence at our disposal in regards to the questionable quality of the prequels, those films still made literal billions of dollars at the box office alone. The studio could have easily played it safe, keeping director Gareth Edwards on a tight leash to ensure that he create something inoffensive, serviceable, and profitable. Instead, we have a film that, while flawed in some ways, is immensely successful in others. It's a gorgeously-shot, unique take on an iconic, established universe that paints a wholly optimistic picture for the future of the franchise. Whether you're a long-time fanatic or a newcomer who was introduced to the saga by The Force Awakens last year, Rogue One is a bold, essential entry into this classic saga.