Star Wars is growing up.
‘Rogue One: A Star War Story’ is a side-story in the cinematic universe, but it’s also a prequel to 1977’s ‘Star Wars: A New Hope.’ It literally leads up to the moments where the first movie begins. It’s also the most mature, dark and emotional Star Wars movie we’ve seen since the moment Han Solo was frozen in carbonite.
The film has been described as an experiment, of sorts, to open up the legendary movie universe to more stories and more voices (actors, writers, directors). There are several more of these “Star Wars Stories” in the works, and so far with ‘Rogue One,’ the experiment is starting off with a rousing success. It’s really good.
This time, the story begins with Jyn Erso, orphaned when the evil Empire kidnapped her father to complete work on the infamous Death Star project. She’s been rescued from prison and given an ultimatum: help the Rebellion fight the Empire or return to a life of imprisonment. The rebels need her to find her childhood guardian, and ultimately her father, as they may have information about the Empire’s future plans.
Those plans focus on the Death Star, the planet-killing space station that has been so iconic in the Star Wars universe. But the rebellion leadership doesn’t believe that such a weapon exists, and it’s up to Jyn to devise a way to stop Darth Vader’s evil empire from causing mass death and destruction.
Jyn’s rebellious co-conspirators include a Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his hilariously unfiltered droid, K-2S0. Andor is a bounty hunter driven to do some pretty bad things for the right reason. K-2, as Andor calls him, is the true breakout character and provides some of the film’s biggest laughs. He’s everything. Think C-3P0 without the politeness. Voiced, wonderfully, by Alan Tudyk, he’s this year’s BB-8 (‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’).
The trio recruits a pilot, Bodhi, (Riz Ahmed) along with a pair of besties, Chirrut (Donnie Yen) and Baze (Wen Jiang). One is a blind monk channeling the power of “The Force” and the other a freelance assassin. The duo provides some of the best moments of the film. They deserve their own back-story.
Gareth Edward's (‘Godzilla’) directing style is not the glossy production we're used to seeing in the Star Wars universe. Instead, Edward's world feels gritty and rougher around the edges. He shoots using a combination of broad, beautiful landscapes and close, short, depth-of-focus shots. It looks so different from anything we’ve seen before. It definitely has an old-school retro-cinema vibe, mixed with state of the art CG and special effects. It looks absolutely beautiful.
Action-wise, 'Rogue One' feels like an old-fashioned war flick. A ragtag thrown-together group of rebel fighters, probably not prepared for what’s ahead, dive headlong into battle simply to do the right thing. There are visual touches of WWII and Vietnam battles mixed into the sci-fi machinery. And, in the sky, the space battles are amazing and eye-melting.
Fans of the ‘Star Wars’ franchise will discover tons to cheer about in ‘Rogue One.’ There are surprises and Easter Eggs all over the place. Everything Edwards has created feels new and different, but it all fits perfectly into the established universe. There’s just the right amount of familiar and a LOT you’ve never seen before.
There’s tons of practical-effects creatures, huge sets, and brand new vehicles to fill the screen. Thankfully the story and the acting match the caliber of the stunning visuals. Felicity Jones provides the necessary dramatic punch to carry the story heroic lead role as well as the emotional heart that makes us care about what she’s doing. She’s one of the strongest and most emphatic characters we’ve ever seen the ‘Star Wars’ saga. Jones is absolutely perfect for the part.
Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen and the rest of the cast carry just the right amount of on-screen charisma and none of the melodramatic cheese that sometimes frustrates fans and non-fans alike. There’s a ton of new characters and they all carry enough narrative importance, you’ll want to know more about all of them. There are no wasted performances.
The music and score from Michael Giacchino are something new for Star Wars fans. For the first time, John Williams has not composed the film's score. There are some reused familiar themes, but for the most part, the music is new. It’s most apparent during the title screen. It's almost like having the musical-rug pulled out from under you. You hear some familiar notes and then it score moves in a whole new direction. It's refreshing and different, but again, it fits this film universe. And, when Giacchino infuses some of his beautifully heartbreaking melodies into the more emotional moments of ‘Rogue One,’ it's powerful stuff.
Without question, this is the ‘Star Wars’ prequel you always hoped for. There are a few minor clumsy moments, but nothing to detract from the experience. Gareth Edwards has not only added a substantial, grown-up, piece to the ‘Star Wars’ universe, he’s solidified himself as a fantastic director. And, these characters will be forever be fondly implanted into the cinematic universe's lore.
Rating: 4.5 Containers of Blue Milk out of 5
