Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Film Review)

"We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope!"
With the Galactic Empire reaching the end of the construction of their greatest weapon ever, a small band of Rebels attempt the impossible - to infiltrate the enemies stronghold and acquire the plans and discover how to destroy it.
With the odds not in their favour, just how can a small team pull off such a daring heist? This is the story that we've all been waiting for, this is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a rogue maverick is rescued from Imperial Prison by the Rebel Alliance because her father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) is the designer behind the immeasurable weapon, the Death Star. They need her to help find him because he could also hold the key to it's destruction. Her co-operation with the Rebels not only guarantees her freedom but could also reunite her with her father after 15 years.
But finding him will set her on a path to do an impossible mission where retrieving the weapon's plans could bring hope for the Rebels and the Galaxy.

We all know the story behind maybe the greatest Sci-Fi saga in history. But we never knew what happened before the first Star Wars film...
How the wheels were set in motion for the Rebel Alliance, how Darth Vader knew of the plans location on Princess Leia's ship. And this story is but a jigsaw piece in the Star Wars saga!
Well Gareth Edwards did an excellent job of creating a Prequel Story that has got to be appealing to fans compared to the critical fans who slam the Prequel Trilogy (especially Episode I, which is actually my 2nd fav in the trilogy).
I'm so glad that Dad and I went and saw it together like when we saw Eps VII last year (both times as part of his Christmas present since he took me to see the Prequel Trilogy around my birthday).

We don't really see many main familiar faces in this film because this is set right before Episode IV where all the characters step into the spotlight. That being said, we do actually see familiar faces of other characters who all played vital roles in the end of the Prequels and during the Original Trilogy (look here for spoilers if you missed them during the film).
That's why we meet new faces who all play a huge part in a short story in the Star Wars Universe.
Our new heroes are an unlikely team who all have a score to settle with the Empire and it's that feeling that builds this team together. Despite their roles being short, I rather enjoyed the characters and how they all were unique and skilled in strategic, weaponry and courage.

Jyn (Felicity Jones) plays the Rogue heroine of our Team who soon forms a friendship with Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) a Rebel Alliance Officer and his reprogrammed Imperial Officer droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) who provided the humour and unwanted comments. And let's not forget the Imperial turned Rebel Pilot, Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed).
We also meet two extraordinary characters, one who is a gifted blind warrior connected with the Force Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen, the famous blind martial arts master) and his mercenary bodyguard and close friend, Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen). I liked these two very much because of their skill in combat but also their touchy relationship which has left fans puzzled but I think it was emotionally sweet.
I do like that everyone managed to "make 10 men feel like a hundred".

However our familiar villain faces are: one automatic breathing Sith Lord and a CGI appearance of a baddy set to appear in Episode IV (since technically the actor's dead). But it's good that they got somebody else to portray him then they edited everything else, same goes for the lady at the end *wink*.
Fans everywhere all made live reactions to when a certain famous Sith Lord was revealed as a teaser in the 2nd trailer's release. This video here says it all as Star Wars fans are left astonished and ecstatic to see the return of an iconic villain and one of the best of all time! Without him, it would have felt incomplete.
Is it me, but isn'tVader's pad resemble a lot like Mordor from LOTR? Anybody else see the resemblance or get that feeling? Or just find it ironic that his pad is set on a similar planet like Mustafar where the epic fight between 2 brothers took place?

The Rebellion do show another side to their face because of their dark intentions behind mission briefs not to mention that if politics had been avoided and they showed more back bone then maybe the outcome could have not turned into a bloodbath, maybe?
Thanks to this daring moment in their time do they end up more prepared for the Original Trilogy when it cost the lives of so few which still meant a great deal more.

Our antagonist for this film, besides Lord Vader is Orsen Krennic (Ben Mendelssohn), the Director behind Advances Weapons Research for the Imperial Military. He's so fancy that he gets white uniform and stands out from other Imperial Officers (like Grand Admiral Thrawn from the Star Wars: Rebels TV series). I wonder how that great series will tie into this film and how will then fit in or conclude their role before this film, anyway? I think this Trailer shows some valid hints that tie into this film and reaching the end of the series's link between Eps III and IV.

The man must be under a lot of work pressure, being tasked with ensuring the Weapon's creation and performance is flawless before the higher ups become annoyed with delays. He plays an unsettling bad guy who is desperate for approval, cannot afford to have any setbacks when the Empire has had this idea for over 19 years (during the Prequels). Though he does have his own cadre of menacing, new and elite Stormtroopers called Deathtroopers and were a great new addition to the trooper class.

The film holds new planets for us to discover as well as see the action unfold.
Including Jedha, a desert moon which holds mystery to a forgotten civilisation connected with the Force and now serves as an Imperial Outpost because it was once a place of importance to the Jedi.

The other is Scarif, a tropical planet (not where the Imperials party) but where they store all Imperial Weapons plans inside a Citadel Tower Bank Vault. It's where our Rogue Team must infiltrate in order to acquire the Death Star plans. It's hard to reach since the planet is covered by a planet sized shield generator.
It was surprising whilst looking for pictures for the post to discover the film recording location in real life for Scarif but to also discover that the interior of the Imperial Base had been shot at Canary Wharf Underground Station in London (but been redesigned for the film, I never would have guessed!)

We are awarded a new array of surprises including new "Shoretroopers", TIE Strikers (planet based TIE Fighters) and an alternate AT-ACT Walker (All Terrain-Armored Cargo Transport). All set to amaze the audience during the final battle on Scarif.
I was also blown away by the surprise cavalry which lifted the film up hugely thanks to a space fight which relived the glory days of watching the space fights in Episodes IV and VI!
But the Rebels get a new toy too, the U-Wing which is a heavily armoured fighter that's designed to blast through enemy lines in order to deposit troops into the war zone.

The music was actually conducted by Michael Giacchino who did a good job but I'm more pleased that they used John Williams original score in iconic tracks and subtle features during the whole film. I was even more surprised that there was no opening scroll of text since this isn'treally an Episode in the saga. I think I'll pay more attention to the score in time but

The official trailer was just as spectacular as Eps VII's full length one. It brings back a flood of nostalgia from IV, V and VI like opening a door.
The music is too perfect because it's the Imperial March as a piano medley like a lament or something which makes the atmosphere dark and edgy as this plot is a daring act where failure is not an option.
The full length one is the best as it has a few spoilers but not enough to ruin the plot completely and leaves questions like who is this blind man who knows of the Force, what are those powerful elite Dark Stormtroopers and who is the hooded figure bowing to the Bacta Tank? I do hate it that the following 2 official trailers give too much of the plot away and ruined the film's mystery including who designed the Death Star. But that 2nd trailer music was incredible.
I admit that the teaser was a good keyhole into the dark theme of the film but I now see that I was misinterpreted by the teaser's layout into thinking things already (now that I've seen the film) plus that recurring alarm was a great touch but after a while, it became quite annoying yet it was essential for the alarming atmosphere.

One of my bestest Star Wars friends in my life, Dave "HulkPool" shared this humorous video (created a year ago) of the Death Star Architect speaking out on how the ventilation that was responsible for being the Death Star's only weakness was actually a necessary asset to it's functionality.
However thanks to the events of this film (directed by somebody else), we kinda have to ignore this and do what J. J. Abrams did with more than 30 Years of Star Wars (after the original Trilogy) and brush it off the table to make way for a whole new kind of franchise a.k.a The Force Awakens.
But so far, it does looking appealing but I still know the original canon and am dishearten by the overall change forever.

The Stupendous Wave has been a great asset on YouTube for doing good research on theories as well as sharing explanations to fans about Star Wars knowledge. The trailer with the Bacta Tank was one that everyone was hoping would lead into a cameo of Supreme Leader Snoke from VII (boy was he wrong). But this guy's YouTube channel is a great place if you want to read up on Star Wars facts, theories and real explanations tied into canon and non-canon history and future.
I encourage you to look into the videos: Most powerful and terrifying character in all of Star Wars, How Yoda became a Jedi and Why Obi-Wan Kenobi was weak in A New Hope. Go check out more on his page!

Original 2015 Poster

The ending is an emotional outcome but we all saw this coming for our heroes. Because their names and faces aren't mentioned before but their sacrifice was not in vain.

And the last sequence was a heart pounding terror for anyone in that tunnel as the plans were passed along whilst avoiding the clutches of that Dark Lord of the Sith.
And our final view shows him not pleased whilst a young CGI heroine is pleased with a new hope for the Rebellion!


I'm sure that every SW fan knew how the ending would turn out (though we did need to see it for ourselves and so do you) but I do think this hilarious video is perfect to explain how things might have turned out a short while later after Eps IV had finished ha.