Star Wars Rogue One Review (1 Viewer)

[Ahsoka]

First I'll put a summary from Wikepedia

Spoiler

Research scientist Galen Erso and his family are in hiding on the planet Lah'mu when Imperial weapons developer Orson Krennic arrives to press him into completing the Death Star, a space station-based superweapon capable of destroying entire planets. Galen's wife, Lyra, is killed in the confrontation while their daughter, Jyn, escapes and is rescued by rebel extremist Saw Gerrera.

Fifteen years later, cargo pilot Bodhi Rook defects from the Empire, taking a holographic message recorded by Galen to Gerrera on the desert moon Jedha. Rebel Alliance intelligence officer Cassian Andor learns of the Death Star from an informant and frees Jyn from an Imperial labor camp at Wobani. Cassian brings Jyn to the Rebel leader Mon Mothma, who convinces her to find and rescue Galen so the Alliance can learn more about the Death Star. Cassian is covertly ordered to kill Galen rather than extract him.

Jyn, Cassian, and reprogrammed Imperial droid K-2SO travel to Jedha, where the Empire is removing kyber crystals from the holy city to power the Death Star; Gerrera and his partisans are engaged in an armed insurgency against them. With the aid of blind spiritual warrior Chirrut Îmwe and his mercenary friend Baze Malbus, Jyn makes contact with Gerrera, who has been holding Rook captive. Gerrera shows her the message, in which Galen reveals he has secretly built a vulnerability into the Death Star and directs them to retrieve the schematics from an Imperial data bank on the planet Scarif.

On the Death Star, Krennic orders a low-powered test shot which destroys Jedha's capital. Jyn and her group take Rook and flee the moon, but Gerrera remains to die with the city. Grand Moff Tarkin congratulates Krennic before using Rook's defection and security leak as a pretext to take control of the project. Rook leads the group to Galen's Imperial research facility on the planet Eadu, where Cassian chooses not to kill Galen. Jyn makes her presence known moments before Rebel bombers attack the facility. Galen is mortally wounded by the bombers and dies in his daughter's arms, before she escapes with her group on board a stolen Imperial cargo shuttle. Krennic is summoned by Darth Vader to answer for the attack on Eadu. Krennic seeks his support for an audience with the Emperor, but Vader instead Force-chokes him and orders him to ensure no further breaches occur.

Jyn proposes a plan to steal the Death Star schematics using the Rebel fleet but fails to gain approval from the Alliance Council, who feel victory against the Empire is now impossible. Frustrated at their inaction, Jyn's group lead a small squad of Rebel volunteers to raid the databank themselves. Arriving at Scarif on the stolen Imperial ship, which Rook dubs "Rogue One", a disguised Jyn and Cassian enter the base with K-2SO while the other Rebels attack the Imperial garrison as a diversion. The Rebel fleet learns of the raid from intercepted Imperial communications and deploys in support. K-2SO sacrifices himself so Jyn and Cassian can retrieve the data. Îmwe is killed after activating the master switch to allow communication with the Rebel fleet, and Malbus is killed in action shortly afterwards. Rook is killed by a grenade after informing the Rebel fleet that it must deactivate the shield surrounding the planet to allow the transmission of the schematics. Jyn and Cassian obtain the schematics, but they are ambushed by Krennic, who is eventually shot and wounded by Cassian. Jyn transmits the schematics to the Rebel command ship. The Death Star enters orbit above Scarif, where Tarkin uses another low-power shot to destroy the compromised base, killing Krennic, Cassian and Jyn, along with all remaining ground Imperial and Rebel forces.

The Rebel fleet prepares to jump to hyperspace, but many of the fleet's ships are intercepted by Vader's arriving Star Destroyer. Vader boards the Rebel command ship and massacres many of the rebel troops in an attempt to regain the schematics, but a small starship escapes with the plans on board. Aboard the fleeing ship, Princess Leia declares that the schematics will provide hope for the Rebellion.

Spoiler: My review

Overall I think this movie was well done. It's good as a standalone or as the part of the series itself. It fits well within the universe and it ties together, but you need no knowledge of the universe in order to understand it at all.

One part I particularly liked was the lack of a typical "feel good" ending to the movie. Throughout the series there are many losses, but in the end, the good guys always win and get the girl and everything ends so pretty and easily. Not in here. In Rogue One however, they show the true grittiness of what war is actually like. In the end, the goal is achieved, but at the cost of all the characters lives.

With that being said, the film has some areas in which it could be improved. The characters are not particularly fleshed out for the most part, and forming an emotional connection with them is quite difficult. Their most notable qualities are their allegiances and nothing more. Their choices also seem to change on a whim, particularly with Jyn becoming a leader very shortly after wanting nothing to do with the alliance. In a way, this plays into the gritty and straightforward feeling, but it also does make it feel too action packed and fast paced for a film like this. This is particularly exacerbated by the choppy nature of some of the earlier parts of the movie, with constant starting and stopping of action scenes, which makes the beginning the hardest to get through and the easiest point to abandon the movie. However, towards the middle and end, the storyline becomes clearer and the scenes become more connected and less choppy.

To be honest the one character I truly felt for was the droid K. He was sarcastic, brave, amusing, and powerful all in one. While it may have to do partially with my affinity for sassy characters, I do find it just a bit telling that a droid is the most interesting character emotionally. I was quite sad when he died, which couldn't be said for the other characters, even when they tried to make you feel for the others.

Despite the flaws, the movie is overall enjoyable, but not quite as good as it could potentially be. A more cohesive start with more engaging characters and background would have brought this movie from a good one to a great one. However, the actors, cinematography, and overall idea of the film more than make up for the negatives and make for an enjoyable film for Star Wars nerds and Star Wars newbies alike.

Rating: 4/5

 

[Ahsoka]

@Darth_Felflame @notthatmarko @perhapz @Ashla_K @TicTok_Togruta @lexus I forgot to tag you all

 

[lexus]

I won't watch it but good review

 

[perhapz]

 

[RainbowDevil]

I remembe really liking Rogue One, and yes the robot was iconic. I kinda got hooked on the "I am one with the force, the force is with me" shiz idk why, it was just really cool. Nice review tho, mucho pointo.

 

[Ashla_K]

I haven't seen Rogue One yet but after your review, it seems like I should give it a try.

 

[LoveYooShaSha]

I loved Rogue One, hvnt watched it since it first came out. Time spent keeping up with the new ones, too bad i dont hv Disney+/not available yet in my country so i could watch it online.
(I know there r other ways). Just too bad i cant Disney+ here.