Star Wars Rogue One: Review


Rogue One is a very difficult film to review. Taken on it’s own, it’s a bit disjointed and quite possibly one of the most depressing films I’ve seen in a very long time, but as part of a larger narrative, it fills in gaps and shows more about a story we all know. Or at the very least think we know.


First things first. I’m a MASSIVE Star Wars fan. I’ve seen the films/played the games/read the books and comics (although not all of them because I actually enjoy reading). So, this film is aimed at me. It really is too, this film is aimed at people who enjoy Star Wars. Anyone coming into it having never seen a Star Wars film before is likely to get pretty lost pretty quickly, but then why not make a film that caters to the fans?


It is not a perfect film for a multitude of reasons, but first I’ll talk about what works. Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso is excellent, as is Diego Luna as Cassian Andor. They’re essentially the two leads of the film, and they work well together. Neither are whiter than white heroes, and both have a lot of redemption to work toward. Actually, that’s one of the main themes of the film, at least for the Rebel side. A lot of the heroes need redeeming from their past actions (actions which show the Rebels weren’t above using pretty awful tactics to win).

Apart from the leads you’ve got K-2SO who is just magnificent in every single way. Donnie Yen as Chirrut Îmwe is badass. I’ve loved Donnie’s films for years, and I was actually hoping for even more action scenes just so he could be in them. Jiang Wen as Baze and Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera were both excellent too.


Unfortunately, the film isn’t without problems. While the story is interesting, and moves along at a good pace, the opening act is a little bit all over the place as they try to show everyone involved. More annoyingly, the middle section just feels like it’s missing a chunk of story. There’s a scene later in the film when Baze calls Jyn Little Sister. There’s no reason for this, and the two didn’t have any heart-to-heart moments or anything, so it just feels like there was a bit cut out.


Ben Mendelsohn is very good as Krennic, but he’s not exactly a terrifying villain. He’s essentially an administrator who wants to advance in the Empire. And he’s constantly being out-maneuvererd by Grand Moff Tarkin. Speaking of which, Tarkin is in the film a few times and yes they CGI’d Peter Cushing’s face onto another actors body, and yes it’s a bit weird. There’s just something off about it, like you’re watching what an alien thinks a human should look like. The same with another CGI character later in the film. They both look a little… strange. Not at first glance, but when they move. It’s odd, and while I get why they used those characters, they probably should have gone with another actor for Tarkin.


Oh, and Vader is in the film, but not for long. That’s not a spoiler by the way, you’d be daft to think he wouldn’t be in it. They’re pretty good, and both show just how terrifying Vader is. I’d have liked to see more of him to be honest, but that would have screwed with the narrative.


The final battle scenes are incredible. In fact all the action scenes are great, but the last 45 minutes is just fantastic.


So, it’s a little disjointed, and some of the characters don’t actually have a character beyond be badass, but as a whole it’s great, and I loved seeing some Star Wars: Rebels Easter eggs


For reference sake, here’s where I’d place Star Wars: Rogue One


Empire Strikes Back

Clone Wars TV show

Star Wars: Rebels

A New Hope/ Force Awakens

Rogue One

Return of the Jedi

Revenge of the Sith

500 feet of putrid crap

Phantom Menace (that last fight saves the film)

The Attack of the Clones.


So, if you’re a fan of Star Wars, go watch it now. If you’re not, then this isn’t the film to change your mind, even if it is really good.

Posted on December 21, 2016, in Movies. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.

  1. EXACTLY! I have long taken flak for liking the phantom menace for the sole reason that the final fight was awesome. also which one is “five hundred feet of putrid crap”

  2. Nice review, but I have to disagree with your rankings of the movies though. I would amend the bottom order:

    Return of the Jedi
    Phantom Menace (that last fight saves the film)
    The Attack of the Clones
    500 feet of putrid crap
    Revenge of the Sith

    Sith was just appalling in about every way possible. From Lucas’ trademark garbage dialogue (all of the prequels suffered from this) to the lightning fast transition of Anakin from slightly angry teenager to the dark side.

    As an aside, I’ve recently read the Hellequin books and enjoyed them immensely. Cannot wait for book 7.

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