The "Star Wars" films are a hard subject for me to remain objective about. As I grew up with the prequels, it took quite some time for me to realize the multitude of flaws George Lucas' jump backward has. I, however, have always appreciated the original trilogy. Last year's continuation, "Episode VII", served as a safe, cliched reintroduction to a galaxy far far away. It served its role to affirm that Disney was capable of producing quality entries in the franchise. However, many fans hoped the mega-corporation would take risks with the brand.
Once "Rogue One" was announced, anxious fans like myself hoped for a gritty war film, a film showing a side of the universe not explored in the main episode entries. By handing Gareth Edwards the franchise, hot off his "Godzilla" reboot, Disney told its fanbase to expect something new. And after viewing the film, I can confirm that Rogue One is something much different than anything previous. This is a very good thing.
"Rogue One" opens by telling the origins of its lead, Jyn Erso (portrayed by Felicity Jones). While the film presents itself as a collective hero film, her relationship with the Empire is the very core of the film's drama. As her hope for freedom grows, so does the audience's connection and care for her. In regards to the rest of the cast, Rogue One features standout performances by Donnie Yen, Ben Mendelsohn, and Mads Mikkelson. Mendelsohn, in particular, does a great job of portraying Orson Krennic as one of the many ruthless heads of the Empire, inspired only by ambition. But in a film where so many performances stand out, Forrest Whitaker's role as Saw Gerrara sticks out as particularly miscast, echoing the poor casting of Samuel L. Jackson in the prequels.
While the "Star Wars" franchise features "War" in the title, they never focused specifically on the conflict, rather focusing on the family drama of the Skywalker family. "Rogue One", on the other hand, is a war film through and through. Edwards' film address weighty issues such as the ethics of war, questionable orders, and the cost of fighting for freedom. As the film's third act devolves into a total war between the Alliance and the Empire, none of our leads are safe. I do not want to spoil, but many script choices in the final thirty minutes result in some of the best content the Star Wars franchise has produced to date.
Yet the film as a whole is not without flaws. In addition to Whitaker's shaky performance, the introductions of the other members of Erso's team are handled somewhat sloppily, with constant cutting back and forth. This creates some pacing problems, and a lack of connection with the pilot character specifically. While these occupy the first quarter of the film, the tremendous final act more than makes up for these gripes.
As a fan of the franchise, "Rogue One" is the film I have been waiting a long time for. It is not a lighthearted adventure around the galaxy. It is a gritty film, with big ideas and connotations for the rest of the franchise. Do not go looking into this film expecting anything similar to "Episode VII". Rogue One fills the prequel-original trilogy gap perfectly and begins the anthology film series with a bang. See it.
