Today is May the 4th, Star Wars day, which feels like just the right time to put up a short review for Rogue One. I didn’t bother seeing this film when it first came out last year. The Force Awakens was the next chapter in an ongoing story whereas Rogue One was merely a side story dealing with a plot thread we already knew about. To be honest, now that I’ve seen Rogue One, I’m glad I waited for the commercial release and didn't spend any extra money seeing it in the cinema.
The story follows the life and times of Jyn Erso, daughter of research scientist Galen Erso.
As a child, she witnesses her father, being taken by the Empire and her mother killed by the Empire. Jyn is taken in by Saw Gerrera. The story then cuts to many years later, Jyn has left Saw, for reasons we never see and is freed from imprisonment by the rebellion and is sent to reunite with Saw. What follows is a bit of a planet hop.
The supporting characters are fairly thinly sketched. Cassian, the main rebel shows an interesting side when he kills an informant but later can't kill Jyn's father for no good reason. It might have been more dramatic if he had killed Jyn's father and they still had to work together. Most of the characters say who they are and don’t demonstrate it. Jinn is meant to be a troublemaker but she does the right thing for most of the film. The droid K-2SO is a more successful element. The idea of an Imperial Droid being reprogrammed is new. He has a nice sarcastic personality. The pilot, Bodi Rook is memorable for being a pilot. There's not much more to him.
Chirrut Imwe is an easy character to like. JUst as George Lucas drew on Kurosawaiinfluences and wanted Obi-Wan to be played Toshiro Mifune, so Chirrut is a japanese style warrior in the style of a Zatoichi. It is a good thing to have a force user who is not a Jedi. It's a pity that his friend, Baze Malbus, has very little of interest and he just shoots things with guns.
The main villain is Director Krennic, the man who captured Jyn's father. Now that Moff Tarkin is taking over he ants to be known as the man who built the Death Star.It is quite a petty motivation for a villain and makes a change from galactic conquerers. He would be too boring for a main Star Wars film but is suitable here.
There's not much to say about Darth Vader because he is only in it for a short time. I like the fact that he lives on Mustufar which is effectively his birthplace. The notion o f Vader living on a volcano planet is one that goes back to the Leigh Brackett draft of The Empire Strikes Back. Vader is a bit more chatty like his New Hope self rather than the silent and broody Empire version.
One of the more controversial elements is the recreations of Tarkin and Leia. I have to agree with those who say they're not particularly successful. They are a little too clean next to the humans and Tarkin's voice isn't an entirely successful recreation of Peter Cushing's voice. Both of these characters have a sense of the Uncanny Valley about them. Disney has probably put more money and effort into this than most companies would have but it’s not good enough.
If there is one good aspect about the film its the action sequences. The battles on Jedha and the attack on Scarif are well done. It's nice to see Rebel Troopers in battle without Ewoks or Gungans.
All in all, this is a film which expands the Star Wars mythology even though it is not very interesting in and of itself. A lot of effort on aesthetic for little plot. There are better Star Wars films. I look forward to The Last Jedi.
7/10
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