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Sunday, December 18, 2016

MOVIE REVIEW: ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY










































This prequel to the very tells the thrilling story of how a ragtag band of freedom fighters -- including a former soldier-turned-prisoner (Felicity Jones), a Rebel Alliance insider (Diego Luna), a Jedi (Donnie Yen), and a sentient robot (voiced by Alan Tudyk) -- worked together to steal the Death Star's secret blueprints. Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, and Jimmy Smits co-star in Rogue One, the first of several Jimmy Smits spin-offs planned after J.J. Abrams' J.J. Abrams reboot. ~ Violet LeVoit, Rovi

Director: Gareth Edwards

Cast :Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen

Release Date: Dec 16, 2016

Rated PG-13 for Sci-Fi Violence and Action

Runtime: 2 hr. 13 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

It’s probably best to start with a small disclaimer.  I’ve never been a diehard Star Wars fan and watched all of them mainly out of duty.  That’s not to say I don’t like a few of them but I can’t say I really love them with any deep rooted passion.  A fact that was reiterated after watching The Force Awakens last year, a film I liked the first time and instantly disliked after a 2nd viewing.  The biggest issue with that film was how lazily it played on nostalgia with very little in the way of innovation.  Rogue One thankfully brings some fresh energy to the franchise by opening up the established world and telling a story free of major shackles outside of major events from the first film.  Gareth Edwards delivers a film that offers a fresh perspective with a decidedly more grounded and visceral approach.  At its center is Felicity Jones who plays Jyn Eros with a tormented but heartfelt energy throughout.  She’s a well rounded character which serves the film well.  Diego Luna is a bit more of a cipher as the film only gives passing moments of depth to his character which is a shame since Luna is a talented actor.  Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen and Riz Ahmed all bring a strong sense of heart to the film.  It’s a testament to the film that we meet some of these characters well into the film but form a strong connection with them quickly.  It’s nice to see that Mads Mikkelsen fairs better here than he did in Dr. Strange even if his screen time is much smaller.  Ben Mendelsohn plays a perfect villain even if he leans a bit too much toward the mustache twirling variety.  Darth Vader is used sparingly but when he appears it makes a strong impact, particularly in the third act.  A bit of trimming here and there could have streamlined the film a bit but considering how troubled the production was, it’s a bit of a minor miracle that the film came out as well as it did.  I go even as far as to say it’s probably one of my favorite Star Wars films in general.

A-

4 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It's the only star wars movie I've paid to see twice in the theater, enjoyed it even more the second time around....

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  2. I have to open with a note: I consider myself a die-hard Star Wars fan. I've loved the series ever since I was a kid. As such, the nuances of this latest film did not escape me: there was Mon Mothma! And the creepy aliens from Mos Eisley (Ponda Baba and Dr. Evazan), and all sorts of other throwbacks to earlier films, some more obvious than others, i.e. Imperial Walkers, probe droids, and then Vader's creepy revival tank. I approved of the CGI rendering of both Tarkin and Leia . . . it didn't look bad at all! The death troopers were bad-ass. I also really loved the lack of romance for a nice change. For a second I was afraid that Luna's character and Jones's character were going to kiss at the end before they die. I cried when Yen's character bit the dust. I'm also a fan of Michael G as a film composer, so the music was much to my liking. I give it an A and hope to see it again soon. :]

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    Replies
    1. I really enjoyed all the small throwbacks to previous films as well. Outside of the C3PO and R2 cameo, I thought they were all well done without being terribly over the top.

      I really enjoyed that they didn't try to shoehorn a romance as well, film didn't need it.

      They really did a great job of getting the supporting character to make a connection even though they have very limited screen time.....

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