Rogue One! Wow!! The first standalone Star Wars movie is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that will make you cheer, make you laugh, keep you on the edge of your seat and amaze you.
This is a SPOILER FREE review – we will not give away any plot points or any information that you haven’t already seen in the trailer.
Even if you have never see a Star Wars movie before, Rogue One is still an enjoyable experience that’s filled with excellent performances and special effects that will have you picking your jaw up off the floor.
And if you are a Star Wars die-hard fan, there is a whole other level of enjoyment for you as you pick up on the many references – some quite subtle and others front and centre – to the original Star Wars trilogy
Rogue One fits into the Star Wars timeline just before the original 1977 Star Wars film which was known as Episode 4 – A New Hope.
In fact, you could call Rogue One – Episode 3.9. The plot of this new Star Wars film – the theft of the Death Star plans – is mentioned in the opening crawl of that first ever Star Wars movie nearly 40 years ago.
Rogue One, brilliantly directed by Gareth Edwards, does a great job introducing the new characters, creatures and droids and how they fit in with one another.
At the same time, the plot unfolds nicely and the urgency builds quickly as the Empire is about to showcase their latest super weapon – the Death Star.
And while the story line is pretty straightforward, we liked that were some tight little twists and layers that don’t interrupt the flow of the film one bit.
It would have been easy for director Edwards to just dazzle us with special effects and explosions but the characters deserve the lion’s share of credit for why Rogue One is a great film.
Anyone familiar with Star Wars will see lots of things they recognise – Stormtroopers, TIE fighters, X-Wings Imperial destroyers, planets – and Darth Vader.
But despite all of these familiar elements, there are still plenty of surprises for the audience and a cracking story line that hums along on all cylinders.
The environments are striking and the battles and sequences set in each of these worlds will stun you with their ferocity.
The music by Michael Giacchino was another star of the movie. It is bold and dark and includes a few bars of the iconic Star Wars music we all know so well.
VERDICT
All up Rogue One is a really satisfying package.
It’s essentially a gritty war movie that would have still been highly enjoyable even if it wasn’t set in the Star Wars universe.
But the fact it is set a long time ago in that same galaxy far, far away puts Rogue One over the top as the latest must see film.
If you’re a Star Wars fan – this will make you a bigger fan. If you’re not a Star Wars fan, Rogue One could very well turn you into one.
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