Out of all the ‘Star Wars’ movies on this list, this one might be the most fun to review. After the box office juggernaut that was Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lucasfilm decided to go down a rather different path. Episode VII was a very familiar story, involving very familiar plot points with very familiar characters. Rogue One, on the other hand, cannot relate to any of these features. Not only was it the first ‘Star Wars’ movie to take place outside of the chronological saga, but it was also the first ‘Star Wars’ movie to not be focused around the Skywalker bloodline. It was a daring move by Kathleen Kennedy and co. But it paid off. Big time. Let’s get started.

Story: 9

The story is the most familiar thing to ‘Star Wars’ fans. The whole premise of the movie is that there is a group of Rebel freedom fighters trying to steal the plans to the Empire’s secret weapon, the Death Star. We know they will ultimately succeed because the very first ‘Star Wars’ movie, A New Hope, starts off with the Rebels trying to escape the Empire with the plans in their possession. Still, Rogue One finds a way to keep you on your toes, despite the fact that you know how the movie will end. The story choices are bold; this is not a simple, happy-go-lucky space flick. It shows you a different side of the ‘Star Wars’ universe—one that is a bit more gray than what we’ve seen in the past. This is a movie about war, and it’s a damn good one, at that. The story is complex, personal, and gut-wrenching. It’s flat-out incredible.

Characters: 8

The characters were a big shock to me. ‘Star Wars’ has always had a full trilogy to develop characters and convince the audience to invest in them. This was the first time a ‘Star Wars’ film needed to make the audience care about the characters in just two hours. But they did a fantastic job. Each character in this movie stands out in their own way, yet they are able to gel together effortlessly. A chemistry is established among them very early on, and that chemistry is built upon throughout the rest of the film. Perhaps the best chemistry is between Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor. These two start off on different sides in many ways. Cassian has lived his whole life in war, Jyn has done whatever she can to run away from it. Jyn wants to find her father, Cassian wants to kill him. They’re very dissimilar people, but by the end of the movie, they end up fighting for the same purpose. The supporting cast is highly unique within the ‘Star Wars’ universe, and it’s highly entertaining to see their journeys pan out on screen. You get attached to these characters in such a short period of time, which is essential in making all of their deaths feel so heartbreaking (spoiler).

Locations: 8

The planets showcased toward the beginning of film aren’t necessarily standouts. Lah’Mu is pretty cool, but we leave there after seven minutes. The Ring of Kafrene is pretty cool, too, but we’re only there for a whopping two minutes. Jedha is where we finally spend a great deal of time. The planet, itself, is somewhat boring to look at, but the lore surrounding it is what makes it truly special. It is referred to as the Holy City, home to the last remnants of the Jedi order. Seeing/hearing certain Jedi artifacts referenced during the time om Jedha is what makes the planet quite appealing. It’s awesome to see previously-featured planets like Yavin IV (from A New Hope) and Mustafar (from Revenge of the Sith), but the highlight set piece in this movie is, without question, the planet of Scarif. It is the first beach planet we have seen in a ‘Star Wars’ movie, and it serves as one hell of a background for the epic battle in this film’s climax.

Jedha

Scarif

Humor: 7

It was pretty solid. There’s definitely a lot less of it in comparison to the other movies released in the Disney regime. This is a darker movie, though, so it’s natural for there to be a lack of jokes. K-2SO shines as the most comedic character in the film, but I would say that Chirrut has the best line out of everyone. Other than this short gag, there aren’t a whole lot of memorable jokes throughout the rest of the movie.

Score: 8

This is another area that shocked me a great deal. I was skeptical of this film’s score heading in, considering it was the first ‘Star Wars’ score without John Williams at the helm. But Michael Giacchino absolutely nails it. The music compliments the film with ease. It also manages to be an incredibly unique score within the saga, while harping back on some of the classic themes of ‘Star Wars’ past. What makes this score so amazing, though, is the fact that Michael Giacchino only had a month to produce it, which is absolutely insane. My one critique is that there isn’t one singular theme that is universally-beloved by the ‘Star Wars’ faithful. A song that is commonly overlooked, however, is “Your Father Would Be Proud”. It comes at a point in the movie that is both sentimental and epic, and the theme finds a way to strike the perfect balance in evoking those two very different feelings. It’s a beautiful piece of art, and so is this entire score, for the most part.

Pacing: 7

This was one of the biggest knocks against the movie for me. The film went through a large amount of reshoots, and this was evident in the final product; some things just didn’t flow at all because the story had been changed so much after the original production period. The beginning of the movie jumps around so rapidly, then we finally get to settle in, but then we go into the biggest battle in all of ‘Star Wars’—a battle which seems to take up the entire second half of the movie. The pacing was all over the place, but, luckily, the final story didn’t suffer too much from it.

Dialogue: 8

I give Rogue One this many points for dialogue because it was able to convey a very complex plot to an audience effectively. In other words, this movie does a great job of clueing the viewer in on what is happening in the story. Each character has their own motivations and their own agendas, and their personal values drive so much of their actions. As an audience member, you are fully aware of every character’s ambitions, making it very easy to understand the gravitas of the situations they’re in. The dialogue falters a bit because there aren’t many memorable lines, but it does contribute to some of the more emotional moments in the story, for sure.

Action: 9

As stated earlier, this movie has the biggest (and maybe the best) battle in all of ‘Star Wars’. The Battle of Scarif constantly switches its focus back and forth between the troops fighting on the surface and the ships fighting up in space. Since this battle is so long and vast, I will only show you guys the space portion of it. Just know that the stuff happening on the planet is just as good as the stuff going on above the planet. I find it hard to analyze this magnificent battle, because some times you just gotta take a step back and enjoy the spaceships and blasters, so ’ll just leave it at this: It’s dope.

Cinematography: 10

This was the first Star Wars movie to really put you in the scene. What I mean by this is that not every shot is perfectly lined up. Not every pan of the camera is straight and even. The camera moves in a relatively unstable way in many parts of this movie, mainly because it was being carried around on somebody’s shoulder. This was not some cinematographer sitting behind a camera. This was a cinematographer walking side-by-side with the actors. This type of cinematography required many 360 degree sets, which only enhances the overall look/feel of the film. And there are just some insane shots, in general.

Moments: 9

When I first described this movie to my friends who hadn’t seen it yet, I said, “The movie could’ve sucked for two hours, but I would still go back and see it again just for the last ten minutes”. The way this film ends is jaw-dropping. Between Scarif’s destruction, Jyn and Cassian’s death, and Princess Leia’s cameo (which leads us directly into A New Hope), the ending is already terrific. But then you add in one of the best Darth Vader scenes of all time, and you have the most epic conclusion to a ‘Star Wars’ movie ever. Again, I have lots of trouble analyzing this scene, so I’ll let you analyze it yourself. Regardless, it’s a top five scene in all of ‘Star Wars’.

 

Overall Score: 83