DVD Review: Rogue One
Rogue One was part of an interesting move by Disney, expanding the Star Wars universe by adding side stories rather than adding to the continuing story. The fact that Disney created a great fourth installment to the Star Wars series with the Force Awakens did little to dampen my fears that the first of these Star Wars Stories would be little more than a cash cow. Fortunately they picked Gareth Edwards to direct and despite not having a huge list of films under his belt, the caliber of his films was such that at least we knew the film was be in capable hands, if nothing else.
Fortunately all my fears were for naught, as Gareth Edwards delivered what is undeniably the second best Star Wars film to date, Sitting comfortably behind Star Wars (in first place) and in front of The Empire Strikes back (in third place) on my list of the best Star Wars films. Yes, it’s that good. Better than The Force Awakens, which was awesome (It’s in fourth place on my list).
Edwards has created a side story that fits so well into the Star Wars universe, without adding anything that would upset the continuity of the existing films. He’s populated it with memorable characters and driven by a strong female lead, and some familiar faces make brief appearances.
The story is one of a band of misfits who team up to steal the plans for the Death Star so that the rebels can destroy it. The success of the mission is in little doubt as we know the rebels got hold of the plans in Star Wars, but this does nothing to spoil the anticipation or plot twists that await us.
Purely a military action film, Rogue One has no Jedi, though the force is evident, and the action scenes are what carry the film. Having said that, there’s also a decent dollop of humour to keep things light and entertaining thanks to Firefly’s Alan Tudyk in the role of K-2SO.
To say much more would be to risk spoiling the film.
Let’s just say, the force is strong with this one.
Rating: M Violence.
FILMGUIDE rating:
