Nice grittier and darker addition to the Star Wars Franchise

Rating: 8/10 (19 December 2016)

This is a direct prequel to the original Stars Wars film and focuses on the mission to steal the plans for the Death Star from the Empire. We all know how this movie will end, and it doesn't bode well for our heroes.
It's pretty cool how the folks upstairs embraced the gravitas and dread this mission deserves. No happy go lucky characters in this one, and this is the darkest Star Wars movie, with morally ambiguous characters and unrepentant killing. I actually think the lack of a Jedi amongst the main cast helps the movie feel more intense (anyone can die at any moment), and at times this feels more like thriller or spy film than the standard Star Wars adventure fantasy.
The two main leads have good chemistry, Mads is always awesome even in a smaller role, and one of the bright spots is definitely the new robot character, who's effortlessly sarcastic and entertaining without ruining the mood.
My biggest gripe is that in the latter half, this movie succumbs to the Hollywood clichÃ© where characters have long drawn out death scenes a la Sean Bean from LOTR. It happens a bit too often, which makes it predictable and saps some of the tension from critical moments in the story.
Otherwise, still a good movie! I can see why ppl say it's the most un-Star Wars movie, and hopefully this is a sign that subsequent films will also be original and creative.