Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rating: 7/10 (21 December 2016)

The Force Awakens was a gigantic success, making $2 billion, third on the highest grossing movie list (behind Avatar and Titanic), and then I heard about this follow-up, not the next sequel, set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, it certainly sounded like it could be good, directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla). Basically on the planet Lah'mu, research scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) and his family are in hiding, Imperial weapons developer Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) arrives to force him to return to working on the Death Star project, a super-weapon space station capable of destroying entire planets. Galen is taken away and his wife Lyra (Valene Kane) is killed, their daughter Jyn (Beau Gadsdon) escapes and hides in a secret bunker, she is found and taken to safety by Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), a veteran of the Clone Wars. Fifteen years later, pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) defects from the Empire and smuggles a holographic message, from the moon of Jedha, of Galen to Gerrera, meanwhile Jyn Erso (The Theory of Everything's Felicity Jones) has been in Imperial captivity, she is rescued by Rebels who want her to help them find her father, however General Draven (Alistair Petrie) orders Rebel intelligence officer Cassian Andor (The Terminal's Diego Luna) to kill Galen. Jyn, Andor, and his droid K-2SO (A Knight's Tale's Alan Tudyk) travel to Jedha, there the Empire are mining Kyber crystals to power the super-weapon, while Gerrara and his supporters are armed and working against them. Blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) and mercenary Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang) aid Jyn to make contact with Gerrara, who is holding Rook captive, he shows her the hologram, in it her father explains the Death Star's reactor design was compromised, an Imperial high-security data bank on the planet Scarif has the plans of the space station. Krennic meets with Governor Tarkin (a reanimated Peter Cushing, played by Guy Henry) on the Death Star, he expresses scepticism of the project and its management, Krennix demonstrates the weapon, with a low-powered shot to destroy Jedha's capital, Jyn and her group are forced to flee, while Gerrara remains to die rather than run. Tarkin breaches security and takes control of the project, and Krennic is ignored by Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones, played by Daniel Naprous and Spencer Wilding) when he pleads for support. Galen is tracked down by the Rebels to an Imperial research facility on the planet Eadu, Cassian chooses not to assassinate him, Galen admits responsibility for the leaked information when confronted by Krennic and his troops, before Jyn can attempt a rescue there is a Rebel bombing, Galen dies in his daughter's arms, the Rebels escape in a stolen Imperial cargo shuttle. Jyn proposes a plan to steal the Death Star schematics from Scarif, but the Rebel leadership cannot agree a plan; so Jyn, Cassian, K-2SO, Imwe, Malbus, Rook and a number of Rebels go a rogue mission to raid the data bank, using the stolen Imperial shuttle, when communicated with they call their craft "Rogue One". Jyn and Cassian disguise themselves as Imperial officers and search for the plans, while the resident Imperial garrison is attacked by the other Rebels as a distraction, Rook contacts the Rebel Alliance fleet to engage the Imperial forces in space and attempt to breach the shield surrounding the planet, to enable the plans to be transmitted. K-2SO is destroyed holding off Stormtroopers, enabling Jyn and Cassian to obtain the Death Star plans from the data vaults, in the battle Rook, Îmwe, Malbus and many Rebels are killed, Krennic confronts Jyn and declares the Empire's victory, but Cassian shoots him, and with the shield deactivated Jyn is able to transmit the Death Star plans to the Rebel command ship. In the end, Tarkin fires the Death Star to destroy the compromised base, Krennic is killed in the blast, and Jyn and Cassian die in the ensuing shock wave, the Rebel fleet retreat, but Darth Vader and his troops intercept some of the Rebel ships before they jump into hyperspace, in search of the plans, on the Rebel flagship Princess Leia (a reanimated Carrie Fisher) declares that with the plans the Rebellion now have hope. Also starring Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma, Jonathan Aris as Senator Jebel, Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa, Ben Daniels as General Merrick, Ian McElhinney as General Dodonna, Daniel Mays as Tivik, Babou Ceesay as Lieutenant Sefla, Geraldine James as Blue Three, Simon Farnaby as Blue Five, Angus MacInnes as Gold Leader and Warwick Davis as Weeteef Cyubee. Jones is terrific as the feisty and likable heroine, Luna and Ahmed are good as ragged fighters, big stars Mikkelsen and Whitaker do well in their parts, but most of the best moments are from Tudyk voicing the wisecracking and sarcastic android. You can fit this "standalone" chapter in the series where it is supposed to be placed, the characters and story work as well as what we've seen in the original films, the fast-paced, thrilling fight and battle sequences are well executed, and it must be said the special effects of this entry are outstanding, how they managed to bring back young Leia and deceased Peter Cushing is highly impressive, a satisfactory and entertaining science-fiction fantasy action adventure. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects, and it was nominated the BAFTAs for Best Make Up/Hair and Best Special Visual Effects. Very good!