Satisfying, But With a Pervasive Sense of Untapped Potential

Rating: 7/10 (4 January 2017)

After two viewings, I remain uncertain how to feel about "Rogue One". Originally, I was prepared to label it a depreciation from "The Force Awakens", but the second round was notably more enjoyable, and leaves me regarding it, for the time being, as more or less on the same level as the 2015 feature. Whatever the case, this is an unorthodox, sometimes frustrating and sometimes poignant addition to the Star Wars canon.
On the level of functionality as a prequel, "Rogue One" is adequate. It reveals the events that led up to the beginning of "A New Hope", much of which is entertaining, but little of which enhances the pertinent conflict. Too much of the runtime is devoted to either gathering the main group or shallow attempts at a typical war movie moral ambiguity; it's a needless complication that further affirms that the people behind these movies are all too insistent on bowing down to fan demands. Keeping track of numerous individuals and agendas can be moderately difficult, but this problem is significantly reduced in subsequent viewings, after one understands where everything is headed. Strangely, substantial numbers have objected to the film's dependence on the context provided by "A New Hope". Oh my, the EIGHTH entry in an iconic, long established film series assumes familiarity with that series? What an outrage! How dare they make a Star Wars movie specifically geared towards Star Wars fans?
As has been trumpeted in most circles, the large cast of characters is underdeveloped. It is notable, however, that most everyone is given a personal reason for being involved. These aren't fully capitalized on, but they are there, and bring just enough substance to the key players to make their endeavors engaging. Jyn Erso, despite some good fighting scenes, doesn't resonate for most of the runtime. Her ideally solid motivations aren't given weight until the mission at Skarif, when she gets to act upon them. More interesting aspects of her character, such as her family's belief in the Force and her ability to lift morale, are underutilized. Cassian Andor is notably better, and the only member of the group convincingly molded by war. "Rogue One" should have devoted much more effort to this angle of exploring how the war effected people on a personal level, rather than shoehorning an overly clamored for moral grayness.
The villains are overall better, primarily because of familiar faces. Krennic is a letdown. Though he certainly stands out with his distinctive white uniform, he falls victim to the bewildering new trend of turning Star Wars villains into pathetic pretenders in a cheap attempt to elicit sympathy. Plus, his attempts at humor are out of place.
Some were quick to criticize Vader's final scene as intrusive, unnecessary and inappropriate, claiming that it overrides the impact of the climax. Considering the greater context and the villain's purpose in the movie, I would say different. Vader's inclusion here (essentially an extended cameo) is preparatory to his role in "A New Hope", and his final scene builds momentum and anticipation as "Rogue One" segues into the conflict of the succeeding chapter. Additionally, the transmissions, the fruits of the main characters' efforts, are also followed during these final scenes, keeping the significance of the climax alive.
Gareth Edwards once again shows a talent for impressive sights, and "Rogue One" is filled with great looking settings and excellent cinematography. While this is yet another instance of answering fan complaints, specifically the abundant use of green-screen in the prequel trilogy, it brings a sense of scope that helps set this entry apart from its immediate predecessors. Nevertheless, most of these places work better as sights (and very good ones, to be sure) than supplements to the story. Jedha, for example, feels less like a city ravaged by war than a settlement that has simply always been harsh. Any undercurrent of suffering or struggle fails to manifest itself. As is, the visuals mostly amount to the "used future" concept dialed up to 11. "Rogue One" needed more moments like the scene aboard Andor's ship after the escape from Jedha, where one can feel how shaken the group is by recent events.
The end battle is an ambitious application of the multi-faceted climax structure first seen in Episode VI. The space engagement is top notch, while the ground battle is a definite improvement over its Endor counterpart. At times, it is easy to lose track of the proceedings, but if one pays attention it is impressive how everything is planned. Furthermore, this is the primary segment of the film to carry narrative weight in the larger context (although the stakes are clear even when only considering this film). The actual procedure of stealing the technical readouts is a little protracted and could have used more involvement by the main group, but it does what it has to. It creates a sense of challenge and commitment, and gives the heroes opportunity to contribute to something critical. My only issue with this sequence is the palm tree filled setting. It's disconnected from the style seen in the rest of the film, and makes the battle seem more like it takes place in Malibu. Regardless, the closing scenes are terrific.
"Rogue One" is a reasonably entertaining and at times bold addition to the film series. It provides further background on the original story, gives us a few good actions sequences and memorable moments. Nevertheless, it's high time the series broke away from the Galactic Civil War. Filmmakers are going to have to move past the restrictions imposed upon them by fan complaints if they intend to expand the horizons of this franchise. Otherwise, the day will not be far off when the great Roger Ebert's comment on Star Trek in 2002 will also apply here: "gradually it occurs to me that "Star Trek" is over for me. I've been looking at these stories for half a lifetime, and, let's face it, they're out of gas".