The darkest Star Wars movie so far

Rating: Null/10 (8 February 2017)

Rogue One, detailing the story behind the theft of the original Death Star blueprints, was a pleasant surprise for me. It's the first major Star Wars film ever made that is not part of the original saga of trilogies and thus it was a bit unclear just what niche it was going to fill. And don't get me wrong, I like the plot for this movie. It was alluded back in the original Star Wars that there was a mission to steal the blueprints that eventually allowed Luke Skywalker to destroy the Death Star, so why not tell it. Plus, I'm not at all bothered by the fact that I already kind of knew how the film would end, like some complainers have been. It's like complaining about the fact that a Disney movie is going to have a happy ending no matter what.
But still, it was a bit unclear just how much effort was going to be put into this, and luckily they didn't disappoint. I'd say that this is just as good as Force Awakens. It's instantly recognizable as Star Wars, broadens the universe and gives us exactly the kind of action adventure we want. The final battle especially, over and on the garden world of Scarif, is one of the best battle scenes we've yet seen in Star Wars. It's creative, easy to follow and filled to the brim with tension. It also contains one of the best Darth Vader moments in history. That alone was worth the price of admission, in my mind.
The story is also very good. It's a lot darker than the trilogies, by which I mean that it's told as a war story. The Rebellion versus the Empire feels like a proper war, with both sides willing to commit atrocities in the name of their cause. There are casualties aplenty and people don't come out unscathed.
The movie is not without its flaws, however. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the main character, is unfortunately a bit flat, as is the main male character Diego Luna (Cassian Andor). Neither of them is terrible, but they're not all that identifiable either. The supporting cast is very strong, however, which makes up for this failing. I especially like the droid K-2SO, voiced by Alan Tudyk.
Some have also complained about the fact that the first half of the movie drags a little bit, but personally I didn't notice.
All in all Rogue One is more than a worthy addition to the Star Wars saga. If you liked Force Awakens, you're going to like this one just fine.