The Star Wars Universe is back on track.

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2016)

I'm a little late to the party, but for what it's worth, here's my two cents on Rogue One, the direct prequel to the original Star Wars, which shows how a brave group of rebels risked all to acquire the plans to the Empire's latest weapon, The Death Star.
After the disappointment that was The Force Awakens, I went into Rogue One with low expectations, which only served to make a very good film even more of a pleasure to behold. What we have here is a vast improvement over J.J. Abrams' unimaginative retread of A New Hope, a standalone spin-off story that is surprisingly dark, violent and gritty, especially considering that it is a product of the House of Mouse. Director Gareth Edwards tells his gripping tale of hope, bravery and sacrifice with an assured hand, delivering engaging characters (with a droid—K-2SO—stealing every scene 'he' is in), pathos, humour and, of course, excitement, the excellent action set pieces a marvel to behold (the rebel X-wing fighters attacking the Imperial Star destroyers is breath-taking).
If this is the standard that Disney has set for future films in the Star Wars Universe, then I'm back to being a faithful fan. 8.5/10, happily rounded up to 9 for IMDb despite the patently CGI Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia.