'Rogue One' goes all the way!

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2017)

Since the release of 'The Force Awakens', Disney will be releasing a 'Star Wars' film every year for the foreseeable future. Well, it's been a year since 'The Force Awakens', which means it's time for another 'Star Wars' film, and luckily for us, we get 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'. I'm so glad that Disney is allowing up and coming, young filmmakers a chance to have a go at 'Star Wars', because director Gareth Edwards ('Monsters' and 'Godzilla') has knocked it out of the park, even though there were some re-shoots with writer Tony Gilroy ('Michael Clayton' and 'The Bourne' films). This is the 'Star Wars' film we have wanted for a long time, in that we get to see some characters do some truly amazing and badass things that we've never seen before, and a return to some of those classic set pieces and ships.
'Rogue One' takes place in between 'Episode III' and 'Episode IV'. We all know that the original Star Wars film 'A New Hope' focused on Luke Skywalker destroying the Death Star, by way of stolen plans that Princess Leia entrusted to R2-D2 that instructed how to destroy that mega Death Star. We know how that turned out. 'Rogue One' tells the story of how and who stole those plans from the Empire and got them to the Rebellion. I don't want to give too much away here, because I know all of you will just fall in love with these characters.
Every performance is excellent here from Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso to Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, and even Forest Whitaker as fan favorite Saw Gerrera. Everyone gives a great performance of characters struggling to overcome the empire and deal with their past losses. Alan Tudyk ('Firefly') voices the new droid K-2SO, which might be my new favorite 'Star Wars' character of the whole canon. K-2SO is just plain fantastic and funny in a way that C3PO could never be. It was a delight. Mads Mikkelsen and Ben Mendelsohn are just straight up phenomenal and have many layers to their characters and steal each scene they are in.
Then of course Donnie Yen comes in and just owns every scene and proves he is the badass he has always been. There is a great story in this 133 minute film that keeps its pace with some of the best action sequences you'll ever see involving spaceships and tie fighters. Michael Giacchino has done a phenomenal job of bringing John Williams' score to this film by adding in some of the old with the new, and it just adds to every scene and suspenseful and heartfelt moment.
'Rogue One' is definitely one of the best 'Star Wars' films I've seen.
MUST-SEE!