The Star Wars movie we've been waiting for, especially if you loved Empire Strikes Back

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2016)

Rogue One is a Star Wars movie we can all get excited about, because it finally feels we have a movie worthy of being in the same conversation as the original trilogy, with many similarities from the masterpiece of Empire Strikes Back.
Gareth Edwards excellently presents us with a dark, foreboding story of how a group of Rebels struggled and overcame challenges that immediately precede the events of A New Hope. We know where we will ultimately end up, but not how we will get there.
It is a true "war movie" at its very core, and has perhaps the most amount of outright war and conflict than any other Star Wars movie to date. Edwards' use of CGI in this respect is very well-received, with some of the greatest space battling I have ever seen in Star Wars (reminiscent of Episodes 3 and 6, but even better!). The ground battles are also fantastically done, set in a variety of breathtaking locations that contrast each other in line with the growing tensions throughout the movie.
Edwards also succeeds with the difficult task of developing an interesting plot in a story where viewers already know how it's going to end. I never found myself bored following along with the story in this manner because he distracts you with the new and unique characters you meet and how each of their individual roles is so important to the overall outcome.
The new characters are fresh and likable. Felicity Jones does a wonderful job playing Jyn Erso despite Episode 7 prominently featuring a new female protagonist. Edwards also cleverly introduces us to a new "droid" personality excellently voiced by Alan Tudyk. The role of the droid K-2SO in Rogue One is welcomed and fresh for the series since we've never really seen a true "battle droid" who can be so intimidating in combat and so crucial to the overall plot. Tudyk's voicing of K-2SO is also important contributor to the needed comic relief in this otherwise dark and "serious" movie. Lastly, Ben Mendelsohn's performance as a cold and calculating antagonist meshes well with the overall tone and mood of this period in the Star Wars timeline.
Rogue One has plenty for old and new fans alike, albeit I will echo what other reviewers have expressed in saying this is probably the least "kid-friendly" of the series. There is death, destruction, violence, cruelty and outright murder -- but appropriately so. Older fans who grew up with the original series will recognize some familiar faces who were included in a way that I did not find distracting or feeling "forced" just for the sake of being there. Other nods to the original series were almost missed if you were not paying close attention (I say that in a good way!). There are a couple of characters who I will not disclose that are "CGI-ed" into the movie and I thought in general they were well done. Some may disagree but that is for you to judge.
The pace of Rogue One also lends itself much more to the originals than the prequels/Episode 7. It isn't in any hurry to jump to the action and I respect that given what was done in Force Awakens. I will admit the very beginning seemed a bit disorganized, with the movie jumping from several different settings within minutes of each other to set up later plot points/characters. This was probably a side effect of editing/deleted scenes but it didn't detract too much. Once over that initial bump, the pace is appropriate to allow you to get to know the slew of new characters and appreciate the growing tensions between Rebels, neutrals, and the Empire that is so important to the plot of the movie. The pace then gradually increases in parallel to those tensions as you approach the climax. Rogue One (unlike any of the prequels or Episode 7) gives you enough time to "take in" the breathtaking worlds and settings that are featured without snapping quickly to the main characters. Like the original trilogy, the camera-work helps viewers feel they are immersed in an epic universe and not just jumping across wide swaths of land instantly. Likewise, the camera work prevents you from feeling claustrophobically confined to a tiny room on a space station or building because you're first introduced to the monstrously large facade of the place you are about to enter.
Overall, Rogue One is the Star Wars movie we as fans have been waiting for. It is very dark movie, with a lot of death and destruction, but also a beautiful movie with some of the greatest camera work and CGI I have seen in the series. With that, it has some of the greatest space (and ground), but SPACE! battles that will quench your thirst for such action, but still cleverly leaves you wanting more because of how great they were. The acting is well done (especially for Star Wars standards), and the plot is interesting and enjoyable in a setting where the viewers already know the ending. It is a movie deserving of being included in comparisons to and conversations about the original trilogy, and I think that is the most a huge fan could ask for.
I give it a 9/10 overall as a Star Wars movie (but probably more like an 8/10 when you compare it to any other movie that isn't Star Wars).