A Story Of Hope

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2016)

First in the stand-alone/spin-off series of "Star Wars" films is a winner. Set in-between Episodes III & IV, story has a ragtag group of rebels(led by Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones) who are made aware of an alarming new super-weapon just completed by the Empire called the Death Star that is capable of destroying whole planets, and so come up with a desperate plan(aided by the Rebel Alliance) to steal the schematics of it in order to exploit a weakness built into it by a most personal architect and "collaborator" - Jyn's father Galen(played by Mads Mikkelsen), though that won't be so easy, as Darth Vader(still voiced by James Earl Jones) is on the way to stop them...
Superb prequel takes its time to build, but delivers a rousing third act filled with well-staged ground and outer space battle scenes that gives this a welcome gritty feel. Filled with knowing cameos(especially regarding Grand Moff Tarkin) and touches, film is obviously made with love and respect by director Gareth Edwards and the whole crew, with a final sequence and scene that hits the bulls-eye.
Will give real hope to "Star Wars" fans that new parent company Walt Disney is on the right path at last, though of course only time will tell for now...