A lifeless replica of what once was.

Rating: 2/10 (6 April 2017)

If I were to re-purpose Biblical language for this review, I would say that Rogue One "having a form of Star Wars, lacks the power thereof."
The movie makes every attempt to look like a Star Wars Movie, with its admittedly beautiful sets, gorgeous locations and elaborate costuming.
Unfortunately, it fails to do what it needed to do - feel like a Star Wars movie.
Rather than a fun and immersive cinematic blockbuster with interesting characters, Rogue One - in spite of all it's external trappings - feels like an empty shell of what we know and love.
Not one character earns the viewer's investment. Not one action piece holds any gravity or weight. Not one note of the soundtrack is memorable.
Character motivations are difficult to grasp; with main characters having personalities that change erratically.
Perhaps the saddest thing was seeing terrible CGI flooding the film, a bitter reminder of where the prequels failed.
Director Gareth Edwards proves once more that Godzilla was not a misstep on his part, it's his modus operandi - shallow characters, clunky exposition, and a handful of impressive shots that make for a trailer good enough to lure fans into a theater.