A rebellion well worth saving

Rating: 8/10 (2 August 2017)

Loved the original 'Star Wars' films as a kid, still do. Especially 'Empire Strikes Back' while considering 'A New Hope' a genre landmark. Didn't think the prequel films were that bad personally, but they had a lot wrong with them and were a long way from great, especially 'Attack of the Clones'. Personally actually loved 'The Force Awakens', despite the vitriolic hate it's got.
The latest 'Star Wars' entry, which is somewhat of a prequel, 'Rogue One' is a worthy prequel but seems to be intended as a standalone chapter and it actually fares even better in this regard. 'Rogue One' is not as good as the original trilogy, not being as much as a genre landmark or as influential but is certainly better than any of the prequel trilogy films combined and along with 'The Force Awakens' one of the better 'Star Wars' films since 'The Return of the Jedi'. With this being said, 'Rogue One' is going to be reviewed as if considered a standalone chapter.
'Rogue One' has so many good things, even if the film didn't do much for me it would have gotten a 4/10 at least. For one thing, the production values (with a couple of exceptions) are amazing. Particularly good are the special effects, which are not only of outstanding and astonishingly real quality but actually drive and enhance the story and helps provide some great visual story-telling. It's wonderfully shot too, the cinematography being some of the most memorable and beautifully composed and transitioned of the year. 'Rogue One' similarly boasts a rousing, sometimes dream-like and atmospheric score from the always dependable Michael Giacchino, one misses John Williams of course and having a different composer takes some getting used to for someone who grew up with Williams' iconic themes, but Giacchino is a worthy replacement.
Also impressive is a script that treats its audience with respect, rather than talking down, being bland and soulless or so dumbed down that it lacks brains. Tension, humour, action and pathos are beautifully balanced, the references and nod a delight for any 'Star Wars' fan and written in a way that is affectionate rather than shoe-horned. The story never felt dull (to me), maintaining a snappy pace and with a lot of heart and tension. There is a great combination of what made the original trilogy so great, something that Gareth Edwards fully understood, while having its own identity, this is not a re-hash yet there is an affectionate nostalgia reminiscent of the original trilogy's spirit. It makes sense, and is darker, more poignant and richer than the whole saga has been in a long time.
Then there is the action, which is thrilling and has a real sense of purpose. The last forty minutes in particular are thrillingly epic. Nice to see footage of Peter Cushing and even more wonderful was seeing one of cinema's most iconic villains Darth Vader making an appearance magnificently voiced as ever by James Earl Jones.
Mainly the cast are strong, with a feisty and likable heroine in Felicity Jones' Jyn, terrific support from Diego Luna and especially Riz Ahmed and Ben Mendelsohn's sterlingly played villain. The best characters are K-2SO, the wisecracking robot played with terrific comic timing and gusto by Alan Tudyk, and Chirrut, beautifully realised and 'Rogue One's' most interesting character characterised splendidly by Donnie Yen.
Not without its faults by all means. Some characters are underused and underdeveloped, a few like Forrest Whittaker's (pretty wasted) Gerrera being pointless. Some of the pacing is jumpy and rushed which comes at the expense of making a cast of perhaps too many characters more consistently interesting.
Design and CGI for Tarkin is ropey and distractingly artificial. While it was nice to see younger Leia again, it was cheaply recreated and like Tarkin sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the visuals, which were otherwise amazing as said.
Overall, worthy prequel and a very good standalone chapter. A rebellion well worth saving. 8/10 Bethany Cox