The most unique and original Star Wars movie.

Rating: 8/10 (19 December 2016)

Rogue One has been one of my most anticipated movies of this year but one I was very cautious about. So many things were going against this movie like the extensive reshoots, replacing the composer at the last minute and working as a standalone story and prequel. And for the most part it succeeds which I found to be such a relief. It has become one of my top 3 favourite Star Wars films.
Rogue One goes down in a direction not seen before in previous Star Wars movies. In past films, the Rebellion has been set in the background to focus on the fantastical elements with the Jedi and the Skywalkers. By removing the mysticism and fantasy, Gareth Edwards makes the Star Wars universe feel like there is an actual war going on in a grounded way. The rebels are shown as a group who do morally questionable things because of desperation due to the Empire's tyrannical rule. This new perspective draws parallels with today's CIA and even terrorism.
Edwards's expertise in vfx shows he knows how to make the visuals feel realistic and not lifeless. Both the cgi and practical fx are amazing to look at even by Star Wars standards. The biggest piece of visual spectacle is of course the Death Star. It is seen more menacing then ever as you see it above from a ground-level perspective. You feel the power and threat it presents more effectively then how Starkiller base was in Force Awakens.
The new characters are not fleshed out as previous characters but I was still rooting for them in the end because of the performances and likability. Felicity Jones shows both toughness and vulnerability as Jyn Erso who has a great redeeming arc. Diego Luna breaks out as the complex rebel soldier Cassian Andor who contrasts with Jyn's disrespect to authority. Donnie Yen and Wen Jiang work great as the supporting characters Chirrut and Baze, respectively. While the Jedi are not a major part of this film, Chirrut is not only a bad-ass (which is no surprise when you got Donnie Yen) but also provides a sense of spiritual aid and calmness with his belief in the Force. This clashes with Baze's hardened personality and lack of faith. Director Krennic, played greatly by Ben Mendelsohn, acts a fresh new villain in the Star Wars universe who isn't straight-up evil but is desperate to climb up the ranks of the Empire by any means necessary. The one character I wished was explored more was Rhiz Ahmed's Bodhi Rook just to better understand his defection against the Empire. And last but certainly not least (in fact probably the best) is the Alan Tudyk's droid K-2SO. He brings much-needed comic relief without becoming Jar-Jar Binks. Every one of K-2SO's lines was hilarious despite addressing the severity of the situation. Definitely has become my favourite droid.
The final act is definitely what you are going to remember most about this movie and has proved to be Gareth Edwards's greatest strength as a director. Much like the big monster battle in Edwards's last film Godzilla, the moment final battle begins you knows are going to get something unforgettable. You get heroic moments seeing the characters take on the Imperial army but also eventual heartbreak and sadness. And much applause should be given to Lucas Film and Disney for allowing Gareth Edwards and the writer Christopher McQuairre to end in a certain way that I think most studios would not risk taking.
I am not a hardcore Star Wars fan but if you watched New Hope before Rogue One there are certain little things and characters from that particular film you will definitely catch which helps to connect the two films. Now I am about to go into major spoilers. I will say the two returning original characters, Tarkin and Princess Leia, who are recreated through digital effects felt either overused or off-putting. As a vfx artist I was certainly impressed by how photo-realistic they looked but still could eventually see the uncanny valley. And the unfortunate thing with Tarkin is that I felt he greatly overshadowed Krennic, which prevented him from shining as the main villain. The one returning character that I wasn't disappointed with is Darth Vader. Vader was not in it as much as I predicted but I was still very happy with what scenes he was in. When Vader appears you will think Rogue One went from being a sci-fi war movie to a sci-fi horror. This made me forget him as the whiny and non-threatening Anakin Skywalker and think of him more as a combination of Jason Voorhees, the Terminator and Magneto.
I am going to say my biggest gripe with the movie unfortunately was the lack of a title crawl and the music. The title crawl could of helped a lot with explaining the first act. Plus it felt so weird not hearing John Williams's score right after "a long time ago in galaxy far, far away". As for the film's main score itself; it wasn't memorable. It felt like Michael Gianchino just made a fan version of John William's music. However I can't entirely blame him when he had only 3-4 weeks to compose it.
Overall, Rogue One is a great new addition to the Star Wars franchise while still standing apart from the other films. Rogue One has flaws, maybe as much as Force Awaken but for different reasons. Force Awakens has more well-developed characters and fun moments but Rogue One feels like a more satisfying and fresh story with a stronger ending. It is good escape from the standard tones and stories of the past but still feels it is a part of that universe. It will make you have a better appreciation for New Hope and look forward to future standalone stories in the Star Wars franchise.