Rogue One blasts its way into sci-fi relevancy by targeting the spectacle aspect that Star Wars devotees so fervently demand.

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2016)

To no surprise, Rogue One is a veritable gold-mine of nostalgic riches for Star Wars fans. Recurring characters and classic cameos raise surface-level hairs, but an even deeper connection pulls direct lines from previous Star Wars installations and re-purposes them for added homage.Rogue One: A Star Wars Story suffers from a clunky, too-many-moving-parts introductory period, but once characters are established and battle plans are laid, Gareth Edwards scales epic scenes of interstellar world-torching.It's more than enough to appease Star Wars fans, but Director Gareth Edwards' intergalactic firestorm is also good enough to stand as a mainstream success all in its own right. My rating for 'Rogue One : A Star Wars Story' is 3.5/5.