The force is with us, we are one with the force

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2016)

This review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is spoiler free
**** (4/5)
In order to create a prequel of the Star Wars franchise especially in the post era of George Lucas, the director who makes it would need to have serious Death Star-sized balls in order to do it well. Ultimately it seems that, that isn't the problem for director Gareth Edwards whom since his stunningly assured debut 2010s Monster and a few years later creating yet another monster movie Godzilla, he has changed the era of modern film with each of them looking dizzying while this happens. Although Rogue One: A Star Wars Story isn't close to a monster which is the atmosphere that the director is used to. Though this isn't any ordinary Star Wars film as it doesn't have any lightsabres, it's all done practically using blasters during the dynamic fight scenes. It's essentially a war film which is set in space, but it looks dazzling while doing it as each blaster shot emits a bright light right across the big screen. The story is done well with each character although increasingly clever are all very dynamic who do well to keep their part in the story which at some points erupts over them, each scene during the first second and even the third act which will make every single Star Wars geek tremble with excitement.
Though not all the credit can be given to a very ambitious Gareth Edwards, as some of the of the credit can be given to John Knoll the leader of Edwards' effects team who is also a veteran employee of IML (Industry of Magic & Light) as he tries to implement the same special effects of the 1977 classic A New Hope, but it looks brilliant as the message is clear here that the special effects from nearly 40 years ago are still relevant even now. But also some other credit points have to be given to the screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who formed a clever script that can possibly go down as a classic Star Wars script, as each player are given some while fun, but also some very serious dialogue but is still rather quick on its wits and quick on its whims with some of the more dynamic characters. Each character plays their part well, delivering some brilliant funny one liners but also doing their part to fight the oncoming threat of the overreaching Imperial Forces who still can't aim straight. Even though there are no lightsabres it seems there is still much to enjoy in this origin story. Also to keep the story from strafing too far into the generics of the previous Star Wars prequels, there is a large seven foot tall, black, white and orange re-programmed Imperial droid K-2SO (voiced by the always charismatic Alan Tudyk) who says some of the funnier lines in which sense could be seen as the new C-3PO, what's not like?
At points, the film is a lot darker but earnest as it seems that like Luke Skywalker and Rey, our heroine in this film Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) also has a very dark past but unlike Luke and Rey who constantly try to hide Jyn, constantly has memories of her past with her father Galen (Mads Mikkeslen), who at this point was being taken over by the director of the Imperial Forces Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). So to take her mind off her dark past, she must form with the Rebel Alliance who together form an almost Mission: Impossible style mission to find the construction plans for the Empire's most dangerous weapon the Death Star, yes you thought you saw enough of the ominous grey and black space station, well it seems we have to see it one last time. But don't let that put you off as the weapon looks exactly the same as it did in the 1977 classic, ominous and creepy so really it's exactly the same as other Star Wars movies at this point. The Rebel Alliance are constantly at risk of being destroyed throughout the galaxy so they must have one massive fight against the ever growing Empire, this is when the film looks its best with each shot of the camera moving in to show each shot of the blasters without the look of a J.J Abrams-esque lens flare taking over each inch of the screen.
At other points the battle scenes maybe dynamic but they feel a little long but that isn't the problem as when this happens you can always rely on K-2SO saying another increasingly funny line, although the final battle does take quite a while it looks very dazzling with John Knoll's special effects doing well at making the film look gorgeous, with Gareth Edwards' transitions and camera movements implementing a sort of documentary verite style with a mash up of close-ups and far away shots, but also there are points when this takes place in the cold ominous skies of space but again it looks spectacular, as the final battle not only takes place on the Empire's outpost but also in the depths of space with other Rebel Ships. But also like the title suggests it does go quite rogue on the plans but not so rogue that it loses the plot. It seems that the Star Wars universe can still keep going as it now has an elaborate and very beautiful origin story to show how it really began with the final act that will make every Star Wars geek cheer and applaud with glee.
VERDICT: More dark and more grown up than the other Star Wars films, but its quick on its wits and quick on its whims, it seems that this universe will still be here for years to come.
8/10 visceral experience.