A strong edition to the STAR WARS universe, that can hold its own!

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2016)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story directed by Gareth Edwards, is the latest and first edition to the Star Wars universe as a standalone movie, telling the story of how the rebellion captured the plans to the first Death Star, that we eventually see in the original Star Wars movie – A New Hope, where Rogue One ends just ten minutes before.
To put it straight, this is a not an entirely child friendly Star Wars movie. From the onset of the film, you really do get a grasp of the overall tone that this movie has throughout, which is darker and grittier than the saga movies. Now, there is no gore, but let's put it this way, there's a lot of death, and rightfully so given the plot of this movie and the gravity of what the rebellion is up against and the stakes associated with the mission at hand.
Rogue One will definitely sit well with most hardcore Star Wars fans, and if you've read the novel 'Catalyst' by James Luceno, or have invested a lot of your time looking into various aspects of Star Wars lore across the board, then you will most likely have a better understanding of the characters going in, as well as the events that took place before the time of Rogue One and the relationships certain characters have. Casual fans that perhaps are not as invested into Star Wars can enjoy this movie, but watching it, you can tell this is geared more towards hardcore fans based on the content that's presented in the film. While the overall film isn't anything unique and pays homage to the likes of Saving Private Ryan and Apocalypse Now, it can be argued that it is more original than that of the The Force Awakens plot line, that has seen some controversy from critics and fans alike, despite being an enjoyable film nonetheless and a worthy edition to the saga.
There is no crawl, but this didn't take anything away from the overall quality of the movie. Instead, a title card is used, which looks a little unprofessional, but it's only there for a few seconds.
The first act of Rogue One begins quite slow, introducing us to each of the characters in a way that could be done better, and seemed a little misguided, where characters were not fleshed out as much as we'd perhaps like them to be. However, the second and third act make up for the slow start, but the slow start does provide us as the audience with context to help perpetuate the plot forward. There are small Easter eggs and hints of fan service peppered throughout the film, but doesn't feel shoehorned in just for the sake of nostalgia.
Rogue One is without a doubt one of the most visually stunning Star Wars films to date, which is accented by cinematography that captures the beautiful landscapes of places like Iceland and the Maldives. The CGI in the film feels and looks real and blends in very well with the practical effects nicely where everything works together. There are only a few moments where CGI can seem a little ineffective, but nothing that stands out to be significantly negative. Overall, the CGI in this movie is used very intelligently, in new ways that hasn't been seen too often in cinema.
As much as the characters all have their moments in the film, the main standout characters are noticeably K2SO (Alan Tudyk), Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) and Orson Krenic (Ben Mendelsohn). K2 isn't like any other droid, he is an imperial droid that has been reprogrammed to serve and fight for the rebellion. While he's the comic relief throughout the film and breaks some witty one liners, he can also hold his own as a skilled fighter in both physical combat and firearms. Chirrut, who is a blind warrior located on the ancient city of Jedha (holy land for the Jedi), believes strongly in the force which guides him and assists him despite his impaired vision. However, he is no Jedi nor Sith, just a follower/believer of the force that carries a great spirit. Krenic is a great edition to the villains within the Star Wars universe; he is continuously trying to show off to a particular character in the film for a sense of approval and validation, and is ultimately trying to move up the ranks to the big leagues, although his arrogance can often be his downfall. And of course, the iconic villain himself, Vader! Vader is used sparingly throughout the film, which has been highlighted by Kathleen Kennedy (president of Lucasfilm) many times before the release. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, and he doesn't need to as this isn't his movie, but his time on screen is utilised 'perfectly'. When you see him, his presence can be felt. He is most prominent in the last act of the film, which will not disappoint.
The battle on Scariff and the space battle above its atmosphere is undoubtedly one of the best battles amongst the Star Wars films, and will perhaps go down as one of the most iconic as well as historic for its connection to A New Hope. As said previously, this is very much a war film and puts the 'wars' in 'Star Wars'. This movie doesn't rely on Jedi or Sith, its main focus is on the average soldier and what they've had to sacrifice for the cause of the rebellion in the fight against the rise of the Empire. There's lots of death, which goes without question, as this final battle is very reminiscent to the likes of Saving Private Ryan, and takes a lot of inspiration from the Vietnam War in terms of cinematography and the scale of the battle itself.
Rogue One is a strong edition to the line of Star Wars movies, and will undoubtedly sit rather high in the ranking table.