A rebellion built on hope

Rating: 8/10 (30 August 2018)

In between the events of Episodes III and IV, it seems like all hope is lost for the rebellion when they find out the existence of the weapon known as the Death Star, which is well-known in the movie universe as a weapon that can destroy whole planets. However, when it is learned that there is a weakness in the Death Star plans, the rebellion - led by Jyn Erso (played by Academy Award Nominee Felicity Jones) - go all out to get the plans to the Death Star so that there can once again be hope in the galaxy.
All in all, a great movie! The actors are all great in their parts. Felicity Jones plays off the plucky, rebellious hero well; she is dealing with the absence of her father, who was taken by the Imperial forces when she was a young child. Diego Luna is fantastic as her right hand man, while Emmy Nominee Alan Tudyk (who by now is well known for his voice over roles) provides comic relief as K-2SO. We also get some accomplished veterans that join the Star Wars universe; Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker plays the wise Saw Gerrera, while Mads Mikkelsen portrays Jyn's father.
While the only well-known director in the Star Wars universe used to be George Lucas, in recent years, it has gotten more well-known directors in the directors chair, such as J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson and Ron Howard. This time, it is Emmy Nominee Gareth Edwards, who is well-known for his direction in Monsters and the big monster blockbuster Godzilla. Here he takes the Star Wars direction to new places, and while I did miss the lightsabers, it was a refreshing change of pace for the Star Wars franchise. He focuses more on the war aspects of the story and not just the characters or the flashy moments.
All in all, a great Star Wars film! Go and watch it!