Instant Classic

Rating: 10/10 (17 April 2017)

Rogue One is comfortably the best Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi.
So I'll tell you where I'm at. I love the original films - I grew up with them as a child of the 80s. I think the prequels are rubbish, I don't really watch cartoons and the Force Awakens left me cold. Personally I thought Star Wars was done.
But at least I had the original films. Untouchable.
So I thought...
I walked out of the cinema totally satisfied I had seen an instant classic. It is bold, exciting, funny, tragic and most of all entertaining.
I won't go into the story, as most people know that its how the rebels stole the plans to the Death Star, which was destroyed in Star Wars (1977)
Rogue One manages in its 2 hours 10 mins run time to bring together a motley crew of characters, give them each sufficient screen time for you to care about them before putting them on a suicide mission. Its a true ensemble piece, and almost feels like The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen or the Wild Bunch in space. As the film was playing I felt it was good, then towards the end I thought wow they are actually going to do it. They are actually all going to die and the last 40 minutes are incredible.
As I was reeling from this, the director Gareth Edwards then produces the real moment of the film. The jewel in the crown. Darth Vader after taking a back seat for most of the film, after many security failures by Krennic (a fantastic little worm of a character played by the terrific Ben Mendelsohn) takes matters into his own hands in brutal fashion.
Following this scene, the film ends with Princess Leia, as Star Wars begins.
The film has many strengths. Gareth Edwards being the key. He hasn't just made a lazy remake of the original. This film stands alone, yet fits totally alongside the first three in style, execution and with panache.
I just want to touch on the humour as well. It has moments of humour that does not resort to slap stick as seen in the horrific prequels, where CGI creatures fart or C3P0's head ends up on another droids body (really? yep it really happened)
Yes, finally a film that cares for its characters more than the CGI. Yes, this is the film that gave Darth Vader his balls back. Yes, this is the film that dared kill off the whole cast. Yes, the Star Wars film that highlights how bad the prequels and The Force Awakens is. Yes, I loved it.
Can you tell?