STAR WARS IS BACK after 11 years !

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2016)

To be very honest with you, after The Force Awakens, I started losing hope for new STAR WARS movies because it failed to bring the essence and spirit of SW to the screen. It wasn't a continuation of the saga, but a shallow reboot without any depth, substance, mythology or spirituality.
ROGUE ONE however is a different story. I was immediately fully immersed in this gritty somber atmospheric universe, where you feel you are watching a STAR WARS movie. It did capture the spirit and essence of SW. The planets had a great vibe, you felt the oppression of the Empire, the breath of Darth Vader giving you goosebumps. The characters in ROGUE ONE were fantastic and the actors did a great job. They were a diverse group of strong individuals fighting for the same cause and it was inspirational. That's this other thing about SW movies & myths in general that they should speak to your inner hero's journey, inspire you, move you and touch you. ROGUE ONE DID THIS. The soundtrack was very cool, camera was great and special effects were phenomenal. John Knoll is a true VFX master and he really knows his craft. Hats off to him and his team for being able to pull up such amazing shots. Another super cool thing is how brilliantly it expands the story that leads to the beginning of A New Hope. There were also these cool fan service moments that will make you happy but I don't want to reveal anything. But I can say that it's such a shame they did not include Obi-Wan and Yoda in at least one epic scene (communicating through The Force for example). That would be the cherry on top and I'm sure Ewan and Frank Oz would be both very happy to do this.
To sum it up ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is a gritty version of STAR WARS for a more mature audiences and has a great vibe. In the words of Vader: "I sense something. A presence of STAR WARS I've not felt since Revenge of the Sith."