Rogue One: An Emotional and Intense Set-Up to A New Hope

Ladies and gentlemen, Star Wars is back for another thrilling and epic tale in the battle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, and this time, a new cast of characters is tagging along for the ride and even puts back the war in Star Wars.

Ladies and gentlemen, Star Wars is back for another thrilling and epic tale in the battle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, and this time, a new cast of characters is tagging along for the ride and even puts back the war in Star Wars.

Rogue One is the first in the Star Wars Anthology series and tells the story of how the Rebels acquired the plans for the Death Star, a super-weapon capable of destroying planets as seen in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the daughter of the unwilling Death Star designer Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), leads a band of rebels in this mission, accompanied by Rebel intelligence officer Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Rebel-owned Imperial droid K-2SO (portrayed in motion capture and voice by Alan Tudyk), blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), mercenary Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), and former Imperial, now Rebel pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed).

Gareth Edwards, whose previous films include Monsters, his feature film debut, and the 2014 Godzilla reboot, unexpectedly and thankfully gave Rogue One a certain distinction and breath of fresh air in the narrative and mythology of the Star Wars series: he infused the grittiness and style of a war film with the old-school look of the original trilogy, as evident from the exhilarating yet suspenseful third act. As a result, Rogue One raised the emotional stakes and gave it a heavier impact than expected.

However, while the script shines in its humor and unique character personalities, it seems deprived of character development and back-stories especially for the supporting characters. So many questions about our core characters—besides Jyn, obviously—are raised after the film’s end credits, but it looks like they won’t be answered as there won’t be any sequel to Rogue One. If you’re a die-hard Star Wars fan, prepare yourself for tons of fan service, big and small, and also, Rogue One answers that one particular question that’s been bothering the fans since watching A New Hope.

The film’s various set and costume designs used the designs of the original Star Wars trilogy to further establish the connection and timeline of Rogue One to A New Hope, and seeing those old, awkward fleet trooper helmets echoed nostalgia whenever I see them.

For the film’s score, Alexandre Desplat was initially involved as composer, but after the reshoots occurred, affecting the post-production schedule, he was replaced by Michael Giacchino—making this his first Star Wars score and making him the first composer to work on a Star Wars film other than the iconic John Williams—and Giacchino had four weeks to work on the score, starting right after the production of Doctor Strange finished (Giacchino is also the composer of Doctor Strange). I really love Giacchino’s works, especially on Super 8 and Inside Out, among many others, and his work in Rogue One never disappoints; it evokes the sense of war perfectly and resonates with the emotions throughout the scenes.

The performances of the diverse cast of Rogue One are all excellent. Felicity Jones proves she is capable of carrying a film on her shoulder, and I’m a fan of her work since first seeing her in the independent romantic drama Like Crazy with the late Anton Yelchin, so I got really excited in seeing her being physical and a badass; she gave Jyn a strong, stubborn, and vulnerable—when needed—personality. 

Diego Luna and Riz Ahmed did their best as the respected yet burdened Cassian Andor and the Imperial-deflecting Bodhi Rook respectively despite their characters being thinly written and lacking in back-story. Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen’s characters have the most interesting dynamic among the Rogue One squad; their performances gave their characters’ relationship a certain authenticity, and I really liked Baze’s interaction with Jyn going into the third act. 

As the film’s villain, Ben Mendelsohn’s portrayal of Krennick is suitably over the top but never feels cartoonish. But the film’s scene-stealer is the droid K-2SO, voiced and motion captured by Alan Tudyk; his lines are hilarious yet not forced, and while the droid is as lovable as its similar counterparts like R2D2 and BB-8, it’s cool for him to also be a part of the action.

Now, I have to commend the film's third act, which is a big battle set in a beach and some sort of a heist. I really loved the tropical setting because it’s a refreshing sight even with the drama, chaos, and deaths unfolding around it. The whole battle is exciting and gripping; the space dogfights and the ground combat, especially when the AT-ACT walkers enter, are intense and well-crafted. When the war finally dies down, we are given to a radically different ending, which is not expected for a Star Wars film; I won’t say a damn thing about it, so you guys have to see the film for yourself. The epilogue is also exceptional because of how the film connects and leads to A New Hope, and you’re also treated to one of the most badass scenes in the film too.

Of course, Rogue One isn’t entirely flawless as I said. Besides the thinly written supporting characters, the film’s second act slowed the pace down a bit but redeems itself going into the third act. There were also scenes shown in the trailer but are absent in the final cut; this may be the effect of the reshoots that occurred earlier this year. I guess we’ll have to see those scenes in the Blu-ray and DVD release of Rogue One, and I would definitely love to see them as I have some favorite shots in the trailer that ended up in the cutting room floor during post-production.

To sum up, Rogue One is a well-made, intense, and emotionally charged addition to the Star Wars universe. It is definitely capable of standing on its own and even does a good job of setting up A New Hope. If you’re planning to have a Star Wars marathon before Episode VIII comes, I recommend you add this because watching this before A New Hope will definitely give you a new perspective of A New Hope.

Rogue One, may the Force be with you.

RATING: 4.5/5