DAVID ADAMS says Star Wars spin-off Rogue One lives up to expectations…
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (M)
In a word: Stellar
Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) – centre – standing amidst a ragtag group of rebel fighters intent on standing up to the Empire. PICTURE: Jonathan Olley © 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
“Director Gareth Edwards has done a terrific job in recreating the Star Wars universe, ensuring that Rogue One captures the look and gritty feel of the original movies without making it look dated and managing to introduce new characters and locations which don’t jar.”
This is Star Wars as it should be. Full of fast-paced action with a plot that initially leaves your head spinning, strange new worlds to explore and brave new heroes playing their part in an overarching narrative of good standing up against evil (as well as the odd cameo by familiar faces), Rogue One fulfils all expectations (and they were high).
The story centres on Jyn Erso (played by the relatively unknown Felicity Jones), the daughter of an Imperial science officer, Galen Erso (Danish actor Mads Mikkelson).
When her parents are taken, she’s saved from the clutches of the Empire – and in particular the evil bureaucrat Orson Krennic (Australia’s Noah Mendolsohn) by the somewhat mysterious freedom-fighter Saw Gerrera (Forest Whittaker). Her character is shaped early on what it means to be independent and to fight for what she believes is right.
She becomes entangled in a plot by the Rebel Alliance – and in particular by rebel intelligence officer (and sometime assassin) Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his sidekick, a reprogrammed Imperial droid (and comic foil) called K-2SO (voiced delightfully by Alan Tudyk) – to get hold of stolen plans for a new planet destroying weapon called the Death Star which has apparently been designed in large part by her father.
Desperate to find her father who she learns is still alive, she joins the rebels as they look to get the plans out in a story which, of course, involves plenty of laser battles against imperial storm troopers, fleets of spaceships clashing in the skies and more than one breath-taking chase scene.
In a franchise which has had its ups and downs when it comes to acting, it’s good to see this issue has been completely overcome here with Jones and Luna both putting in strong performances and ably supported by the likes of Mendelsohn, Mikkelsen and Whittaker.
Director Gareth Edwards has done a terrific job in recreating the Star Wars universe, ensuring that Rogue One captures the look and gritty feel of the original movies without making it look dated and managing to introduce new characters and locations which don’t jar. The only slightly missed note was the use of CGI in recreating a couple of the characters from the original film – the tech has almost, but not quite, managed to pull it off.
The narrative is also a plus, not trying to force the characters into cookie-cutter moulds but allowing them to appear complete with all their flaws and short-comings as they struggle to survive in world at war. It meshes well with the big picture storyline but is also strong enough to stand-up well in its own right. And the story isn’t afraid to go to some hard places – there’s no repeat here of the sort of ‘Disney-efying’ we saw in the first of the prequel films.
Rogue One leaves you wanting more (and wanting to watch it again to nail down some of the details). Loved it.
