The start of a new franchise is always a gamble. Even when a series's name has been well established for years; trying something new always comes with a chance of failure. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is one such experiment and is, for the most part, quite successful. Any nerd worth his/her salt, myself included, can tell you that Star Wars and prequels have not mixed well in the past. Why exactly that is has been discussed time and time again by other critics, so instead of falling into the same grouping, this review will strictly focus on why this film, which serves as a direct prequel to the original Star Wars, uses the prequel concept to its advantage.
All prequels in every form of media have one common obstacle to overcome: a lack of tension. Setting a story before one fans and/or viewers have already seen is a huge disadvantage, as any and all major events are proven to be inevitable. This is especially true in doing a prelude to a story as well-known as Star Wars, so how exactly does Rogue One bypass this issue?
The narrative is original and interesting for longtime fans and casual viewers. The main characters introduced to the story are completely new to the universe, and thus their ultimate fate in the overall mythology is ups for grabs. The film illuminates elements of the original Star Wars that, while not entirely necessary to explore, are nonetheless pleasant to see on screen. Both of these elements elevate Rogue One no less than several hundred notches above the cosmic train wreck that was the prequel trilogy.
To elaborate on my aforementioned points, the characters of this film are mostly original ones, allowing for a great deal of freedom in terms of their story arcs. The two primary leads, Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso and Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, are certainly the heart and soul of the cast. Both fill rather standard archetypes, with Jones as the jaded cynic who rediscovers hope and Luna as the hardened killer who finds mercy, but in typical Star Wars fashion the performances manage to create compelling and multidimensional personas. I won’t say their arcs carry the same weight as those of the Skywalker clan, but their brand of smaller scope is actually another bonus, serving to differentiate this spin-off from the main saga.
As for the supporting cast, the major standout among our heroes is Alan Tudyk, who voices the droid K-2SO. He has some legitimately funny dialogue, stemming from his blunt, analytical personality; humor which resonates much more than the comedy found in the rest of the movie. It’s no secret that this film went through some well-publicized re-shoots earlier last year, and the plenitude of awkward humor is by far the biggest outcome of this fact. This is especially true of Donnie Yen and Riz Ahmed’s characters who have some pretty cringe-worthy “jokes” earlier on.
Having said that, it is indeed the final act of this film that cements its quality. The entire film is a prelude to A New Hope, but trying to mix that in with its own story and characters at the same time comes across as a little clumsy. However, the finale of this movie is where the two blend together seamlessly. The appearance of Darth Vader (that’s no spoiler, he’s in all the advertising!) is legitimately chilling and exactly what audiences have wanted to see for a long time. Other fan favorites pop up by way of motion capture recreations, and while the effect can be flat at times, it’s mostly solid.
Overall, whether fans truly asked for Rogue One or not, the end result is a slightly uneven but ultimately engaging film. If this is a sign of what’s to come from these “Star Wars Stories”, then it’s a sign to be hopeful.
Review by: Zak Kizer
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