Rogue One: A Star Wars Story/Walt Disney/Dir. by Gareth Edwards/Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action
When Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, reaction among hardcore Star Wars fans was equal part anticipation and dread. While many were thrilled that they would see Episode VII, something that most had resigned to the realm of impossibility, many others were worried that they would watch the much-loved "galaxy far, far away" become homogenized and "Disney-fied" with an eye more focused on corporate synergy and profit than on character and story. Of course, It would be naive of me to say that Disney didn't have the bottom-line in mind when they made the purchase, However, as was the case when they bought Pixar and Marvel, Disney has shown that the best way to make that all-important profit is by caring about character and story first and foremost. While the newest chapter in the Star Wars universe, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, could easily be dismissed as merely another cog in the never-ending machine that is Disney, it's clear from the outset that the actual creative talent behind the film are true fans who want to tell the best story they can in the best way possible. In fact, with The Force Awakens and Rogue One, it could be argued that the real effect of Disney on the Star Wars universe is a willingness to get dark, to employ more multi-dimensional story elements, and a deepening complexity in the series' heroes and villains.
Stemming from the events described in the opening crawl text of the first Star Wars film, Rogue One is the story of the rebels who obtained the plans that lead to the destruction of the first Death Star. Specifically, it is the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a woman with a shady past who is recruited by the Rebel Alliance in hopes that her connection with a mysterious anti-Imperial militia leader named Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) will lead to a partnership. Jyn agrees, but not out of any love for the cause. She's in it to find out more information about her father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), who most of the rebels believe to be a traitor deeply entrenched in the Empire, but whom Jyn believes to be working to bring down the Empire from within.
Along the way, she meets the rest of her "dirty dozen" or rather "half-dozen", including an ethically dubious rebel assassin (Diego Luna), a re-programmed Imperial droid (Alan Tudyk), two mysterious Guardians of the Whills (Donnie Yen and Wen Jiang), and an Imperial pilot that defected for the cause (Riz Ahmed).
While Rogue One is clearly visually rooted in the Star Wars universe, it is the least Star Wars-y of the franchise if only for the fact that these characters are not magical or "chosen ones." No Skywalkers or Solos here. They're the foot soldiers that fight and, at times, die so that Han, Luke, and Chewbacca can get medals and be celebrated in grand award ceremonies. That alone makes this a grittier and more intense experience. While we might be mildly concerned for the well-being of the main characters in any other chapter of the Star Wars story, we're constantly aware that any of our new favorites in Rogue One could die at any time as jarringly and unceremoniously as any soldier in any war. In fact, this is the first Star Wars film to really address the ultimate sacrifice of war and the utter conviction of purpose that drives a soldier.
That acting in Rogue One is strong throughout with Oscar-nominee Jones bringing to vivid life another great heroine in the saga. Luna is equally impressive, especially creating an empathy toward a character with a rather gray sense of morality. His General Andor has been fighting against the Empire for so long, that he has become a believer in an "ends justify the means" sort of worldview, even if those means include killing innocent people. Luna does a great job showing the weight of war on his face, even as his experiences with this mission change him for the better. Tudyk, who has recently become Disney's good luck charm in the vocal performance arena, steals every scene as K-2SO, a droid with C-3PO's skill, Han Solo's sarcasm, and R2-D2's implied talent for well-timed put-downs (sure, we never understand R2, but you just know he's got a way with an insult).
Director Edwards, who most recently directed the 2014 Godzilla reboot, artfully mixes the old and new, imprinting his own impressive visual style with the well-worn look of a Star Wars film. In addition, he choreographs the climactic battle of the film with ease and vigor, something that is missing a bit in the first act of the film, which can, at times, feel a little disjunct.
But that finale.....whew! It seems hardly possible after 40 years (has it really been 40 years?!?) that we could see images that surprise us in a Star Wars film, but the final act of Rogue One is a stunner. Seamlessly weaving three different battles (much like the finale of Return of the Jedi), is it filled to the rim with everything we love about Star Wars (Space battles! AT-ATs! Fish aliens yelling orders!), yet it manages to surprise and excite (a clever strategy in battling Star Destroyers is particularly fun). Plus, it give us a potent example of why Darth Vader is the ultimate bad guy in a scene that, in another context, could have felt just at home in a "there's a killer lose in the house" film. Think a horror movie villain armed with a lightsaber and the ability to do that force choke thing. Eeek.
Another splendid element of the film is Michael Giacchino's masterful score. Hired to write the music for the film a mere two months before its release, he manages to create a score that marries the musical language of John Williams with his own sense of melody and progression. One could easily see it being written by Maestro Williams, yet it is also distinctly in Giacchino's voice. It's a memorable and evocative accompaniment to a memorable and evocative film.
Rogue One isn't a perfect film and it doesn't inspire in me the same sense of "Insta-Favorite" enthusiasm that I felt with The Force Awakens, but it's almost better that it doesn't because it's not that kind of film. Yes, it's fun. Yes, it has light moments. However, this is a movie that makes you feel more than just nostalgia or visceral popcorn-movie euphoria. In it's own small way, Rogue One makes you ponder the lives of the unremarkable people who do remarkable things because it's the right thing to do, no matter how difficult or ominous, which might be the most noble message found in any of the Star Wars films. After all, it is all about a new hope.
Grade: A-
