'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Movie Review

​Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is directed by Gareth Edwards, and it stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whitaker, and Ben Mendelsohn. It’s the first Star Wars spinoff film to be released in this new wave of Star Wars films. The film takes place just before the original film, now known as Ep. IV A New Hope. It follows a group of outsiders as they come together and go on a mission for the Rebellion to retrieve the plans to a new superweapon known as the Death Star. 

   Rogue One was another great addition to the Star Wars universe, and it’s a film that I think any Star Wars fan can have a really, really great time with. Some critics are saying this film is one of the best in the Star Wars franchise and are even going as far to compare it to the likes of Empire Strikes Back. I wouldn’t go that far by any means, but this is still a really solid film.
   The acting throughout the film worked well for what it was. All of the actors gave good performances, some better than others, but no one in this film is going to be nominated for an Oscar or anything. However, that’s not what you needed out of these actors. You needed them to play these characters convincingly enough to make the film feel like you’re in the Star Wars universe, and they succeeded at that.
  The best performances in the film were those given by Alan Tudyk and Ben Mendelsohn. Tudyk played K-2SO, an Imperial droid reprogrammed to help the Rebellion. The best word to describe him would be sassy, and Tudyk pulled that off extremely well, in motion-capture no less. K-2SO was the comedic relief in the film, but it feels very natural. Mendelsohn played the villainous Director Krennic, the Imperial who is in charge of the building and testing of the Death Star. He was extremely menacing in this role, but there was more to this character than just being the bad guy. I won’t spoil anything, but he is an extremely interesting character played by a fantastic actor.
   Here’s what everyone will be talking about: Darth Vader. Obviously, you know he’s in the movie, as he has been in several of the trailers. I won’t spoil anything beyond that, but you should know that he has a very small part in the film. However, for the limited time, he was on screen, he was utilized extremely well. Director Gareth Edwards really captured the fear that comes with that character when he is on screen, and hearing James Earl Jones’s voice coming from that mask was extremely satisfying.
      This film is not without its flaws, though. There is one big flaw with this film that stood out to me. That’s the pacing of the film. The film starts out really slow. It sort-of drudges along sluggishly. You’re sitting there (still excited because you’re watching a Star Wars film) waiting for the film to pick up and get moving, and it does get much better, but the film didn’t start on a great note. The level of excitement in the film grows exponentially as it continues, and the film finishes on a really strong note.
   This is the first Star Wars film where the music was not scored by John Williams. The music in this film was from Michael Giacchino, who scored films such as Up, Inside Out, 2009’s Star Trek, and Doctor Strange. He did a pretty good job with the music, but it’s nothing compared to John Williams’s. The music worked really well as the movie was playing, but it’s not like the other films where you’ll find yourself searching for and listening to it outside of the theater.
    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story did an excellent job at continuing Disney’s streak of making great Star Wars movies. I didn’t enjoy the film quite as much as The Force Awakens, but it was still a lot of fun to watch. It has some pacing issues, and the music was a little lackluster, but that is made up for by the great characters and the sense of excitement built over the course of the film. I would highly recommend Rogue One if you are a Star Wars fan. If not, I think you can still have a really fun time with it.
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8.5/10

​   So what did you think of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? Did you enjoy it more or less than I did? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!

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