Rogue One: A Review (SPOILER FREE)

Well of course I went and saw this! But what did I think?

I believe that a lot of people were confused that this was NOT an official Star Wars movie. It was not an official episode (it takes place between ep3 and ep4). It didn't even have a title scroll at the beginning (which was a little bit of a bummer, but I understand). It was a stand-alone film and does not cross over with the films of the trilogy. See, George Lucas created a canon story and only certain things are allowed to actually fall into that canon. While other stories can be created in the universe like the Clone Wars TV series, books explaining aliens and stuff, etc., those thing fall into the universe canon, but not the saga canon. George Lucas was very explicit on what was allowed to be part of the canon story and what was not. This film was literally a fan fiction. It was filling in some plot holes and untold stories. That is what fan fictions do; someone other than the original author(s) put out stories filling in gaps, expanding on universes, etc.

I just felt I had to clear that up because there seems to be a lot of people confused about it.

Anyways, my opinion? Very good. I mean, it was not quite on par with the regular films, but it was still entertaining. Allow me to explain...

Basically, I thought the plot was a little contrived, generic, and predictable. There weren't really any surprises or twists to really get me engaged in it. Most of the characters were pretty bland too, even the likable ones. It relied on references to the original Star Wars to get viewers excited rather than making the original content actually good and memorable.

That is my major criticism. Other than that, I thought it was a very well put together and entertaining film. I did say that the plot was a bit predictable and generic, and admittedly, I wasn't that into it at first, but by the end, I was on the edge of my seat. It has a pretty intense climax.

I also said that the characters were a little bland, and I stand by that. I don't remember any of their names except maybe the main character. However, there are a few stand-out ones: the robot was very enjoyable and funny, and if I had to pick another, perhaps the blind priest guy. He was pretty entertaining to watch and had some good lines.

The visuals were completely off the charts. The battle sequences were amazing! I was really noticing the cinematography during the space battles; it kept reminding me of the Star Tours ride at Disneyland, where you really feel like you're flying right along with everyone. I totally enjoyed it! And then the effects to get some of the characters from A New Hope in there when the actors have since aged or died. I mean, wow!

I'd say if you're a big Star Wars fan, check it out. It fills in some time gaps and plot holes (especially a certain one that fans often bring up). It's mostly just a little filler movie, but still entertaining. If you know nothing of Star Wars, you will be SO lost. Like I said, most of the entertainment value relies on references to the other movies.

So yes, I liked it. I'd give it an 8/10. (But that's prone to change after a second viewing.)