Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Review

Making an entire film to fill another’s plot hole is either commendable or stupid.

This film managed to avoid the former whilst just dodging the latter.

Rogue One has some of the best scenes in a Star Wars film but scenes are merely the parts that make the film. Whilst some are great others are just okay.

This film’s first act struggles to find a compelling reason for these characters to do what they need to do so the plot just kind of shimmies them into position for its second and final acts.

I don’t dislike the group of Rebels we have on screen but they don’t really attribute much towards their characters other than just being likeable. That’s fine and all but the depth is not there and that’s an issue.

Time is spent more on how they interact in regards to their present situation and they’re never given time to reflect on the past.

In some ways that makes this a very safe film because the chemistry is on point but it’s like talking to someone for 15 minutes until you realise they’re a stranger and have been discussing nothing but life and death throughout the course of you two meeting.

The action and perspective are where this film excel.

Seeing an A2A2 stomping it’s way towards a group of Rebels scrapping their way in the opposite direction as fast as possible is something I dreamed of before this film.

A ground level war movie is what this film delivers. A drama on the other hand? Maybe not.

Either way, there is still enough of a reason to rate this as one of the more enjoyable films on this list, even if it’s just a notch below the Original Trilogy for me.

7/10