Director: Gareth Edwards Studio: Walt Disney Pictures Genre(s): Science Fiction/Drama Rated: PG-13 (For extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action) |
Shortly after the critics screening of “Rogue One” let out
the critics left the theater and chatted a little bit. This is unusual as not only are there usually
so few of us at a particular screening for there to be much of an audience, but
there is a silent rule that you don’t compare notes before you write your
review (it should be mentioned this is not an official rule though). The reason “Rogue One” broke both these rules
was because this is a ‘Star Wars’ movie, and it’s hard to not want to
immediately discuss one of those. I
largely stayed silent as I walked with my fellow critics, listening to them
discuss the cinematography, the darker than usual nature of the film, and even
a special effect that most will probably not notice. One of them then said the words that
immediately helped me know where this review was going to go: “I didn’t even
know that was the kind of ‘Star Wars’ movie I wanted!’
Whether it actually fits into the main storyline is sort of
a moot point to me now (although it does).
Basically, if it does more than just retread familiar ground like ‘The
Force Awakens’ did I’ll consider that a huge improvement. Since most people know this is a story that
takes place between Episode III and Episode IV, there may be some hesitation to
see a movie where the ending is pretty much known well in advance. To those fans not only am I happy to report
that there are some nice surprises, but they actually fix one of the biggest
flaws that has been in this series since 1977.
Yes, you heard me: “Rogue One” actually makes “Star Wars Episode IV: A
New Hope” a better movie. That takes a
special kind of skill in and of itself. Now,
this does mean that newcomers to the franchise are at a serious handicap.
While it is its own contained storyline, much of the lingo
and presentation requires you have some knowledge of what has come before (or
is it after in this case?). This won’t
be too much of a problem since Death Stars and the whole concept of the Force
is pretty common knowledge even for the few who have not seen any of these
movies. Heck, “Rogue One” even takes the
Force a step further by turning it into a religion of sorts, where the teachers
of the word optimistically wait for their savor to come and deliver them from
evil (sounds familiar). What is
refreshing in all of this (and what longtime fans may find surprising) is the
complexity of the war itself. This is
the only ‘Star Wars’ film I’ve seen where the line between good and evil is so
thin.
The Empire claims
that they are doing everything they are doing to create peace, and for the
first time you might actually believe them.
For that matter, the Rebels do fight the good fight, but some of them
have done so much of it they have lost their ability to tell the difference
between a sensible order and just another act of violence. There are no lightsaber battles this time
around. The fights all play out with
laser guns that resemble a war movie more than a science fiction fantasy. There is even an unusual amount of
discussions about trust and whether or not they’ve passed a point where hope is
just a mere illusion that can never be obtained. I wondered while I watched why the movie
largely fell outside of science fiction convention. I got some big clues during the credits.
The film was written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy. Weitz wrote and directed “About a Boy” and “The
Golden Compass,” where Gilroy did the same for “Michael Clayton.” These are
good writers and directors who do not have a background in science fiction, so
they wrote what they knew. The film was
directed by Gareth Edwards, who most recently gave us a reason to take Godzilla
seriously again after Roland Emmerich made a laughing stock of the beast with
his 1997 *ahem* “film.” This talent is
in stark contrast to the people who worked on ‘The Force Awakens,’ who seemed
picked because they would make a good ‘Star Wars’ movie. “Rogue One” seems more interested in breaking
out of the shackles of the genre, and the result is a movie that can be taken
very seriously while still delivering the action fans want. Even though this is clearly not the ‘Star
Wars’ movie most people expect, since the movies are going to make a ton of
money one way or another it is promising to see the studio take a few chances
with them.
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, there is more violence than usual for a 'Star Wars' movie. In fact...dare I say it, this is one you might want to leave the kids home for. There is on screen stabbings, lots of bullit holes, and various explosions. A scene involving Darth Vador is especially disturbing. Recommended for ages 14 and up.
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