'Rogue One': A Review Roundup
At Cultjer, we continue to invite any and all lovers of film to share their opinions and insights on all the latest movies. With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in theaters now, and with a number of writers throwing there voice into the conversation, it's time we rounded up those views and had a look at what we here think of the latest Star Wars blockbuster.
Skye Wingfield says that "Rogue One is Star Wars taken out of its comfort zone," and points out its visual prowess as a highlight. He states that "Not since Return of the Jedi’s phenomenal third act have we seen action as well executed and as grandstanding as this."
He also says that "Rogue One has reinvigorated the Star Wars fan within me and what the film does best is enrichen the Star Wars mythos whilst showing the original trilogy the respect it deserves," concluding with the notion that Rogue One will resonate with fans for years to come. You can read his extensive review here.
I myself will be met with my fair share of criticism for my assessment of the film as a somewhat generic and disappointing spinoff, one that offers a lackluster cast of characters and one which tosses its most interesting storyline out for the sake of character motivation around the halfway point.
"Here we have a competent tale of a rebellion taking on an Empire, only on this occasion the events on screen don't really inspire the hope that it wants to. When Rogue One came to an end, I couldn't help but feel a little hollow, as my hopes for a more unique direction were shattered by a sub-par, by-the-books product." You can read my review by following this link.
Zach Perilstein said in his discussion of what's next for the Star Wars anthology formula that Rogue One "lived up to the hype... from the earth-shattering CGI to the brilliant characters, Rogue One was a unique experiment, taking the sacred Star Wars franchise and flipping it on its head."
Steve Amos, whose first film-going memory is seeing Star Wars back in 1977, and who was let down by last year's revival of the franchise with J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens, calls the result "exhilarating. Director Gareth Edwards has made a film which revels in the grit and grime of a neglected galaxy." That grit, he says, was "lost in the gloss of JJ Abram’s lens flare" in Episode VII.
"The action is brilliantly staged and the ending reminded me of the epic finale of Return Of The Jedi." Ultimately, Steve said that "during the last few shots, a tear came into my eye. It was enough to warm to the heart of this Star Wars fan."Read the entire review here.
And lastly, Delali Bessa described the opening to the film as one "stemmed in classic Disney lore singed with pain and separation but still leaving simmering embers of hope – a theme that will be beaten again and again." He calls the narrative unremarkable, and the surrounding characters are fleshed out too little for them too truly stand out.
But he highlights the action. "Edwards earns his money with the spectacular battle sequences he delivers, especially in the final act. The action is accentuated by the evocative settings of these intense gun battles that bring to mind jungle warfare one may have witnessed in a Vietnam War setting or a beach head onslaught during World War II. He closes in noting that "the nicely paced action and darker tone... ultimately sets this film apart from the other Star Wars films gone by." Read more here.
Overall, the general consensus is that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a success, a visual marvel that will please fans of the franchise. It follows up the all-too-familiar plot of The Force Awakens with a prologue to A New Hope that has something new to offer, and a story worth telling.
