It's needless to say that Star Wars was the reason why a film can be a gigantic theatrical event. Four decades later, this event continuous to evolve. That being said, Star Wars is no longer just an exciting franchise, it's a forceful revolution - a gem of contemporary filmmaking, a form of religion to long-time geeks. And Lucasfilm has decided to make the first-ever Star Wars spin-off, which takes place before "A New Hope."
Sure, the fanservice is at the highest degree here. There's some hints and tidbits to hardcore fans across the galaxy. But where "Rogue One" does work, is how it fits into the timeline without diminishing the fact, that it's still a standalone film.
Much like "The Force Awakens," "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" features another female lead, with Felicity Jones as the intergalactic badass Jyn Erso, who was recruited by the Rebel Alliance to steal the plans of the infamous Death Star. She's not alone in this journey - in fact, she's joined by a sheer stellar ensemble (Whittaker, Tudyk, Luna, Imwe, Ahmed & Jiang). Well, speaking of them, this brings me into my negatives - most characters are overshadowing others and they're simply lacking from arcs, motivations and a huge amount of interest. So in other words, these bland characters cannot carry their own thing. This should be Star Trek's Enterprise, but unfortunately, not.
Rogue One is all about formula - there's a recruitment of members during the first act, then a mission, and ends with an action-packed finale. However, when the third act comes, the audience is nowhere to escape. It's suspenseful and extreme. With stunning visuals and a remarkable pay-off, what remains after is profound satisfaction.
VERDICT: Rogue One is all, unfortunately, about following the formula, yet successfully wrapping up the galaxy faraway to a neat timeline of events.
