Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn

Acting: The acting in Rogue One was extraordinary. Leading the way, Felicity Jones delivered an incredible performance where she managed to perfectly capture the sense of awe that previous actors of the franchise, such as Harrison Ford, had been known for.

Diego Luna was also brilliant in his role as Cassian Andor, a rebel officer of sorts, and the romance that was kindled between Felicity and Diego was presented in a very believable manner.

By far, my favorite performance came from the great Ben Mendelsohn, who was thoroughly brilliant in his role as Director Orson Krennic, the chief villain in the movie.

Visuals: The scenery of “Rogue One” was just beautiful. Throughout the movie, many diverse and scenic planets and moons were presented to the viewer, each with their own unique settings and features that only furthered the illusion of traversing an entire galaxy within the span of a few hours.

The visuals reach their peak when the movie transitions to Scarif, where its tropical setting coupled with its elaborate enemy base only boosts the movie’s visual prowess. The CG was also worth a mention, because it certainly provided even more allure and wonder to the movie.

Plot: Before I begin discussing the plot, I must say this fact: this movie did not have to be made. In the opening text crawl for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, it says, “During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death Star.” This move was envisioned and created with this sole sentence for the sole purpose of milking the Star Wars cash cow.

However, this point can not take away from the fact that this Star Wars film is different from the other entries in the franchise. The plot is much grittier and darker than previous entries, with a far quicker pace and simpler premise than previous films. The fantastic and diverse cast is utilized brilliantly within the frantic pace of the film, and it allows the movie to take risks that would not have been taken otherwise.

Overall: While a blatant attempt for Disney to milk the cash cow known as Star Wars, “Rogue One” manages to stand on its own as an entry in the franchise that takes a tougher, grittier path but one still filled to the brim with charm.

89%–The Force was Strong with This One