Just got back from the 1 min past midnight premiere and thought I'd post a non-spoiler review for you guys.
PLEASE NOTE - THE FOLLOWING IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW. I WILL NOT REVEAL ANY MAJOR PLOT POINTS FROM THE MOVIE. Star Wars prequels are a funny thing. For those people who grew up with the original trilogy, they heap a lot of disdain on the prequels because of an over-abundance of CGI, bad dialogue and some woeful acting by some cast members. For a new generation of movie going audience though, the prequels had the same effect as the original trilogy had between 1977 and 1983; it transported them to a galaxy far far away. Like them or loathe them, the prequels are part of Star Wars canon.
So far, Disney have had great success with their addition to the Star Wars franchise with The Force Awakens and the various canon books and comics, as well as Star Wars Rebels. Which brings us to Rogue One, the first Star Wars movie not to be part of the official saga storyline. Technically it can be considered a prequel as it takes place just before episode 4's A New Hope. Will Disney keep their streak alive or will this movie be as divisive as the prequels were?
The story/plotAfter the formation of the Galactic Empire, the Rebel Alliance recruits Jyn Arso to work with a team to steal the design schematics of the Empire's new superweapon, the Death Star, which her father is involved in.
Overall opinionWOW! This is definitely the prequel we've been looking for. If all the future Star Wars spin-off movies are this good then we are in for years of pleasure from the franchise. It definitely delivered the war movie we were promised with great action and performances all round. There was also a lot of humour which worked really well and wasn't overdone. Gareth Edwards also did a really good job of matching the look and feel of this movie with episode 4, but also made it feel more expansive than that first movie.
If you have never seen a Star Wars movie before then you would enjoy this as a stand-alone movie. If you are a fan of the franchise it has just enhanced episode 4 to new levels.
The PerformancesFelicity Jones - Jyn ErsoWith Princess Leia in the original trilogy to Rey in The Force Awaken and now Jyn Erso, Lucasfilm really know how to make a compelling and well written female lead. Some of the cheesier lines from the trailer did not make the movie, which is to her credit. You really care a lot for Jyn in this movie and fully understand her character arc.
Diego Luna - Cassian AndorA much more complex character than I was expecting and Diego Luna did a fine job. This character would feel right at home in an episode of Star Wars Rebels, which is a massive compliment to his performance.
Ben Mendelsohn - Orson KrennicNot quite the snarling evil bad guy I was expecting, but he was definitely villainous enough. And not at all OTT or pantomime villain. Nor did he chew any scenery. He fit in perfectly for the role he was supposed to play in the story.
Donnie Yen - Chirrut ImweDonnie Yen as a blind warrior who believes in the force? What's not to love?
Mads Mikkelsen - Galen ErsoFrom his turn as a Bond villain in Casino Royale to Dr Lecter in the tv show Hannibal to th bad guy opposite Dr Strange, Mad Mikkelson as Jyn Erso's father again shows how much range he has as an actor.
Alan Tudyk - K-2SOWhile I, Robot was not the greatest of films, Alan Tudyk as the robot "Sonny" was definitely a stand out, bringing a lot of nuances and subtlety to his performance, even though it involved a lot of CGI and performance capture. Once again, he brings his A game and he gets all the best lines in the film.
Forest Whittaker - Saw GerreraFor those people who only watch the movies, they may be unaware that this character is not a new creation. He first appeared in The Clone Wars animated series. This marks the first time a character from the animated extended universe has made the transition to the big screen. And who better to play him than Forest Whitaker? In recent years, much like Michael Keaton, Forest is having a renaissance and resurgence in the movies. And that is great for us as he is an amazing character actor.
Jiang Wen - Baze MalbusThe other half of the odd couple along with Donnie Yun. He was funny, badass and probably has the best blaster rifle in Star Wars.
Riz Ahmed - Bodhi RookNot the biggest of roles, but still very essential to the story. A nice performance.
The effectsOne of the major bones of contention with the prequels was the massive amounts of CGI used. At the time they were ground-breaking, but in some places it was a little over-used. That may be why JJ Abrams and Gareth Edwards have placed so much emphasis on using a lot more practical effects and location shots for their respective movies. However, there is still a lot of CGI on display. And it is fantastic. Gareth Edwards, like Abrams, has managed to seamlessly blend the practical with the CGI so you are fully immersed in the galaxy on display.
The actionWhat would a Star Wars movie be without great action? A huge disappointment. And fortunately, this movie does not disappoint. During the build-up to the release of the movie, Gareth Edwards has keen to point out that this would be a Star Wars movie, with emphasis on the "war". And, boy, was he right.
Other stuffIt was great seeing Jimmy Smits reprise his role as Bail Organa, Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma and it's always great to hear James Earl Jones as Darth Vader. There was also an appearance from a character from episode 4 that I was not expecting, but it was a welcome addition seeing them on-screen. There was also some nice little easter eggs foreshadowing things from episode 4. For Star Wars Rebels fans, The Ghost makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. And Vader is a BAD-ASS!
Final verdictWe finally have a great Star Wars prequel movie. Not quite as exhilarating as The Force Awakens, but it is leaps and bounds ahead of the other prequels.
Score - 8.2/10My Movie rating system
10- Citizen "F*%king" Kane (A+)
9- Bloody Great (A)
8- Really rather good (A-)
7- Pretty decent (B+)
6- Definitely above average (B)
5- Middle of the road average (C)
4- Mediocre (D)
3- Meh (E)
2- Crap (F)
1- Why the hell did I waste my my time and money of this abomination (unrated)
After-thought - The extended universeWith Disney promising a Star Wars movie every year from now until they are no longer popular, along with all the tie-in books, comics and tv show, will the movie going audience eventually get tired of Star Wars? Will it become necessary to catch up on all the EU stuff in order to fully enjoy and appreciate all the movies? How successful with the young Han Solo movie be? And will we ever get an Obi-Wan or Boba Fett/bounty hunter movie?