Fellmans Movie Reviews

RED = SPOILERS:

The first time you watch Rogue One, you might not like it as much as the others. It starts off kind of slow. But it is a much darker movie than the rest of the Star Wars films. Both in feeling and visually. In feeling, everyone seems pissed off at each other, all the time. Even the Rebels, while back at their base, are arguing with each other like they’re at the end of their ropes. It makes you think of Leia’s line in A New Hope when she says to Governor Tarkin “The more you tighten your grip, the more systems will slip through your fingers…” It’s like everybody’s getting ready to just have enough. Like one big unified “That’s it!”

What’s it about? Rogue One is about Jyn Erso getting the plans of the Death Star that her father, Galen Erso, built off the Imperial base on Scariff into the rebel hands so that they can use it to destroy the soon-to-be unstoppable space station. Galen Erso was kidnapped by the Empire and forced to build the Death Star because he was the premiere scientist in the galaxy. So, before they could take him off the planet La’mhu, he hid his daughter Jyn with an extremist rebel named Saw Gerrera. Saw eventually sent her away too so that the Empire couldn’t get ahold of her either and she eventually ended up in detention, on her way to an Imperial labor camp, before being busted out by some rebels and starting the events of the movie.   

What’s good? It has more of an intense feel than most Star Wars movies. It’s grittier and darker. Everybody is on the tail end of the Imperial cycle before the events of the original trilogy start and the Rebel Alliance brings hope to the galaxy. Everyone is all pissed off and tired of the Empire to the point that they can’t take it anymore and it’s about time that something just has to be done and we’re finally at the breaking point. And this is what it’s come to. This giant planet-killing space station.  

What’s bad? Honestly, there’s not a whole lot I think is bad about this movie. If I had to pick one thing, the colors on the screen are so dark, it’s hard to see sometimes. Practically everything is black to the point that there’s nothing on the screen. It’s like wearing a VR headset where the visuals aren’t working. Black on light black doesn’t really work… 

The acting? The acting in this movie is pretty good for everybody involved. Grand Moff Tarkin was CGI, but he looked so real you could hardly tell. And everybody else gets really into their characters. Like Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus, the two Whills Protectors. They’re very devoted to the cause, and each other, and go out fighting for the Force.  

The effects? It’s Star Wars. The special effects take the front seat to everything else. And they do, as always. It’s a magnificent show, whether you like the story or not, it’s still pretty.  

Everyone dies. Everyone goes out fighting for the cause at the end of Rogue One to show how important it is to get those plans off Scariff and into the hands of the rebels. They’re willing to give their very lives for the fight against the Empire just to make sure that those plans get beamed off that planet and into that ship so that they can get them to the heads of the Rebel Alliance and they can use it to destroy that space station. That’s how important those plans are. So when the next movie begins, everybody knows, those aren’t just any old plans. Those are the most important thing in the galaxy. Those are the plans to the Death Star. The Empire’s ultimate weapon.  

The lead-in to episode 4. They tie the end of Rogue One directly into the beginning of Episode 4 with Vader getting on the Tantive 4 and they put the details that come out of that movie into Rogue One. It’s all done very nicely so they don’t leave any plot holes behind. Because you know how fans go over things with a fine-tooth comb… 

Anakin the drama queen. As Darth Vader is breaking on to the rebel flagship to look for the stolen plans, he’s standing in a doorway in a plume of smoke with his chest lights turned off for about 5 seconds before he ignites his lightsaber and starts killing all the rebels. But that’s a life support suit. It monitors his heart rate and keeps him alive. He purposefully turned it off for several seconds so he could make a showy entrance and then kill all those rebels in a flashy way. He must just be bored… 

The rebels made it harder on themselves. The rebels were arguing about going to Scariff to fight for the plans, and then Rogue One went anyway, and the rest of the rebels had to come and save them when the Empire already knew they were there. They could’ve just combined efforts and made a good plan instead of letting that little group go in that rinky dink stolen Imperial ship. But then, we wouldn’t have the name of the movie now, would we…? 

The Empire could’ve picked a random planet. Technically, the Empire didn’t need to introduce the Death Star on a military Target. They ended up using it on Alderaan anyway when Princess Leia wouldn’t cooperate. But they could’ve just picked any planet at random and blasted it out of existence just to show people that they could. Instead, they used it for a purpose. I don’t know which is more evil: Destroying people without them knowing why or getting what you want and then destroying them anyway… 

So, overall, Rogue One is one of the better Star Wars movies. A must have for anybody doing a Star Wars marathon. They’re all must haves if you’re doing a Star Wars marathon… But that’s an argument for another day. And up next, we’re onto the original trilogy. And as always, May the Force Be With You…