Star Wars - Rogue One

Rogue One – a Star Wars Story 2016

• Director: Gareth Edwards
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen and a bunch of cameos
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Felicity Jones: The Theory of Everything, The Invisible Woman, Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, Hysteria, Like Crazy, The Tempest, Doctor Who
• Diego Luna: Elysium, Milk, Frida
• Forest Whitaker: Arrival, Last King of Scotland, The Butler, Repo Men, The Great Debaters, Smoke, The Crying Game, Bird, Platoon, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
• Mads Mikkelsen: Casino Royale
• Why bought: Star Wars
• Seen: 24 May 2019

       Do I need to tell you the story? I’m not sure I can. As usual with Star Wars it’s confusing. The Empire is bad, and it has an evil new weapon. Jyn (Jones) is a rebel = good. There are a lot of creatures and fantastic cities and spaceships and planets and things.

It has the Star Wars feel without the Star Wars characters. No annoying Han (thank you!) or lovelorn Leia (thank you!), no Yoda (a pity) or Darth Vader (a pity) or Chewbacca (RIP) or wimpy Luke (thank you!) or R2D2 and the other one (but a close-enough amusing droid). The main characters are more or less without depth but at least they’re not irritating.

Oh wait, there’s Darth Vader! What’s he doing here? Where is this film in the chronology of the whole thing?

Oh, who cares?

It’s not the most brilliant film ever made but it’s pretty to look at and entertaining enough until the endless battle scenes at the end. Boring!

Gender analysis: Main character Jyn notwithstanding – macho. Totally male. Boring. Oh, look, a female bomber pilot. Too little, too late.

For a while it was worth 2 ½ * but it doesn’t hold up.

1 ½ * of 5.