Maybe a Galaxy too far...???

COLINS FILM CLUB REVIEW (Cinema)

ROGUE ONE – A STAR WARS STORY – Cert 12

Prequels and spin-off`s can be a dangerous game in the World of Film... do it right and they can blend in with previous work seamlessly and rank alongside their source material, but do it wrong and the whole things can become a huge, disjointed mess which robs the original of all merit. So where does this latest tale from a Galaxy far, far away sit then...??

Well, perhaps its best to set it in context first.

Rogue One occurs just before the original 1977 film – Star Wars: A New Hope, following the attempt by Rebel Forces to locate the plans to the Galactic Empire`s latest superweapon called the Death Star. Tasked with this mission is a rag tag bunch of misfits, which feels at times like an attempt to wedge into the Star Wars universe the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy. Foremost in the group is Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen Erso, designer of the Death Star and master of the kyber crystals used to power it – a power source that has never as yet been mentioned in Star Wars cannon before now. However, Jyn sets out to locate her father who has left behind a message telling of a weakness he has built into the battle station in the hope the Rebellion will be able to destroy it. She is aided by Captain Cassian, who at first distances himself from Jyn as he is ordered to eliminate Galen, that is until he realises she was right about her father. Also we have two renegade Jedi Temple Protectors, one with a belief in the Force but blind, the other into seriously cool blasters, and the Imperial Droid with a caustic attitude called K2SO, who has been reprogrammed by the Rebels. Add into this mix a defecting Imperial pilot who sets the whole thing in motion.

And the bad guys?? Well top of the list is Director Krennic, who has a thing for white capes and walking in the rain. Krennic has been tasked with getting the Death Star operational but needs Galen Erso to finish the work he started, and if this wasn't bad enough he is up against Grand Moff Tarkin in a game of one-upmanship for favour with the Emperor. Tarkin also has another ace in his hand in the shape of the legendary Lord Darth Vader. So, the baddies stack up nicely...

Now... the following part of this review is likely to upset the die-hard Star Wars fans but it has to be said. Rogue One isnt very good.... there. Ive said it.

There are big problems with the story, the characters and the way it sits with the rest of the Star Wars film family. Firstly, we have so little background into a lot of the characters that we really dont care much about them. You will see above that a lot of the character names are missed out from the Rogue One team, this is not because they were hard to remember, its was simply that the names were introduced so fleetingly and so early on that without any depth or background to them they become simple, one dimensional people, the type who you barely miss if they get killed off. Jyn herself is the only rounded out character with an effective backstory which at least makes her an intriguing person, but we never get the chance to see anymore of her other than Rebellion convert tasked to take on a high risk mission. Cassian is instantly forgettable as are the two Jedi Temple guys, Although Donnie Yen`s blind Force believer has merit its sad to see such a character used mostly for comic effect even with his prowess in combat.

The film also takes far too long to get going. Its such a slow build up that by the time the main battle on Scarif starts, everything is kind of “shoehorned” into the last 30mins of running time! You may also notice that Director Gareth Edwards has changed the films original ending, this is clear from the fact there is missing footage from the finished film which can still be seen in the trailers, a key moment was Jyn being confronted by a TIE Fighter on the Communications Gantry on Scarif, but this just does not even appear in the film. Its because of much publicised re-shoots which took place close to the films close in editing that this and other scenes were taken out and a new ending was shot. One wonders if the film would have turned out a little better.

Then we have Darth Vader – a character who should give immediate menace to the screen but here he feels rather subdued and doesnt really act much like the Vader we knew, in fact we even see him in a medical bath... and in the closing minutes he goes on a Kylo Ren type rampage aboard a Rebel ship against Rebel soldiers. It rather goes against everything the original trilogy set down so well for the character.

And then there is the CGI...

Now, when used for the standard effects like the battle scenes there is no problem at all, in fact they are excellent and well up to the standard expected today. But the main problem arises from two CGI characters.

Grand Moff Tarkin last appeared in the 1977 film, but alas the actor who played him, the wonderful Peter Cushing, passed away in 1994. For the scenes in Rogue One he is a CGI composition placed ontop of another actor. Its debatable if this actually works because in many of the scenes its very clear that CGI is being used. The same goes for the second character, that of Princess Leia, re-imagined in her 1977 form via another CGI facelift. This time it really doesnt work.

The only CGI character that does work is the Imperial droid K2SO, who steals every scene he is in, and it was truly a good idea to have a droid the reverse of the cute and comical types we`ve previously had in these films...

Now – this may all sound very critical of the film, and perhaps overly so – but to address this there are some good points to be savoured. A cameo by C3PO and R2D2 is a nice touch, as is Vader`s fortress-like castle which seems to be on Mustufar, and the X-Wing battle over Scarif whilst they support ground forces who are being hammered by AT-AT`s is a blistering action piece which makes you kind of wish the momentum of the film had started like it from the beginning. It unfortunately just goes to show the film`s short-comings even more.

So, Rogue One – it had so much going for it from the time the very first trailer hit our screens, but so much is wrong with the film that in a way its a good thing we have the main story to look forward too in Episode VIII next year. The thing is, there was room for both of these films if Rogue One hadnt messed up a few basic elements.

Well, this is not the review I had wanted to write for this film, it was looking to be one of the highlights of 2016, but alas it has not worked out that way. Disappointing me as a fan and leaving a bad feeling about it. Other Star Wars fans may very well feel different about this film and it maybe I have it completely wrong, but I seriously feel there are major script, editing and effects problems with Rogue One which should never had happen.

Now I will have to wait another year for my next Star Wars “fix” and hope that its better than Rogue One...

A mixed bag, for every exceptional visual effect or battle, there is an equally lengthy amount of "nothing" going on, and did we really need to know the back story of the stolen data tapes...?

COLINS FILM CLUB RATING:

**