It’s a new direction for the saga it’ll be interesting to see if it’s one that gets expanded in Episodes to come. Yen in particular is riproaringly badass as the blind Chirrut Îmwe, a kind of space-Zatoichi who employs what can only be described as ‘Force-fu’. The original was influenced by Kurosawa classic The Hidden Fortress, and here Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen play riffs on the same Fortress characters that inspired R2-D2 and C-3PO in the ’70s.
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On the plus side, for the first time in Star Wars history an instalment amplifies its Eastern roots.
In this critical phase of the conflict, quips are in as short supply as kyber crystals. Jones brings impressive intensity, as does Luna as a Rebel intelligence officer with a secret mission, but it’s hard not to pine for the presence of a Solo, or even a Dameron. But unlike them she’s a fairly dour screen presence, already battle-hardened when we meet her. Like Luke Skywalker and Rey, heroine Jyn Erso (Jones) has a tragic backstory, meaning she’s had to grow up alone. Rogue One is dark and earnest: for the first time in the franchise, it feels like anyone, and anydroid, is expendable.Īt points the gloom threatens to eclipse the fun. There is a comedy robot, lumbering tinhead K-2S0 (Tudyk), but his wisecracks are subdued, fuelled by cynical sarcasm, rather than slapstick. Gone are the series’ trademark wipes and other retro editing tricks. Future Star Wars ‘stories’, such as the forthcoming Han Solo spin-off, will doubtless be lighter than the main Episodes, but director Gareth Edwards here ramps up the stress-levels. And instead of a pack of army grunts, the heroes that comprise this scraggly suicide squad are a bunch of assorted underdogs from throughout the galaxy.
Instead of the guns of Navarone or V-1 rockets, the target is that mother of all giant orbicular firearms, the Death Star. The pitch, courtesy of VFX legend John Knoll, ILM’s very own Obi-Wan, is beautifully simple: a World War II men-on-a-mission movie, rejigged for the Star Wars universe.
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There are plenty of series callbacks to please devotees, but also a slew of offbeat new characters, first-rate visuals and a truly ballsy third act. (The absence of Gungans helps too.) Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One walks this tightrope with very little wobbling. As George Lucas learned back in 1999, hitting fans’ nostalgia circuits will only get you so far: you also have to deliver an experience that feels fresh. It takes a pair of Death Star-sized balls to release a Star Wars prequel at this point.
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