‘It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.’
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ is the latest instalment in the Star Wars series, but it’s like no other; a stand-alone film, it explores the galaxy during a time of great war – set between ‘Revenge of the Sith’ and ‘A New Hope’. With major characters such as Darth Vader set to return, and famous actors such as Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen and Forest Whitaker all involved, Rogue One is set to be a major film, but with a different feel to the main series. If you’ve somehow been living under a rock for the past few months, here’s the official trailer:
As the film is now in cinemas (what are you doing reading this – go and see it!), we thought we’d share some of what the critics are saying about Rogue One. Overall, response to the film has been very positive, with the franchise applauded for moving in a darker direction for the standalone film, and not pandering to those who may have expectations of what a Star Wars film should be. Instead, the story is lauded as breaking new ground, both visually and in terms of narrative – though not all critics agree. Read the reviews below…
‘Rogue One might trade heavily in nostalgia but it’s bold enough to take risks, and will leave you stirred, fired up and raring for more.’ – Total Film
‘It’s no lie that some of the interactions get lost under the weight of front-loaded exposition. But with the smashing Jones giving us a female warrior to rank with the great ones and a cast that knows how to keep it real even in a sci-fi fantasy, Rogue One proves itself a Star Wars story worth telling.’ – Rolling Stone
‘The movie didn’t rekindle the thrill of seeing, say, The Empire Strikes Back, but Rogue One will loom pretty large in the Star Wars galaxy — if only because there’s so little competition.’ – Vulture
‘All the pieces are there, in other words, like Lego figures in a box. The problem is that the filmmakers haven’t really bothered to think of anything very interesting to do with them. A couple of 9-year-olds on a screen-free rainy afternoon would come up with better adventures, and probably also better dialogue’ – The New York Times
‘Rogue One represents an unobjectionable exercise in franchise extension. It’s fine. It’ll do. For now.’ – The Washington Post
‘Felicity Jones’s fugitive, hunting for the plans to the Death Star, is a tousled-but-game female lead – just one of many classic Star Wars motifs in Gareth Edwards’ exhilarating spin-off.’ – The Guardian
Zavvi’s Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
