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Review: The force is strong with 'Rogue One'

Devina Heriyanto (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, December 14, 2016

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Review: The force is strong with 'Rogue One' Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso in a scene from, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". (Lucasfilm Ltd. via AP/Jonathan Olley)

T

here are many Star Wars fans who like to pretend that Episodes I-III, which serve as the prequel to the original trilogy, never happened at all. Despite being marketed as a standalone movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, fills this gap perfectly.

Set just before the first movie, Episode IV: A New Hope, Rogue One tells the story behind the iconic planet destroyer, the Death Star. The movie opens with a family drama, in which Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) must leave his daughter Jyn (Felicity Jones) behind as he becomes the architect of the Galactic Empire's new weapon.

(Read also: Early audience reactions from 'Rogue One' premiere)

Growing up under the tutelage of extremist militant Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), Jyn adapts quickly when she is caught and then joins the rebellion alongside Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his droid sidekick K2-SO (Alan Tudyk). After recruiting Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) and Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), the group sets out on a mission to find a way to beat the Death Star.

Storywise, Rogue One's plot seems straightforward, with rather weak dramatic friction here and there. The strength of the movie lies in its classic Star Wars element, the flight, the fight, the snarky droid and the group struggle. Rogue One delivers an imaginative atmosphere and excitement, not to mention a flood of nostalgia. In its core, it lives up to its name A Star Wars Story, as if the movie has a checklist of all elements that make Star Wars, Star Wars.

There are many callbacks that would loyalists jump in their seats from excitement. However, one might wonder about the lack of lightsabers and the brute display of 'the force', the mysterious source of power in the Star Wars universe. It helps to remember that Rogue One is set sometime before the first movie, Episode IV: A New Hope, in a time where a jedi (those who can tap into the force) goes into hiding from the Galactic Empire. The huge marketing involving Darth Vader can also be a source of disappointment when viewers see that the iconic character only shows up briefly.

(Read also: Jakarta exhibition lures fans of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story')

At times the action-packed movie can be too intense for a generation accustomed to lighthearted, humorous Marvel movies. Some breaks from the intensity are used for character development, but viewers do not get to know the characters as much as they do with Luke, Leia and Han. Short explanations are also needed in some parts to help casual moviegoers understand the Star Wars universe. As it is, Rogue One heavily relies on the other movies in the series for explanation.

Rogue One is the first standalone movie among the three planned. One is confirmed to tell the story of Han Solo.

As a Star Wars movie, it is not hard for Rogue One to get an audience. The hard part is convincing newcomers to stay and care about the upcoming movies from the franchise.

Despite all its shortcomings, Rogue One is a perfect gateway for those who have yet to embrace the Lucas intergalactic empire. (kes)

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