Review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) by Brandon S — 26 Oct 2017

Unprecedented levels of fan service. Cameos that go nowhere, and serve nothing narratively. A cast of uninspired, poorly developed characters (perhaps partially due to the time eaten by needless cameos).

The major positives that I will give the film are the, I felt, seamless visual effects, and the way in which Gareth Edwards communicates the size and scale of objects. Beyond that, I haven't much to say.

As a die hard fan of the Star Wars franchise, it was neat being served, but as a filmmaker, and as a fan of original stories, there was a lot left to be desired.

I just can't, for the life of me, discern why this story had to be told in the grand scheme of things? It offers nothing. Fans accepted the Death Star plot hole (pun intended), and none of these characters carry over into subsequent films. So, why tell the story?

Also, the film is wildly over-edited. The cutting in the first fifteen minutes alone is very jarring.