Star Wars first hit the screen way back in 1977. Famously the scripts were rejected by United Artists and Universal becoming one of the most epic mistakes made by any film studio. Even George Lucas himself admits that they had no idea how it would be received by the public. But the film was a huge success with theatres sold out around the globe. Fans of this epic shoot 'em up in space could not get enough of it. It went on to spawn one of the biggest movie franchises in history.
The Star Wars franchise has now been gifting the world with amazing films for over forty years. The films run from episode one through to nine. Undoubtedly, some of these films have been better than others.
Rogue One picks up somewhere between episode three and episode four. It was a brilliant move by Disney to get even more out of the franchise. To say that Star Wars fans are obsessive about the franchise is an understatement. And there have been lots of questions unanswered along the way. This is where the genius lies in Rogue One. Scriptwriters have blended a whole new epic that has a perfect balance from all of the other films but can also stand on its own. For the fans, we get to find out why the Death Star had such a weak point. And where it gets its power from – as well as finding out where the power source of lightsabers come from too.
There is a brand new cast who are fantastic in all of their roles. There is not one single weak element. Ben Mendelsohn from Bloodline is great as the power crazy imperial baddie who sees the death star as his creation. But Felicity Jones is fantastic as the lead character, giving a powerful performance with great screen presence. Gareth Edwards directs and does a truly stunning job. He created an amazing cinema experience that is packed full of nostalgia for the original trilogy. But big respect must be given to the screenwriters for managing to weave the old with the new so seamlessly.
All in all, as a Star Wars fan I walked into the cinema with an open mind. I prepared for the worst after such disappointment from episodes one to three, that for me were a cinematic disaster. However, the style of this film captured me immediately. As the movie gains momentum the audience is bombarded with a true showpiece with everything from AT-AT walkers to the Death Star thrown at you.
Disney has thrown everything at this and it works. It is amazing and as the final scenes concluded I have to admit that I had a tear in my eye as I was taken straight back to being a small boy and watching the opening scenes of the original film with my Dad. And now you can bring this cinematic experience into your own home.
Update: Unfortunately, Rogue One is no longer available on Netflix. You can buy it on Amazon but it is not included with the Prime subscription.
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