

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the first big-screen Star Wars movie without an opening crawl or an episode number, because Episode III.IX would look rather strange, don’t you think? It doesn’t pick up where Episode III leaves off, or anywhere very familiar, but the destination is very well known indeed, which is an interesting dramatic challenge for the filmmakers.
There’s a Death Star, of course — the original — and a lot of familiar hardware, locations and faces, some more surprising than others. The last act resembles the finales of the least-loved entries of each of the two finished trilogies to date, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Episode I: The Phantom Menace, intercutting between coordinated space and surface battles; but this, at least, feels like Star Wars.
What doesn’t feel like Star Wars? Rogue One is the first Star Wars movie with no Jedi, the Jedi order having been destroyed in Revenge of the Sith and Yoda and Obi-Wan now AWOL (while Luke is presumably bullseyeing wamp rats in his T-16 and wasting time with his friends at Tosche station on Tatooine).
There are no lightsaber duels; indeed, no lightsabers at all, until a brief flash of red at a critical moment. Like Disney’s first Star Wars outing, The Force Awakens, the protagonist of Rogue One is a tough, capable young woman — but where Rey was unusually strong in the Force, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is not Force adept at all.
Whether an art or a science, Disney seems to have it down: this process of crafting competent franchise films that are good enough. Much like a typical Marvel movie, Rogue One is diverting enough while it’s unfolding, with a canny blend of action, humor and fan service, to send crowds away with smiles, perhaps debating the implications for canonical continuity, but neither greatly disappointed nor much changed.
There’s nothing wrong with that, I guess. Much of the humor comes from Alan Tudyk as a deadpan robot named K-2SO, a reprogrammed Imperial droid who’s so tough and effective in battle that it’s unclear why the Empire doesn’t replace their incompetent battle droids and stormtroopers with K-2s. Also funny, and pretty cool, is Hong Kong superstar Donnie Yen (Iron Monkey) as Chirrut Îmwe, a blind warrior-monk who is basically a Star Wars version of Zatoichi, the blind swordsman.
Chirrut Îmwe is an odd presence because he embodies the Asian mystical warrior-monk archetype that inspired the Jedi in the first place, but he’s not a Jedi and uses a cane instead of a lightsaber. The effect is a bit like if you were watching Seven Samurai and suddenly John Wayne strolled in. Except, of course, that this is a Star Wars movie with no Jedi, so it’s really like if The Magnificent Seven featured Toshiro Mifune and no Western gunslingers.
Chirrut goes into action rattling off the mantra “The Force is with me. I am one with the Force.” Is there room in Star Wars for mystical warrior-monks who are devoted to the Force but aren’t Jedi? What are they then? Some sources claim that Chirrut isn’t actually a “Force sensitive.” This seems absurd. Watch how he dodges blaster fire before anyone pulls a trigger; clearly he has the “Jedi trait” of “seeing” things before they happen, even if he can’t see with his eyes.
All this raises a question: When is a Star Wars movie not a Star Wars movie?
While there’s no one right answer, here’s what it comes down to for this child of the Star Wars generation: In all previous Star Wars movies, one side wore black hats and the other white; it was always clear, not only which were the bad guys, but also which were the good guys. In Rogue One, that’s not the case. For some, this is a selling point. For me, it’s close to a deal-breaker.
The main Rebel Alliance character, Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), murders his own informant in his very first scene. Later, he leads a mission ostensibly to rescue Jyn’s father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelson), a scientist being forced by the Empire to work on the Death Star project — though Cassian’s real mission, about which he deceives Jyn and other allies, is to assassinate Galen.
The first major action sequence is an urban terrorism-style attack on Imperial forces, with innocents, including children, put at risk by the anti-Imperial insurgency. It may not be the filmmakers’ fault that this comes as children are tweeting out of Aleppo that they are about to be killed as regime forces crush the rebels, but you know, it’s not not their fault either.
Yes, Han shot first in the original original Star Wars. But Han was a loner mercenary and a smuggler who wasn’t part of the Rebellion until he was, and when he joined up he put on the proverbial white hat, even if he wore it at a rakish angle. Conversely, in the prequel trilogy, Anakin went from a Jedi to a Sith, but it was always clear that the Jedi, even if they were less wise and virtuous than Ben Kenobi led us to believe, were good guys.
“Good guys and bad guys” is a somewhat suspect concept these days, not without reason. The original Star Wars films have been criticized for promoting a morally simplistic view of war and whitewashing its horrors. A whole planet is destroyed, but a minute later, it’s like nothing happened. And before long Alderaan girl Leia is bantering with Luke and Han as if it had been a bad dream.
More ambiguously, hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of lives were snuffed out when Luke blew up the Death Star, and while most of them were enemy combatants, even enemy combatants deserve some acknowledgement, not to mention prisoners and others who may have been aboard.
Star Wars was naive, unreflective, simplistic, corny and earnest — and I love all that about it. Not that I’m dismissing the criticisms, but Rogue One is not the correction (if any) I was looking for.
Not only are the Rebels morally ambiguous guerrilla fighters, there’s a lone wolf, Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), whose methods are too extreme even for this morally compromised Rebellion. There’s also a freelance assassin, Baze Malbus (Chinese filmmaker Jiang Wen), who is Chirrut Îmwe’s devoted partner and bodyguard and winds up fighting with the Rebels alongside him.
Some people felt that Rey in The Force Awakens was thinly written. Jyn barely has a personality. I get that her father was forcibly taken from her when she was a young girl, and she was raised by the likes of Saw Gerrera — probably not the most nurturing soul, but it doesn’t make her more compelling.
Then there’s the main villain, Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), who resembles past Star Wars villains only in wearing a cape — and since it’s a white cape, and good characters in Star Wars wear capes too, it’s not surprising that, unlike past villains, he doesn’t seem to know he’s a villain.
Maybe the moral ambiguity was baked into earlier inter-trilogy mythology — the animated Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels series, among other things — that Disney tells us are official Star Wars canon. To that I can only say: They’re not my canon. I can’t tell anyone what Star Wars ought to be. I’m sure people will enjoy Rogue One, and I can’t say it’s bad, exactly, but this version of a galaxy far, far away isn’t one I care to frequent.
See also
What We Lose When Star Wars Goes to the Dark Side
John Paul the Great Professor Defends Rogue One
Steven D. Greydanus is the Register’s film critic and creator of Decent Films.
He is a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey.
Follow him on Twitter.
Caveat Spectator: Much intense stylized sci-fi combat violence. Teens and up.
I just saw the movie and enjoyed it immensely, but to be fair the original Star Wars doesn’t hold the magical place in my heart that it does for Mr. Greydanus and a lot of others. Rogue One I appreciated as a solid and fun sci-fi action flick that avoided some of the more facepalm-worthy choices of Force Awakens as far as scaling up the menace goes. (How many planets did they destroy in Force Awakens again, for cheap Bad Guy points and zero impact?)
Jyn was the weakest point for me. The pilot was the one I sympathized with the most, and, cliche and designated import quota loophole that he was, I loved Donnie Yen’s character, but otherwise I’m fine with this band not all being traditionally heroic. They were the ones in the right place at the right time to get the job done, in their own imperfect way.
The Star Wars universe is a big one. There’s room for lots of stories beyond the black and white ones surrounding the Skywalkers, and I’m glad we’ll see some of those making it to the big screen.
In what galaxy does the AmericanThinker.com live in? The “MIGHTY WHITEY” trope is alive and well, and going strong in Hollywood with no signs of abating. Hollywood doesn’t use this trope in one movie and it destroys an entire group’s self-esteem?
[In the JOKER Loosing Mind Meme]
They finally have a Mexican character in Star Wars but he is not a hero and no one bats an eye. But Star Wars didn’t use the “Mighty Whitey” trope in the movie and everybody loses their mind!
Hmmm…this seems to be a theme with another prequel/spin-off of a beloved sci-fi/fantasy franchise that you wrote a review for as well. Filmmakers blurring the lines between good and bad in a universe where previously it was very clear who was good and who was bad as well as inserting more serious, timely themes whether its discrimination or the acceptable use of certain military tactics against an occupying force. Filmmakers are forgetting why we watched the original franchises in the first place, which was as a form of escapism from the “real” world where things are a lot more complicated than they had been when talking about Jedi vs. Sith/Empire or the Order of the Phoenix vs. the Death Eaters.
Sigh…
Also, I’m glad I’m not the only one who was bothered by the Asian warrior monk in a Star Wars movie. To be fair, though these kind of issues were touched upon in the Expanded Universe (comics and books) that has now been rendered uncanonical by Disney.
Steady State:
Of course the Empire is white men. From the outset the look and feel of the Empire was modeled on the Third Reich, and especially on the Third Reich as portrayed in Hollywood movies (thus the British accents, for historical reasons a frequent substitute for German in Golden Age Hollywood).
Then again, historically, white men have occupied nearly all the important roles, good and bad. The Empire was white men, but so were Luke and Han and Obi-Wan and the virtually all the important supporting human roles (Wedge, Porkins and all the X-wing pilots in the attack on the original Death Star; Qui-Gon; General Rieekan and Major Derlin on Hoth; etc.). The original trilogy and the prequel trilogy each allotted exactly one major role to a (white) female character (Leia, Amidala) and one important supporting role to a black (male) character (Lando, Mace Windu).
In Rogue One, Mads Mikkelson as Jyn’s father Galen Erso is a noble (though not action-heroic) white male who (spoiler warning) cooperates with the Empire in order to sabotage the design of the Death Star, thus playing a direct role in the climax of the original Star Wars. (That didn’t stop a conservative white male columnist for AmericanThinker.com from satirically complaining that there is “no one in the film who looks like me” and falsely dismissing Galen as a villain because of his role in designing the Death Star [click here to read]. This is of course absurd, since the movie explicitly states that everyone is replaceable and if Galen hadn’t done the work, someone else would have, and without the sabotage.)
While I’m always happy to see a film with a strong female protagonist, in this case I can’t get too excited, because the character’s nearly a zero. Stephanie Zacherek, an astute critic whose work I appreciate, explains why (click to read more):
One of the most derisive things you can say about a fictional woman character was that she doesn’t have agency. What almost no one says is that agency is the least interesting thing a woman can have. We’re in such a rush to have stories about women who do things that we haven’t thought much about what they should be doing. Kicking ass? Leaving bad husbands? Driving cars off cliffs? All of those can be great things, in the right story, but you can’t just sew bravery onto a character like a Girl Scout patch. If it doesn’t come from someplace within, it’s just a gimmick…
Jones, as Jyn, comes at the material gamely. Her character gets to run around and discharge firearms, both wonderful things in theory. But they work only as signpost feminism: These may be things we want women to do in movies, but they aren’t necessarily more interesting just because women are doing them. (Charlize Theron’s one-armed renegade Furiosa, from Mad Max: Fury Road, is an example of how to do it right, a character whose tendency toward violence is the fabric of her vitality.) Jones is a capable actress, but the movie asks her to strike a tough-girl pose she can’t sustain, at least not without flaring her nostrils excessively. When she gives a Saint Crispin’s Day-style speech designed to rouse the troops, they perk up their heads with mild interest, but you can tell they’re not buying it.
I’m surprised you didn’t discuss the female protagonist and anti-white aspects in this one, since last year you were happy with the female lead. And since the writer said explicitly what everyone understands, that “the Empire” is white men.
A fair review. I want to see more reviewers putting out balanced viewpoints like this. I just saw it today and liked it better myself (and you spoiled nothing, as promised, so thank you!) I had actually forgotten about your description of the first scene with Andor, though, so it took me by surprise. It went by so quickly I almost couldn’t believe what had just happened. Although his character is redeemed, as you said, the whole deal with making the Alliance writ large a somewhat morally ambiguous entity was not in line with the Star Wars oeuvre at all. And it was handled oddly too: like they put enough of it in there to mess with the formula, but then kind of wanted you to forget about it by the time the climactic battle rolled around.
Also, good points about the thin character writing. The new villain was absolutely pathetic. I definitely wanted to see more Darth Vader for my dime as well.
But… that cinematography. And the Easter eggs/fan service… and those battle scenes. You gotta admit, without giving anything away that very last scene was devastating in the best way (when the red comes out).
Regarding Luke snuffing out the lives on the Death Star, Clerks had a fantastic bit of dialog about that.
“Much like a typical Marvel movie, Rogue One is diverting enough while it’s unfolding, with a canny blend of action, humor and fan service, to send crowds away with smiles, perhaps debating the implications for canonical continuity, but neither greatly disappointed nor much changed.”
Perfectly said. I call this the JJ Abrams Effect (even where he’s not directly responsible). He did that to Star Trek: stripped the chicken down to a nugget, a highly-fried nugget—crunchy and crowd-pleasing but unoriginal and bland to any with more than a mere fast food palate.
Chip Kotchka:
Thanks for that enlightening insight. It’s helpful to know that Chirrut Îmwe belongs to a group that was founded to support the Jedi. That confirms my sense that introducing him (and the group he represents) in a Star Wars film without Jedis, as a kind of Jedi surrogate rather than Jedi support, is an odd move. I realize that the group may be well known to hardcore fans of the extended universe, but the movies ought to make sense on their own.
P.S. I would not be at all surprised to learn that “Chip Kotchka” was a name of a character in the next Star Wars movie.
Hi Decon,
Chirrut Îmwe is a Teras Kasi (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Teräs_Käsi): Unarmed Warrior Monk as presented. It is part of the “expanded universe” (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Teräs_Käsi) which is only really know by long time (over 40 years) hard core Star Wars fans.
Hopefully the links provided will give some explanation and background.
I think “Disney” for the most part is “phoning in” it’s treatment of Star Wars. I did not like the “New Star Wars Film” at all because it was a major depature of what was promised for over 30 years an didn’t account for anything in the expanded universe at all.
Thanks for the warning. As others have said, yeah there’a some moral ambiguity in The Cline Wars, but that makes sense in the context of the prequels, which had some ambiguity themselves - that’s what got them all into such a mess, after all. But a Rebellion with these tactics doesn’t make sense at all. ANH is supposed to have been their first big win precisely because they are more principled than the Empire, so they have more limited options.
Anyway, I’ve found that it’s best to just look at all of the Disney produced films as big budget fan-films, in the same family as TROOPS from nearly 20 years ago. Greatly reduces the indigestion. ;)
Steven: In regards to Gullible’s post and your reply, I don’t know if you remember the name “Nayirah” from back in 1990, but I do, and Nayirah al-Sabah taught me that a prudent, cautious skepticism in these situations is healthy and good until someone’s account can be independently verified as authentic. God bless.
As someone who sat through/suffered through (at times) the Clone Wars series, the moral ambiguity is definitely there. The presence of egregious plotholes make it no better. The worst moral flaw in the show is (*SPOILER ALERT*) the Jedi council finds out that the clones can be controlled and turned against the Jedi and elects to conceal that information, so as not to “undermine faith in the war effort”.
“Star Wars was naive, unreflective, simplistic, corny and earnest — and I love all that about it.”
Well said. “Convincing” and “inventive” also come to mind. Ralph McQuarrie’s fabulous designs contributed greatly to what makes Star Wars what it is, as did George Lucas’ vision and desire to make good escapism and to fill the screen with sights and sounds that the viewers hadn’t experienced before…even if he maybe went too far with it at times.
“Maybe the moral ambiguity was baked into earlier inter-trilogy mythology — the animated Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels series, among other things — that Disney tells us are official Star Wars canon. To that I can only say: They’re not my canon. I can’t tell anyone what Star Wars ought to be. I’m sure people will enjoy Rogue One, and I can’t say it’s bad, exactly, but this version of galaxy far, far away isn’t one I care to frequent.”
Sounds like the kind of thing that would not appeal to me at all. It’s interesting when there is a “universe” that can be used to tell stories—the film Marvel Universe has evolved, like the comics before it, to have comedies and dramas, and even weird experiments (check out the trailer for ‘Logan”—does that look like a “super hero movie”??). But when that happens, a lot of people are not going to like the different iterations. If I want an ambiguous movie about war, a Star Wars story isn’t going to be my first choice—or my 25th.
I very much appreciated this review. Star Wars has been - and, in my eyes, is supposed to be—simplistic in its views of good and evil. I know that the EU, the comics, etc. sometimes went in different and darker directions, but all of that material is subsidiary to what the ordinary moviegoer knows as “Star Wars” - a fairy tale overlaid with mythological elements. And morality in fairy tales is supposed to appeal to the child in all of us, the part of us that needs to believe idealistically that there is a good and there is an evil, and that they remain separate instead of always combining to form shades of gray. That - to me - is where both The Force Awakens (in taking down the heroes of the Original Trilogy to the point where they are failures and runaways) and, from the looks of it, Rogue One fail, by taking SW in a very relativistic direction that is not really supportable in these films (just wait until patricidal maniac Kylo gets redeemed by Ep IX).
Sounds like they are copying the form of the Battlestarstar Galactica reboot. The BSG TV show was often seen as a poor copy of Star Wars. NOW, whose the master!?
Steven, it’s refreshing to read a review that is honest, smart, and not the typical cheerleading review that most reviewers feel they have to give to all Disney Star Wars movies today. Thanks for sticking your neck out to the rest of the industry and not bowing to the pressure to like all these movies because of their politically correct casting and messaging. I know that’s not why you did it, but still, you’re going against the grain in the industry and giving an honest review. Thanks.
For God’s sake, Gullible.
Yes, I’m sure cynical skepticism is the most appropriate response to reports of the horror unfolding in Aleppo. It’s so important not to risk caring if there’s any possibility some reports might not be true.
I’ve only watched part way into the second season of Star Wars Rebels, but I have not seen any of the moral ambiguity you are referencing. Maybe some of the Empire side are more full characters so some of them are not be simple bad-guy caricatures, but the main bad guys are clearly bad. There is a clear-cut good guys and bad guys breakdown to it. Maybe it changed later on in the episodes I have not gotten to yet.
Andrew:
FWIW, I’ve seen some of the Clone Wars cartoons, and my familiarity with canon and extended universe material isn’t zero. I’ve read a novel or two and read some of the comic books.
My negative reaction isn’t based on mere unfamiliarity (although I can’t say I’m very familiar with the Star Wars universe beyond the films). It’s based on what seems to me a violation of the mythology of the films, no matter how many cartoons or other versions it converges with. A story about a Rebel Alliance leader who commits cold-blooded murder and goes on a mission ostensibly to rescue a kidnapped scientist he actually has orders to kill — this isn’t the Rebellion Luke signed with, and I didn’t sign up for this either.
Every tweet that says it comes from Syria must be believed at face value.
Rogue One is definitely a “full continuity” film—as attached to the two animated series, and Force Awakens, as it is to the other two trilogies.
I get where you’re coming from; if, like most (or at least a large majority) people, your Star Wars fandom consists of numbered film entries and nothing else, I’m afraid a lot of what will be coming from Disney/Lucasfilm won’t be to your liking. Experimenting with the Star Wars formula seems to be their MO going forward, while also sticking very closely to it with the main, numbered series.
That said, since you like watching cartoons with your kids, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rebels or Clone Wars (at least, after season 1 for the latter—that first season is pretty abysmal, but it turns pretty great and ends really well).
Enjoyable review, Steven. I suspected that it would be something like what you have described: intriguing, entertaining, “dark” in neo-Hollywood fashion, and not an essential part of the larger story.