Rogue
One: A Star Wars Story
(2016/Lucasfilm/Disney Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B+/B- Sound: A/B Extras: B Film: B+
Simply
put, Rogue
One
(2016) is a landmark in the history of Star
Wars.
An experiment on behalf of Lucasfilm, which is now under the care of
mega-film producer Kathleen Kennedy to see if Star
Wars
spin-off films could work for fans or met with harsh criticism, much
as the prequels did.
Unlike
last year's The
Force Awakens
(2016), which took place later down the timeline, this Star
Wars
film is set in between Episodes
3 and 4
- serving as a lead-in A
New Hope
and filling in some narrative gaps that George Lucas left open. In
this case, the formation of the Rebel Alliance and the stealing of
the Empire's Death Star Plans, which ultimately end up in the hands
of Princess Leia (the late, great Carrie Fisher.) In this film, Jyn
Erso (Jones) - whose Father helped create the plans - ends up working
with the rebellion.
The
other ''first'' for Rogue
One
is the fact that no Jedi Knights make an appearance, with the main
character being Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso - a strong and intelligent
warrior who isn't quite sure what side she should be on. Also risky
for the film is the inclusion of the late actor Peter Cushing into
the role of Grand Moff Tarkin, a motion captured performance which
resurrected a late actor from the dead - crafting a performance that
he didn't necessarily play, having died decades ago. (If only
Christopher Nolan would have done this for this third Batman
film, The
Dark Knight Rises,
with Heath Ledger as the Joker character which was originally
intended to be included, that film could have been much different.)
Also worth noting (SPOILER!!!!!) is the inclusion of a digitally
recreated young Leia, which had the blessing of the actress before
she passed in December.
Knocking
the ball out of the park is Director Gareth Edwards (2014's Godzilla,
Monsters)
who lends his unique (and wide lensed, particularly remarkable ones
just revived by Tarantino's Hateful
Eight)
visual style to the Star
Wars
universe and creates some astonishingly well crafted characters (both
human and otherwise) and successfully mixes them with faces from
previous outings.
Starring
in the film along the lead in Felicity Jones are Diego Luna, Riz
Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Forest Whitaker, Jimmy
Smits, and a great performance by Mads Mikkelsen to name just a few.
James Earl Jones also returns as the voice of cinema's greatest
villain, Darth Vader, who has a few outstandingly strong moments in
Rogue
One,
namely a vicious slaughtering of Rebels that made me giggle with
delight.
The
high definition presentation of Rogue
One
in 1080p high definition looks incredible with a widescreen aspect
ratio of 2.39:1 (the first all-Ultra HD digital shoot of a film in
the series, lensed by Director of Photography Greig Fraser, ACS, ASC
(Zero
Dark Thirty,
Let Me
In,
Killing
Them Softly,
Lion,
Foxcatcher))
and a great sounding, lossless 7.1 DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) track
that sounds stunning, even as a mixdown from the 12-track theatrical
release. Skywalker Sound has done its usual state-of-the-art work
with the sound mix here and the incredible score by Michael Giacchino
(the first composer to fill in for John Williams on a Star
Wars
film) is captured in great detail. This pushes the limits of the
format and one can only look forward to an inevitable 4K UHD release
in years to come when Disney begins to support the format.
Also
in this edition is the standard definition DVD with an anamorphic
widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1
track; both of which are average for the format and pale in
comparison to the clarity of Blu-ray.
A
digital UV copy is also included.
Special
Features (on its own disc) include...
A
Rogue Idea
- Hear how ILM's John Knoll came up with the movie's concept - and
why it's the right film to launch the Star
Wars
stand-alone films.
Jyn:
The Rebel
- Get to know Rogue
One's
defiant, resourceful survivor, and hear what it was like for Felicity
Jones to bring her to life onscreen.
Cassian:
The Spy
- Diego Luna shares insights into his complex, driven character, who
becomes a hero through selflessness, perseverance and passion.
K-2SO:
The Droid
- Explore the development of this reprogrammed Imperial droid, from
initial pitch and character design through Alan Tudyk's performance.
Baze
& Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills - Go deeper into the
relationship between these two very different characters, with
Chinese superstars Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen.
Bodhi
& Saw: The Pilot & The Revolutionary
- Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed reflect on Saw Gerrera, the broken
Rebel leader, and Bodhi Rook, the Imperial pilot who defects.
The
Empire
- Meet a dangerous new Imperial adversary... and cross paths once
more with the most iconic villain of all time.
Visions
of Hope: The Look of "Rogue
One"
- The filmmakers describe the challenges and thrills of developing a
bold new look for the movie that can fit within the world of the
original trilogy.
The
Princess & The Governor
- See what it took to bring the vibrant young princess of Star
Wars: A New Hope,
as well as one of her most memorable foes - back to the screen.
Epilogue:
The Story Continues
- Filmmakers and cast celebrate Rogue
One's
premiere and look forward into the future, to the Star
Wars
stories yet to be told.
Rogue
Connections
- Uncover Easter eggs and film facts hidden throughout the movie that
connect Rogue
One
to the Star
Wars
universe.
RETAILER
EXCLUSIVES:
Target
Exclusive: 5-disc set includes collectible packaging with
interchangeable character covers and exclusive bonus content (Blu-ray
3D + two Blu-ray + DVD + DVD exclusive content + 2 additional bonus
features + Digital HD + collectible packaging)
Best
Buy Exclusive: 4-disc set with exclusive SteelBook packaging (Blu-ray
3D + two Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD + SteelBook packaging)
Wal
Mart Exclusive: 3-disc set with exclusive K-2SO packaging and two
Galactic Connexions trading discs (two Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD +
K-2SO packaging + two Galactic Connexions trading discs).
While
I'm sure another edition of the film will pop up towards the end of
the year with more unearthed extras, Rogue
One
is probably one of the more well received films by both critics and
fans in the Star
Wars
universe in recent years.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
