Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Pop Quiz: Name the "Rogue Two" in Star Wars Lore.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 2, 2017

Since A New Hope changed the face of cinema in 1977 and created generations of fans that have turned George Lucas' film into a franchise, a worldwide phenomenon, and a fully integrated staple of popular culture, it's been obvious that there were more stories to tell, more character to introduce, more events to watch unfold well beyond the Skywalker family arc. Many more, in fact. The Star Wars films are filled with lore and mystique, much of which seems to be as ripe for storytelling as the saga of Anakin Skywalker, his son Luke, and... (find out this Christmas! Maybe). Many novels have expanded upon what's been going on a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, and even several TV shows have opened up that galaxy's rich history, but the bread-and- butter of the Star Wars universe remains its feature film entries. The original trilogy -- the fourth, fifth, and sixth stories in the saga -- long stood on their own, with fans eagerly anticipating the day when Lucas would reveal to the world the stories he wrote around them. The prequel trilogy was largely met with mixed reviews, not necessarily leaving a sour taste in the mouth -- the movies by-and-large ooze that Star Wars texture and tell the story of how the series' antagonist came to be -- but certainly, mostly, not quite taking the franchise where fans really wanted it to go. With Disney's acquisition, the franchise once again returned to prominence and to the screen with the very well received Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Rather than the slow-drip release schedule of the first six films, Disney has set in motion plans to finish the nine-part original series and release a number of "story" films that further explore the farthest reaches of the known -- and maybe even the unknown -- Star Wars universe. The first of these films, and perhaps the most obvious jumping-in point for a number of reasons, takes place between Episode III and Episode IV and tells the tale of how the Rebel Alliance came to be in possession of the plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, the destruction of which would drive the 1977 film and, really, set the table for everything to come since, prequel, sequel, and side story alike.

Below (and in the fourth paragraph from here in particular) there will be very minor spoilers, not for this film's plot's mechanics but more for some of the winks and nods and odes and carryovers from the 'Star Wars' universe that appear in the film. Some screenshots may be considered minor spoilers for character appearances in the film as well.

Rogue One tells the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), daughter of Imperial engineer Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) who is reluctantly leading development of the Empire's newest weapon, the Death Star. Jyn, long separated from her family and raised by hardened rebel veteran Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), is recruited to undertake a mission to infiltrate a secure Imperial base and transmit the Death Star's plans to the Rebel Alliance. Upon mission's outset, she's joined by Rebel intelligence officer Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), an imperial defector (Riz Ahmed), and a reprogramed imperial droid (Alan Tudyk). The film's plot is relatively straightforward and its most fundamental ending detail is already known to anyone who has seen a Star Wars movie. It begs the question, then, that at what point does a franchise begin to oversaturate its world with detail? When does filling in gaps ruin the charm of the greater story, and at what point is too much information simply too much information, particularly when the core of the story's outcome is known the moment the project is announced? Star Wars certainly has some leeway in this regard, given its immense, unceasing popularity and audience demand, and the universe is certainly ripe for the picking. Rogue One takes on the relatively easy task of expanding on a key moment that propels the series forward and the uneasy task of doing so while adding drama where none really exists. And it doesn't reach that point of oversaturation, excess detail, or frivolous expansion. The movie wasn't necessarily needed, either, but the story, its setting, and its staging make for a hugely entertaining Star Wars experience that effortlessly blends the familiar with the unfamiliar and takes Star Wars in a new direction while still being Star Wars at its heart-and-soul center.

The film's entertainment value is high. Action comes swiftly and on a large scale, leaving behind many of the more cartoonish elements of episodes I, II, and VI in favor of a more gritty, realistic, blood-and-guts tone and texture, but without the visceral visual support that would have given it an R-rating. Rogue One is essentially the Deep Space Nine of the Star Wars universe. And that's not a bad thing, because that show is, by many measures, the best of the Star Trek bunch. This is Star Wars at its grittiest, down in the mud and muck and out on the fringes of the rebellion, much as DS9 was for the Federation. But it's also like DS9 in another way. In Rogue One, most of the core, fundamental, in-and-out Star Wars details and qualities remain. It's a structural departure and off-the-beaten path but very much attached at the hip nevertheless. There are no scene wipes, for example. The movie doesn't begin with the classic John Williams fanfare, bold yellow logo, and introductory story crawl. Rogue One is the bleakest and most tonally dark Star Wars movie yet, and by a fairly wide margin. From an emotional perspective it's not quite approaching The Empire Strikes Back, but it's certainly in the same ballpark. It doesn't simply share the Star Wars universe, it expands on it and in many ways enhances it and does so with a more sinister, but necessarily darker, underbelly that manages to blend an established outcome with suspense and drama while still portending dark things to come, even as they've already been resolved in the cinematic timeline.

Director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and Writers John Knoll, Gary Whitta, Chris Weitz, and Tony Gilroy may not have come up with a movie and script that's a bastion of creative storytelling or thematic resonance -- it's not The Force Awakens, at all -- but they've made a movie that balances that difficult line between freshness and working around a known outcome, building up and concentrating on the how rather than the why. It's the same problem shared by the prequel films, but with the possible exception of Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One handles it better. The movie is ridiculously entertaining and engaging, even if it's just a linear tale of action and espionage and a movie that more than makes up for its shortcomings with a remarkably well-versed recreation of the Star Wars universe, a particular challenge for this film given its close proximity to A New Hope, easily the most recognizable and well-known in the franchise. Every little touch is dead-on right. It's not fan service (though a few fun little bits are included...a porky minor character "Red Five," which would be Luke's callsign in A New Hope, meets a quick demise in this film), it's exacting production design. Every little texture is right. Whether on ships or clothes or props or environments, anything and everything has been crafted with attention to detail that, maybe more than anything, makes the movie work. Even the way interfaces work and the way things plug in fit in exactly within the Episode IV timeframe. It's exciting to revisit the most cherished moment in the Star Wars universe, and Edwards doesn't disappoint, even if the traditional Star Wars staple lightsaber battle, always a part of the climax in every other main entry (though coming earlier in the film in A New Hope), is understandably absent.

There are a few things that don't work quite as well as they should, though. The Death Star data files are said to be massive, stored on a very large "hard drive," for lack of a better term, but when the rebels receive them, they're transferred to a significantly smaller data card. The ragtag and underfunded rebels apparently have better technology, in this case, than the Empire. Another is Vader's voice. James Earl Jones returns to do the work, but with age the pitch and cadence both seem wrong, slightly off. It's conceivable that the voice doesn't exactly match for a reason, that perhaps he's still in a transitional phase from Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader, still recovering from his wounds and becoming accustomed to his new enclosure. The film doesn't give an exact timeline for exactly where it sits after Revenge of the Sith. That said, and small spoiler here, it's obviously very close to the beginning of A New Hope, its endpoint maybe as little as minutes and probably no more than a few hours, a day, maybe, at the most, before the start of Episode IV, so that theory seems unlikely, and maybe that's just a personal nitpick that won't bother anyone else. Some of the pilot "cameos" felt forced. The aforementioned "Red Five" joke is great, but while Red and Gold leaders work in terms of timeline, the execution felt unnatural and they seemed almost directly lifted from A New Hope in the way they appear positioned in the cockpit and move and look around and the words they speak. Counter to that, neither the Tarkin nor Leia appearances seemed distracting, though the latter's single spoken line feels forced to underscore Episode IV's title, even as the word is bandied about several times throughout the rest of the film.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was digitally photographed but practically passes for filmic texturing. Disney's 1080p transfer is gorgeous (and one can only imagine what might have been/will be with a UHD release; the film was finished at 4K), showcasing all of those incredible Star Wars textures, both made for the movie and established in lore, with amazing precision. The film begins with a cold, gray backdrop, offset by well saturated, yet still mildly cold, greens. Detailing proves terrific in this sequence, with rougher environmental textures, finely defined facial features, and the raindrops accumulating on Krennic's costume all excellent. The battle-worn locations on Jedha are a textural delight of little nooks and crevices, with the clean, slick, and highly detailed and polished Stormtrooper uniforms in stark contrast. Rebel costumes are wonderfully defined in close-ups, where accumulated grime and dirt and frays are clearly evident. Much the same can be said of Rebel starship interiors, contrasting with the familiar clean lines and surfaces within the Imperial locations. Digitally recreated characters appear surprisingly realistic with no digital sheen or softness. Colors are pleasant and bold, whether laser blasts, X-Wing engine glows, fireballs, a red lightsaber, or the colorful natural highlights around Scarif all offering some of the most significant color vibrancy in the movie. Much of the film, however, is either earthy or Imperial gray or poorly lit, though there's plenty of fine nuance and variation of those shades throughout. Black star fields are beautifully deep and rich and shadow detailing and depth are excellent. Flesh tones present no dilemmas. This is Blu-ray at its finest.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story features a wonderful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation comes in perfect working order, satisfying all requirements for clarity, surround engagement, movement, immersion, and excitement. Music flows effortlessly, playing with exacting front-end width and generous, but not overpowering, surround support. Every note of Michael Giacchino's score and John Williams' familiar pieces and refrains play with the richness and distinction they deserve. Action effects, certainly, dominate the track. Blaster fire is appropriately weighty and powerful, with zipping effects around the stage as blasts quickly and seamlessly transition from one portion of the stage to the next; one can practically trace them through the listening area. Explosions are deep and detailed. Debris scatters through the stage with every one, and the total effect places the listener in the middle a skirmish on Jedha or a full-blown land battle on Scarif. That latter battle offers a dazzling array of elements. With blaster fire, rapid troop movement, screams, walkers pounding the planet's surface, and X-Wings and TIE Fighters maneuvering in the skies above, the track offers an incredibly active and robust example of cinematic action chaos where, even in the intensity and confusion, all of the well-known Star Wars sound effects present with incredible clarity and distinction, even jumbled together.

Obviously this isn't a track that engages overhead channels -- it's neither a DTS:X track or a Dolby Atmos track -- but there are several occasions where one could almost be fooled into believing they're hearing top-layer engagement. A young Jyn Erso hides in a hole in a rocky formation early in the film, and closing the heavy lid above her seems to filter above the listener, that weight practically coming down on the listening audience. Rainfall on Eadu practically soaks the top end, and a shuttle landing on Scarif has a tangible heft as it descends onto the platform. Lighter atmospherics are impressively detailed, too. Gentle falling rain and light winds in the film's opening sequence are impressively detailed. Packed chatter and clatter in Jedha's city streets sonically create a rough textural landscape. Distant PA announcements inside the Scarif facility filter through the stage with ease. Finally, dialogue delivery comes as-expected, with natural clarity and positioning as well as prioritization, even during pitch battle sequences. The tack is certainly going to be remembered for its impressive and balanced battles, but it finds a richness in delivery in all aspects.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story contains all of its supplemental content on a dedicated second Blu-ray disc. Most all of the supplements can be found under the tab marked The Stories, while Rogue Connections is offered independently of that tab. A DVD copy of the film and a Disney digital copy voucher are included with purchase.

• A Rogue Idea (1080p, 9:00): A recount of John Knoll's idea and pitch for the film, looking at the early days of production, hiring Gareth Edwards to direct, Edwards' love for the series, and building a collection of characters.
• Jyn: The Rebel (1080p, 1080p, 6:16): A closer look at the film's main protagonist: personality, character history and what separates her from other protagonists from the Star Wars universe, physical preparations for the shoot, and more.
• Cassian: The Spy (1080p, 4:14): Much the same as the previous supplement in terms of introducing the character and his history, the qualities the character brings to the story, and casting Diego Luna.
• K-2SO: The Droid (1080p, 7:43): A look at the robotic character: his "anti C-3PO personality," character design, Alan Tudyk's motion capture performance, and the humor the actor brought to the set.
• Baze & Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills (1080p, 6:20): The actors discuss landing and accepting the roles, the characters' camaraderie, individual character details, faith and the force in the movie and the Star Wars universe, and the actors' physical performances.
• Bodhi & Saw: The Pilot & The Revolutionary (1080p, 8:35): The piece begins with Riz Ahmed's auditions and crafting the character, the character's fate, and making key sequences. It moves on to examine Forest Whitaker's character and his history in the Star Wars universe, character definition and history, Whitaker's preparations for the role, and more.
• The Empire (1080p, 8:18): A run through of key Imperial characters, including Galen Erso, Orson Krennic, Grand Moff Tarkin, and Darth Vader and the qualities (and in Vader's case, the presence) their actors brought to their roles.
• Visions of Hope: The Look of Rogue One (1080p, 8:24): Designing a world that's true and familiar to the Star Wars universe but still unique to the film. It explores set construction, small design changes, and the black stormtroopers.
• The Princess & The Governor (1080p, 5:49): Digitally recreating two important characters.
• Epilogue: The Story Continues (1080p, 4:15): Images from the film's premiere juxtaposed against fans talking up the film and the franchise. The piece ends with a selection of clips from the film.
• Rogue Connections (1080p, 4:31): This piece shares some secrets behind the movie, not just the connective references but cameos, character name secrets, and the like.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rogue One is a great movie. It's not all that thematically resonating, but its characters are well developed, its action is amazingly well staged, and it's so deeply ingrained into the Star Wars universe -- even as the darkest and grittiest movie of them all, and by a fairly wide margin -- that it can't help but fit right in. A few minor little things also hold it back, but given the dilemma of recreating not only places and things but important people as they were almost 40 years ago, it's practically impossible to find fault with most of it. It's not as "good" as The Force Awakens in terms of artful cinematic elegance and story relevance, but from a sheer entertainment perspective, and with its fully saturated return trip to the most beloved timeframe in Star Wars history, it's the more purely entertaining and enjoyable film of the two by the slimmest of margins. Next up in the branched-out Star Wars stories is the Han Solo film, which will face many of the same challenges Rogue One overcame as it will almost certainly explore the character's rather deep lore, including his relationship with Chewbacca, friendship with and winning the Falcon from Lando Calrissian, and run-ins with Jabba the Hut. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Blu-ray release is top-notch. Video and audio are pristine and an entire second disc's worth of bonus content make this a must-own. Rogue One earns my highest recommendation.