"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Review: Keep Em' Coming!
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is not a film about if, but how. How did the Rebel Alliance get the plans to the Death Star? Well, it wasn’t easy, and that’s where this off shoot from Star Wars episodes fits in.
Imagine what it was like in 1945 as the Atom Bomb was about to be tested. That’s where things stand in Rogue One. The Death Star is up and running, but the planet killer has yet to be used. With time running short, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is recruited by the Rebellion early in the film as an access key. Her bloodline and past makes her important to the group’s plan to see the Death Star destroyed.
The movie is more a war film than anything like its predecessors. Most of the film is tactical in nature. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a recruiter and soldier in the Rebel Army, extracts Jyn out of Imperial transport vehicle with the help of his reprogrammed K-2SO (Alan Tudyk). Jyn is offered the opportunity to help the Rebellion, or continue as she was in the hands of The Empire.
Time is of the essence on both sides as Orson Krennic (the always stellar Ben Mendelsohn) is going to show The Empire that the Death Star, the project he’s headed up, is in full working order. As plans on both sides move forward we’re introduced to Chirrut (Donnie Yen) and Baz Malbus (Wen Jiang), two guardians of the temple on planet Jedha, which is being mined by The Empire as fuel. The Empire is on high alert as an extremist in the Rebellion named Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) keeps them on their toes, along with the rest of the Rebel Army.
Suspense and tension is high in this film, while keeping some humor sprinkled in to break things up. With everyone on edge as the clock is running out, it makes for good pacing. Director Gareth Edwards captures the ground and air fights in such a way that we feel entrenched with soldiers, while seeing the scale of the enemy.
A lot should be said about the diversity of the cast. Felicity Jones brings a nice balance of strength to her character, while carrying the emotional weight of her past in her eyes. The combination of Jones, Luna, Yen and Jiang throughout the film make for a great rag tag family and diversity that isn’t too often seen in a big budget film like this because screen time is spread well amongst the group.
In case you were wondering, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) is in the film just the right way and for the right amount of time! His presence is known and when it’s felt it’s felt, but it is sure to please any Vader fan. Rest assured, they got that part right!
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a nice entry in setting up the epic saga to follow. It instills confidence for more stand-alone movies in the coming years as well. Since my kids won’t know the difference, when they reach an age that Darth Vader doesn’t scare them, we’ll start with Rogue One and work our way up to episode 8 (by then)! One through three will always be extra credit.
Rating: B+
"Southpaw" Review
With a movie like “Southpaw”, the question is not have you seen the story before, but how is the story going to be told? While the classic redemption story is apparent even from the trailer, the journey to it is gripping and refreshingly real. With stellar performances, “Southpaw” is a standout character study in the ring of boxing films.
The film starts with Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) on top of the world. He’s the light weight champion of the world, lives in a mansion, and has a beautiful wife, Maureen (Rachel McAdams), and daughter, Leila (Oona Laurence). After his Maureen is tragically murdered (in a breath-taking, dramatic scene) Hope starts to lose control. Running the gamut of grief from anger to depression, by the time he sobers up it’s too late. He’s lost his wife, mansion, and the state has put his daughter in protective services.
With no money, due to fake friends draining him, his excessive spending and his own ignorance, Hope is forced to get a 300 square foot apartment. He enlists the help of Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker) to train him properly to do the only thing he knows how to do, fight. He not only has to fight an opponent in the ring, but he has to fight his own demons and fight to win his daughter’s heart back.
The rich detail that writer Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy) and director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) go into in combination of the script and visuals show a side of boxing we don’t normally think about. They highlight the “performance” of boxing and use the glitz and glamour to their advantage to remind the viewer that there is a person who steps out of the ring after a fight we pay to be entertained by. Sons of Anarchy fans know Sutter’s writing can be emotional and moody, but thanks to great casting (except Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) each emotional stepping stone is earned.
Jake Gyllenhaal is immersed in the character of Billy Hope. From his mumbled speech pattern to the way he holds his body, Gyllenhaal is totally believable as an adult fighter who came up through the system. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and McAdams is what award winning performances are made of. While McAdams role is short-lived in the film, her performance is so strong that her presence remains throughout in a way that the words on the page couldn’t have dreamed of!
Forest Whitaker gives a long overdue, subtle, and genuine performance that he didn’t dial in for as Tick Wills. He’s a trainer with demons that we never know the origins of, but they come through in many of his scenes. I’ve never seen Oona Laurence, but after this film she is definitely a young talent to watch!
“Southpaw” is one of those films that feels out of place in the middle of the summer. A film like this usually plays in the winter months for awards consideration, and it should definitely get that! It’s a character study into love, loss, grief, and how we choose to respond when we’ve fallen.
Rating: A