Movie Reviews: What critics are saying about ‘Rogue One’

MANILA, Philippines – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has already hit theaters in Europe, and the reviews are pouring in for the latest Star Wars installment. 

Thousands of fans got to see the new spin-off film on Wednesday, December 14 – Rogue One has the highest first day pre-sales ever in the United States following last year’s record-breaking The Force Awakens.

Still, with two new Star Wars films out in two years, and Rogue One being a standalone, fans aren’t sure what to expect. Will this one work seamlessly into the saga’s storyline or will it disappoint in the same way some fans view episodes one to three?

Just like The Force Awakens, the grittier Rogue One has a female lead, with Felicity Jones starring as intergalactic bad girl Jyn Erso, recruited by the Rebel Alliance to destroy the Death Star, a planet-sized weapon of mass destruction.

When it comes to audiences, it seems there was less enthusiasm on the other side of the Atlantic with the first screenings in Paris only three-quarters full.

Several critics took their light sabers to the plot too, with the French daily Liberation branding it “stutteringly cosmic” and The New York Times calling it a “thoroughly mediocre movie” that millions would sit through “and convince themselves that it’s perfectly delightful”.

But Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet daily was won over, declaring that “despite some forced dialogue and wearying back and forths… Rogue One is two hours and 13 minutes of hugely entertaining space action.”

Meanwhile, fans of the series who were disappointed with episodes one, two, and three would love Rogue One, according to Variety: “Rogue One is the prequel they’ve always wanted.”

For The Guardian, the character cameos, familiar elements, and special effects gave the movie charm, but “it isn’t a pop culture event like The Force Awakens.”

Only time will tell whether Rogue One will be popular with fans across the globe, as the movie is released in theaters over the next few days. The movie opens in the Philippines on Thursday, December 15.

Would you watch the latest Star Wars movie after reading these reviews? What are you expecting of the movie? Let us know in the comments! – With reports from Fiachra Gibbons and Emmanuel Cherki, AFP/Rappler.com