Rogue One is the 2016 entry into the Star Wars movie franchise. It was directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Ben Mendelson, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, and Forest Whittiker. The movie tells the story of how the Rebels stole the plans for the first Death Star. It is set just before (and leads directly into the opening scene of) the original 1977 movie, A New Hope. There are tie-ins to the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, and the Rebels and Clone Wars cartoons, which are (along with the movies, books, and comics from 2015 forward) a part of the canon. There are a ton of cameos throughout the movie and, of course, an appearance by Darth Vader.
The main characters are Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) and Cassian Andor (Played by Diego Luna). Erso is the daughter of one of the Engineers forced to create the weapon system of the Death Star. Together with Andor and a band of rebels, including a reprogrammed imperial droid K-2SO voiced by Alan Tudyk, and Chirrut Îmwe, a blind cleric/warrior (played by Donnie Yen) who pretty much steals every scene they are in, they embark on a mission to save her father and get the Death Star plans.
Because it is Star Wars, people's opinions of the movie are all over the map. Some love it, some hate it, and others are lukewarm. I am in the camp of those who love the movie. It is my second favorite of the films after Empire Strikes Back. Like The Force Awakens, it did not allow the special effects to take over at the expense of a good script, acting, and storyline (as it can be argued was the case with the Prequel Trilogy). It tells a self-contained story that feels very much a part of the Star Wars universe but different because it does not center on the Jedi and Sith. It is really the first time we get more than a glimpse of how the conflict affected the non-force users of the Star Wars universe.
The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray disc is outstanding. The movie looks and sounds great, and it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the practical sets and the CGI effects. The extras that you get will depend on where you purchase the discs. There are a handful of basic behind the scenes and making of features that you get no matter where you buy it, and then some material that will be exclusive to the particular retailer. The bonus features are okay and good for what is there, but nowhere near as extensive as the releases before the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm. It is the one area where Disney is dropping the ball with the Star Wars material. In the age of digital streaming, only hardcore fans will purchase the discs, and many do so because of the bonus content. Hopefully, this will get better with the releases of subsequent films, but who knows.
Overall, whether you love or hate the movie is purely subjective and something most people likely already know. If you loved it in the theater and have the other movies on DVD or blu-ray, this is worth it. If you only get the discs because of bonus material, this may or may not be worth picking up. As I said above, the A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good and probably better than what you would get streaming it. Ultimately, it is one of the best Star Wars movies of the 11 that have been released as of this writing, and is worth watching multiple times.
Because it is Star Wars, people's opinions of the movie are all over the map. Some love it, some hate it, and others are lukewarm. I am in the camp of those who love the movie. It is my second favorite of the films after Empire Strikes Back. Like The Force Awakens, it did not allow the special effects to take over at the expense of a good script, acting, and storyline (as it can be argued was the case with the Prequel Trilogy). It tells a self-contained story that feels very much a part of the Star Wars universe but different because it does not center on the Jedi and Sith. It is really the first time we get more than a glimpse of how the conflict affected the non-force users of the Star Wars universe.
The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray disc is outstanding. The movie looks and sounds great, and it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the practical sets and the CGI effects. The extras that you get will depend on where you purchase the discs. There are a handful of basic behind the scenes and making of features that you get no matter where you buy it, and then some material that will be exclusive to the particular retailer. The bonus features are okay and good for what is there, but nowhere near as extensive as the releases before the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm. It is the one area where Disney is dropping the ball with the Star Wars material. In the age of digital streaming, only hardcore fans will purchase the discs, and many do so because of the bonus content. Hopefully, this will get better with the releases of subsequent films, but who knows.
Overall, whether you love or hate the movie is purely subjective and something most people likely already know. If you loved it in the theater and have the other movies on DVD or blu-ray, this is worth it. If you only get the discs because of bonus material, this may or may not be worth picking up. As I said above, the A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good and probably better than what you would get streaming it. Ultimately, it is one of the best Star Wars movies of the 11 that have been released as of this writing, and is worth watching multiple times.
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