A scientist is forcibly recruited by the Empire to help build the Death Star.
In my opinion Rogue One is (to date) the best Star Wars movie produced in the Disney era and one of the strongest entries in the overall franchise. I enjoyed it for its darker tone, excellent performances and in particular how well it fits into the overarching narrative of the Star Wars universe.
There are a number of memorable scenes, particularly in the final act which packs a double emotional wallop with the fate of the main characters and what we know is to come in events portrayed in the original 1977 Star Wars movie.
The action sequences and visuals are fantastic throughout, with a strong combination of great cinematography, sensible computer generated imagery and effective fight choreography. It's difficult to go into detail about the best bits without major spoilers so I'll just say they get the fan service spot on with a great blend of the old and the new.
All performances are solid with Felicy Jones, Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk all compelling as the main antagonists. Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen give great support. The standout performances for me are Ben Mendelsohn as a memorable villain and Forrest Whitaker in a slightly unhinged cameo.
Any fans of the original trilogy should enjoy this one, particularly when compared to the prequel and sequel movies which largely miss the mark.
