‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Is Filled With So Many Colorful Characters. Some Great, Some Not So Great!
A new Star Wars film is upon us and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. ‘Rogue One‘ is a standalone movie within the franchise taking place between ‘Star Wars Episode III‘ and ‘Star Wars Episode IV‘. It tells the story of a ragtag team who come together for an impossible mission to steal the Death Star plans.
Though ‘Rogue One‘ feels different than most Star Wars films at times, the knack for memorable characters is still there. Even if I didn’t necessarily love someone in the movie, they stood out for one reason or another.
Below is a list of the best and worst characters in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘!
Honorable Mention:
- Darth Vader
-Darth Vader’s time in the film is fairly brief but insanely brilliant.
Shining Stars:
- Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen)
-The hype for Donnie Yen appearing in a Star Wars film was too real. After wasting Asian talents like Yayan Ruhian and Iko Uwais in ‘The Force Awakens‘, it was great to see such a legendary actor shine in a major Hollywood film. This blind Force worshipping bad-ass steals the entire show with his heart & skills! - Cassian Andor (Diego Luna)
–Diego Luna takes what could have been some sidekick role for ‘Rogue One’ and adds some major depth to Cassian Andor. He struggles with morality through the film and seemingly grows the most out of anyone. Cassian is obviously Han Solo-inspired but has an extra layer of pain that makes him original. - Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn)
-The major complaints I’ve had with Star Wars villains is their sappy backstories. Rarely is someone just evil for the sake of being evil. Thankfully Director Orson Krennic is! He just wants fame for creating the ultimate killing machine and that drives him to be a formable foe. He also has a gang of cool Stormtroopers!
Stuck In The Middle:
- Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones)
-The worst part about Jyn Erso as a character is we just don’t get to see enough action from her. She drives the narrative and plays an important part to the plot but her notability doesn’t go beyond that. Felicity Jones plays Jyn well but can’t make up for a one note character. This allowed for Cassian Andor to shine. - Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed)
-Bodhi Rook is potentially a great character but is portrayed so inconsistent throughout ‘Rogue One‘. So much so that I’m confused on how I feel about his role in the grand scheme of things. He’s introduced with a bang and gets a great heroic moment but spends most of the time in the background. - Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen)
–Mads Mikkelsen appears for a respectable amount of the movie and has an important part but doesn’t come close to anything of note. Galen Erso is the catalyst for all of this drama and for some reason, he’s sadly underutilized. He lacks the mystic that the filmmakers attempts to give him.
Stinkers:
- K-2SO (Alan Tudyk)
-I applaud the great Alan Tudyk on another fantastic performance but sadly, the character of K-2SO feels out of place. Aesthetically, he looks great but his humor didn’t quite match the rest of the film’s tone. I found myself comparing him to Baymax or Johnny 5 from ‘Short Circuit‘ more than anything else. - Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker)
-The entire arc with Saw Gerrera doesn’t feel fulfilling. He’s one of the few characters that didn’t feel complete within this film and needed more explanation. Also, I can’t help but to think he’s only in this film to serve as another failed father figure for Jyn Erso. Forest Whitaker at least delivers a campy performance.
Comment below and let me know which character you are most excited for?
Synopsis: The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.
Genre: Space Opera
Country: USA
Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, and Ben Mendelsohn
