Rogue One – A Star Wars Story: Movie Review

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Our reluctant heroine Jyn’s father Galen, was recruited to build the Empire’s infamous Death Star when Jyn was just a young girl. However, while appearing to be all but lost to the dark side, Galen sends a defected Empire pilot to help the Rebels in their quest to overthrow the Empire.

Happily, his message is intercepted by a now grown up Jyn, who has found herself rescued from prison by the Rebellion and is being escorted by Cassian the rebel pilot and his sidekick K2-SO, who provides the much needed comic relief that we have come to love from the Star Wars robots. Together, they must convince the Rebellions leaders of the authenticity of Galen’s message but fail in getting the support. Undeterred by the negative reaction, Jyn and co. ‘borrow’ a ship to fly to Scarif anyway to steal the plans to the infamous Death Star.

The film hits the ground running from the word go and rarely slows down enough for you to catch your breath. The story is entertaining and suspenseful (I audibly gasped more than once) and the familiar shots of pilots complete with orange jumpsuit and visor, more Stormtroopers that can’t shot straight than ever before, and even a cameo from our most loved robot duo, all set against a truly stunning and diverse backdrop, combine to create a film full of what makes Star Wars so great.

However, this film is not perfect. For me I felt many of the characters were a disappointment. While Felicity is superb as our feisty and self-reliant hero Jyn, her partner Cassian is pretty bland and unconvincing. As is the defector pilot Bodhi, whose story simply seems forgotten about and incomplete. The ending (warning: half a spoiler) would have been much more moving if I had cared about the characters more. I’m usually a weeping mess at the first whiff of death but while yes, I felt a small lump in my throat at the end, I remained dry eyed.

While Rogue One may have been made by Disney, it is not a ‘Disney’ film. It is darker that I expected, and there is certainly no white knight to ride in and save the day (as much as I was hoping for one!). I hate myself for thinking this (as I’m sure will many of my friends), but I enjoyed it more than Harry Potter’s recent prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, perhaps because I am not a fanatic about Star Wars and therefore had no real expectations, while I am a fully-fledged Potter Head so my hopes were sky high.

Rogue One, despite having some weak characters, it is captivating enough to make it a great film, not to mention it answers some glaring plot holes that has plagued Star Wars fans for decades!

Is Die Hard a Christmas film?

This seems to be an extremely hot topic when it comes to the discussion of Christmas films. So, which side are you on?

Michaela: Die Hard is not a Christmas film. I don’t expect anyone to agree with me, but I will not be swayed into thinking that it is. My reasons being are as follows: One, it is not about Christmas. Most Christmas films have a story line which revolves around  one of the holiday themes (santa, reigndeers, presents), but Die Hard (may I remind you all), tells the story of an evil gang of German men out to steal loads of money, and who attempt to do so by holding a group of employees in a big inner city business building, hostage #merrychristmas. Secondly, although I can sympathise with the fact that Die Hard is set at Christmas, and yes, there is even a works Christmas party taking place at the start of the film, I can’t see anything else that relates to the festivity of this joyous holiday season. Just because it is set at Christmas, doesn’t make it a Christmas film. Point three (as if I need say more), is that Christmas films are meant to be watched at Christmas, and Christmas alone – I could so easily watch this film any day of the week! I would like to conclude that I do not in any way dislike Die Hard, but it is NOT a Christmas film.

Faye: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? The very simple (and correct) answer is yes, of course! First of all, the fact that the film is set on Christmas Eve is indisputable evidence that Die Hard is a Christmas film, there’s no way to argue against this point. Can you think of another film set at Christmas that you wouldn’t consider to be a seasonal flick? Secondly, the sets are adorned with Christmas decorations, complete with Christmas trees, Christmas presents, Christmas music and even Christmas hats! Not to mention John McClain even delivers a Christmas present to Alan Rickman in the form of Karl’s brother, complete with Santa hat and the words HO HO HO emblazoned across his jumper! How Christmassy is that?! Furthermore, before a certain Blog Buddy came along, I had never hear of anyone who doesn’t watch Die Hard during the holidays. It just isn’t Christmas until John McClain has yelled ‘Yippee-kay-ee Motherf*cker’ and sympathised with a TV dinner. My best argument I have saved for last, and is irrefutable. Die Hard is one of, nay, the best film ever, and is a gift for all (aged 18 and over) to enjoy, and isn’t that what Christmas is all about?!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – movie review

I probably love the Harry Potter series more than is socially acceptable. So when I found out we were about to delve into a new set of characters from the wizarding world in the new film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I was beyond excited. I mean, I had the release day on my countdown app for over a year…!

So last Tuesday I finally went to watch it. I rushed home from work, wolfed down my dinner and made my fiancé leave an hour early I was so excited.

Set in 1920’s New York, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them follows Newt Scamander, an Englishman with a passion for animals that rivals even that of Hagrid’s and his mysterious briefcase full of these magical creatures (you’ll recognise the name of course as the author of the book Harry & Co use at Hogwarts). Due to a series of unfortunate events, Newt is arrested by our female lead Tina Goldstein. The suitcase gets lost in a classic switching scene where non-maj (Muggle to us English wizards) Jacob Kowalski picks it up instead of his briefcase full of pastries. Jacob unknowingly opens it and out pours numerous magical beasts to cause havoc around New York.

The recapture of the Niffler are the films best scenes. This tiny, mole-like creature is just adorable as he desperately seeks out anything shiny. The scenes involving the creatures are complete mayhem and provide an amusing relief from the bigger picture that begins to develop as we delve deeper into the mysterious wizarding world of 1920’s New York.

This secondary storyline involves an all-powerful magical force called an Obscurus, which manifests itself as a big black smoky thing that is seemingly uncontrollable and deadly. The source of this magical power is being hunted by Auror Percival Graves, who seems from the first a dodgy character and I predicted what happened very early on. While I enjoyed this storyline, I was disappointed how it was portrayed. Even for a world full of impossibilities, the Obscurus seemed a bit far-fetched. I feel it would have been better if it didn’t manifest itself as smoky ball, but as a possession of sorts remaining in the realms of acceptable unbelievability.

The cast of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was brilliant. Eddie Redmayne portrays Newt as shy and awkward around humans, but absolutely indestructible in his defence of his animals (and Hogwarts!). Jacob Kowalski, played by Dan Fogler, is a brilliant and witty sidekick who pretty much reacts as we all would if we found ourselves suddenly surrounded by magic.

On the whole, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a great film and I look forward to the next four. The visual effects are stunning and the stars of the show are the (mostly) adorable animals, supported by a great cast. Having said this I left the cinema a little disappointed. However I feel I need to go see it again, as maybe I just need to get used to the fact that it isn’t Harry Potter.