--- title: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" year: 2016 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story" fi1m_score: 70 critics_score: 63 critics_reviews: 20 published: "2026-09-18T12:12:38.784126+00:00" updated: "2026-09-18T12:12:39.342834+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Directed by Gareth Edwards · 2h 13m · MPA PG-13 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction **Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 63 from 20 reviews *In a sentence:* Ninety minutes of rebels arguing in the rain, then the Empire wades ashore through the palm trees and the film wakes up > Gareth Edwards’s spin-off spends an hour introducing people it does not know well, then stages the best battle in the series. It is grimy, handsome and oddly unsure of its heroine, and worth the evening for its last forty minutes. ## Synopsis Years after Imperial director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) takes the scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) from his farm to finish the Empire’s new weapon, Galen’s daughter Jyn (Felicity Jones) is serving time in an Imperial labour camp under a false name. The Rebel Alliance breaks her out. Intelligence officer Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and a reprogrammed Imperial droid, K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), need her to reach Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), the guerrilla who raised her, now holed up in the occupied holy city of Jedha. Gerrera is holding a defecting cargo pilot, Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), who says he carries a message from Galen about a battle station that can destroy a planet. Jyn wants her father back; the Rebellion wants his secrets; and Krennic wants the leak closed. ## Review [*Star Wars*](https://film.one/film/star-wars) (1977) opens with a princess, a captured ship, and the plans for a battle station hidden inside a droid. *Rogue One* is the story of the stealing. Gareth Edwards has been given the one corner of the saga where nobody has a lightsaber and the ending is already fixed, and made a war film of it: mud, rain, people in ponchos. For its last forty minutes it is a good one. Getting there asks for patience. The screenplay, by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta, takes most of an hour to get its people into one room. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is pulled out of an Imperial labour camp because her father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) is building the Empire’s weapon. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) goes with her, under orders she has not been told. They collect a blind warrior (Donnie Yen), his armed friend (Jiang Wen), a shaking defector (Riz Ahmed) and a droid. We were bored around the rain-soaked research station, then annoyed to be bored with this many good faces on screen. Jabez Olssen, Colin Goudie and John Gilroy are credited as editors, and the first hour looks like a longer film cut down with the joins left in. Jones is a watchful, capable lead given one thing to feel. Jyn wants her father; the film wants her to want the Rebellion; the writing asks for both and never chooses. Luna does more with less: Cassian has done things he does not like for a cause he does, and it shows in the way he never quite meets anyone’s eye. Alan Tudyk’s K-2SO, a reprogrammed Imperial security droid, gets every good line. Yen and Wen play Chirrut and Baze as an old married couple with a staff and a repeating cannon. Ben Mendelsohn’s Orson Krennic is the film’s most useful invention: a project director in a white cape, frightened of the men above him and taking it out on the men below. One of his meetings is with Governor Tarkin, played by Guy Henry beneath a digital reconstruction of the late Peter Cushing. It is skilful and it does not work. The eyes are wrong and the mouth is a half-beat behind the voice, and every time he spoke we stopped watching the scene and started watching the trick. Edwards likes something small at the bottom of the frame and something enormous above it. A Star Destroyer hangs over the holy city of Jedha like weather. Greig Fraser shoots it handheld and close, so that Imperial white looks like something that would need cleaning. Doug Chiang and Neil Lamont’s Empire is a civil service: data towers, filing systems, a tropical base with a security gate. Glyn Dillon and David Crossman dress the rebels in whatever khaki they could find and Krennic in a cape he chose himself. Michael Giacchino’s score circles John Williams’s themes without settling on one of its own, and is best when it goes quiet. Then the film reaches the beach, and does well everything the first hour did badly. The raid on the Imperial archive is a proper battle: a plan, a clock, a small team on the ground and a fleet overhead, cut so that a choice in one place costs something in the other. When the Imperial walkers come out of the sea and through the palm trees we sat forward, because Edwards’s scale was at last attached to people we had come to care about. The last stretch takes a turn we will not describe. It moved us more than we expected, because the film stops explaining and lets its characters do what they said they would. Within the saga this is the odd one out: no princesses, no chosen child, no interest in the Force beyond one blind man’s faith in it. It has a first half that would have been improved by losing a planet, and a heroine who deserved another draft. See it for Mendelsohn, for Tudyk and for the beach. If you have never seen *Star Wars*, watch that first; this is a prologue. It runs 133 minutes and carries a 12A. *Fi1m score 70, published 18 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like it, and the praise gathers in the same two places: the third act and the tone. The final battle is the film’s best stretch for its admirers and the only thing some detractors will grant it. Nearly everyone notes that Gareth Edwards has made a war film rather than a fairy tale, with handheld camerawork, grime on everything and a real count of the dead. Felicity Jones is the performance singled out most often. The spread is wide. Six of the twenty reviews are firmly negative, and they share a complaint: the characters are thin and the constant callbacks to the original trilogy amount to fan service. The New York Times finds the script hackwork; The Wrap goes further and treats the whole film as fan fiction. The same faults appear, more gently, in the favourable notices, which concede a convoluted first half and an uneven middle before the ending wins them round. ### Reviews we read (20) - **Total Film**, Matt Maytum (90/100, inferred): Rogue One is a standout Star Wars film and the best since 1977, a real war movie with textured characters, meticulous world-building, emotional depth and bold risks that grips despite known outcomes. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/star-wars-rogue-one-review/) - **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (4/4/5): Edwards opts for a slow-burn approach over whiz-bang spectacle, delivering a visually stunning and quietly radical film that explores grey areas between good and evil. The third act builds to spectacular set pieces while counting the human cost of war in an unrelenting, dirt-smudged human drama. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story) - **Radio Times** (★★★★): The film is an almighty triumph and the best-constructed, most fun Star Wars entry since The Empire Strikes Back, with seat-gripping action set pieces and a palpable grit to its visual palette. Felicity Jones leads a strong cast as a feisty, understated heroine in a straightforward plot that fits neatly into the saga timeline. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-review-the-force-is-truly-strong-with-this-one/) - **The i Paper**, Matthew Turner (★★★★): The film is a genuinely thrilling Star Wars entry that captures the spirit of the originals as a prologue to A New Hope, with superb performances across the board and an exciting third act. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/rogue-one-star-wars-story-review-36489) - **Time Out** (4/5): Gareth Edwards delivers a satisfying, gritty Star Wars prequel with gutsy rebels, a snarling villain and nostalgic pleasures amid murky shades of grey. It is an imperfect but bold film that grows more exciting in its final act. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/london/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story) - **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (75/100, inferred): Justin Chang calls it an uneven but thrilling addition to the Star Wars mythology that feels both casually diverting and hugely consequential. He singles out the dynamic action sequences and moments that ascend to classic status for praise. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-rogue-one-review-20161209-story.html) - **Empire**, James Dyer (70/100, inferred): Rogue One delivers offbeat new characters, first-rate visuals and a truly ballsy third act as a World War II-style mission movie in the Star Wars universe, though it is dark and earnest with an uneven middle. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/rogue-one-star-wars-story-review/) - **The Guardian**, Mark Kermode (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a convincing spin-off that blends 1970s nostalgia with modern CGI, bridging old and new Star Wars eras effectively. They single out the diverse cast's performances and the focus on character faces amid war-movie action for praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/18/rogue-one-star-wars-story-review) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (70/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as action-packed and engaging, praising director Gareth Edwards's spontaneous shooting style that keeps energy high and the large-scale third-act battle sequences. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-review-955566/) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (40/100, inferred): A.O. Scott finds the film a thoroughly mediocre entry with a hackish script that leaves viewers wanting both more and less from its characters and story. He singles out the cast, particularly Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, for praise amid the overall lack of ambition. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/movies/star-wars-rogue-one-review.html) - **Evening Standard**, David Sexton (30/100, inferred): The critic finds Rogue One a dull and oppressive corporate product that never comes alive, with none of the characters properly developed and a formulaic adventure. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-film-review-the-force-is-wavering-with-this-one-a3421891.html) - **Sight and Sound**, Tim Hayes (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an earnest but lacklustre exercise in franchise engineering that raids the Star Wars archive without recapturing the splendour of earlier entries. Characters are unmemorable and the narrative feels annotated into the doldrums, flattened by a mundane sensory style. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/rogue-one-star-wars-story-review-space-saga-doldrums) - **Slant Magazine**, Sam C. Mac (30/100, inferred): The critic finds that the film attempts independence through its focus on individual characters and actions but is frequently undermined by corporate demands for fan service and reintroductions of franchise elements. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (20/100, inferred): Richard Brody deems the film lobotomized and depersonalized, a lifeless product of the franchise that fails to bring characters or effects to life. He singles out the flat script and constrained direction for the lack of emotional or visual impact. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/rogue-one-reviewed-is-it-time-to-abandon-the-star-wars-franchise) - **The Ringer**, Sean Fennessey (90/100, inferred): Rogue One is the best popcorn war movie since Saving Private Ryan and the only great blockbuster of the year, a brutal and consequential film about sacrifice, loss, and the costs of rebellion that feels timely and powerful. Director Gareth Edwards delivers visually ambitious, massive-scale filmmaking focused on vulnerable heroes in a realistic war context. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2016/12/16/movies/star-wars-rogue-one-review-d9ab4f86452d) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (85/100, inferred): Pete Hammond is surprised by how much he likes the first standalone Star Wars film and calls it possibly his favorite in the franchise. He singles out its gritty war-movie tone, hand-held camerawork, and appealing ragtag team of new characters as standout elements. [Read](https://deadline.com/2016/12/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-review-disney-1201869354/) - **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (4/5): It is largely a success as a solid, enjoyable film that takes some risks with the Star Wars universe while remaining on familiar ground, though it is not quite a great movie due to some fan service and thin characters. The critic singles out the spectacular, epic third act as a tour de force of action and suspense that brings the film to a rousing finish. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-wars-rogue-one-review/) - **NME**, Nick Levine (4/5): It is a far more interesting film than The Force Awakens and a thrilling, ultimately emotional addition to the Star Wars canon despite some flaws and a convoluted first half. The critic singles out Felicity Jones’s terrific performance as Jyn and the exhilarating second-half CGI action and high-stakes drama. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/rogue-one-review-star-wars-1913064) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B): The film pushes the franchise into darker, more nuanced territory with a sophisticated lens on the Rebellion-Empire conflict and strong visuals, but suffers from plotting issues, abrupt narrative, and underdeveloped characters. It ultimately succeeds in delivering a new perspective that encourages future Star Wars stories beyond Skywalker saga tropes. [Read](https://collider.com/rogue-one-review/) - **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (30/100, inferred): Alonso Duralde dismisses the film as little more than fan-fiction overburdened with references and shout-outs to the original Star Wars. He criticizes the lack of character, plot, and story while noting a few solid action sequences and one empathetic speech. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/rogue-one-review-star-wars/) ## Details - **Director:** Gareth Edwards - **Director:** Gareth Edwards - **Screenplay:** Chris Weitz, Tony Gilroy - **Story:** Gary Whitta, John Knoll - **Cinematography:** Greig Fraser - **Editor:** Jabez Olssen, John Gilroy, Colin Goudie - **Music:** Michael Giacchino - **Production design:** Neil Lamont, Doug Chiang - **Costume design:** David Crossman, Glyn Dillon - **Producer:** Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel - **Cast:** Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso; Diego Luna as Cassian Andor; Alan Tudyk as K-2SO; Donnie Yen as Chirrut Imwe; Jiang Wen as Baze Malbus; Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic; Guy Henry as Governor Tarkin; Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera - **Runtime:** 2h 13m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 16 December 2016 - **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Science Fiction - **Budget:** $200 million - **Box office:** $1.06 billion - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC9abcLLQpI ## Where to watch in the US - Disney+: streaming, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-18.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2017: Best Sound (nominated); Best Visual Effects (nominated) - Empire Award for Best Actress 2017: Empire Award for Best Actress (won) - Empire Award for Best Director 2017: Empire Award for Best Director (won) - Empire Award for Best Film 2017: Empire Award for Best Film (won) - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie 2017: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie (nominated) - Saturn Awards 2017: Best Director (won); Best Science Fiction Film (won); Best Special Effects (won) ## If you liked this - *Star Wars* (1977), Fi1m 88: The film this one has been building towards; watch them back to back. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/star-wars.md) - *Andor* (2022): Cassian’s earlier life, told slowly and with real interest in how rebellions start. - *The Dirty Dozen* (1967): The mission-film template Edwards is borrowing, with Lee Marvin and no droids. - *The Battle of Algiers* (1966), Fi1m 93: What an insurgency against an occupying power actually costs, shot like newsreel. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers.md) - *Seven Samurai* (1954), Fi1m 95: A ragged team assembled for a defence it may not survive; the original. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story