'Rogue One' Reviews: Do Critics Like the Movie?

Rogue One: A Star Wars story is set to hit theaters this Friday (December 16), and the reviews have been rolling in!

So far, the reviews have been largely positive! Be sure to check out the film, which stars Felicity Jones, Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, and more!

Here are some excerpts from reviews:

Entertainment Weekly: “Rogue One would have been a very good stand-alone sci-fi movie if it came out under a different name. But what makes it especially exciting is how it perfectly snaps right into the Star Wars timeline and connects events we already know by heart with ones that we never even considered. It makes you wonder how many other untold stories are waiting in the shadowy corners of Lucas’ galaxy far far away.”

Deadline: “The cast could not be better, with Felicity Jones the perfect and edgy heroine, Luna a dashing partner, and Tudyk’s great new robot invention. Mendelsohn is a nicely complex bad guy, while Ahmed and Yen each have some great moments. It is also nice to see, or at least hear, James Earl Jones back in full Vader mode. The special effects team outdoes themselves here, and Michael Giacchino’s great score owes a few notes to John Williams’ iconic classic but carves out its own place in this particular universe.”

Click inside to read more reviews…

The Wrap: “We get the further Muppet Babies-ization of “Star Wars,” with a lot of “this line means something because we know what happens later in the story.” The film’s boldest move involves using CG tricks to re-create certain elements of the 1977 movie, and while the technology isn’t quite all the way there yet, it’s very, very close…Ultimately, however, “Rogue One” seems to want nothing more than for the audience to pat itself on the back because they know what Yavin 4 is: It’s a fun game to play at Comic-Con, but it doesn’t make for much of a movie.”

Variety: “Still, between epic battles featuring scores of familiar spaceships and the genuine thrill of hearing composer Michael Giacchino riff on John Williams’ classic score, there’s no denying that the film belongs to the creative universe Lucas established. This is the rebellion as it is experienced in the trenches. Younger audiences will be bored, confused, or both. But for the original generation of “Star Wars” fans who weren’t sure what to make of episodes one, two, and three, “Rogue One” is the prequel they’ve always wanted.”

THR: “So this new entry in the series, stand-alone or not, earns solid middle-to-upper-middle standing in the overall franchise scheme of things. Whether we ever see any of these new characters again remains an open question; some would be welcome, others will not be missed. What fans will get here is loads of action, great effects, good comic relief, stunning locations (Iceland, Jordan and the Maldives) and some intriguing early glimpses of the Galactic Empire as it begins to flex its intergalactic power.”

Us Weekly: “Hard-core fans who thought Episode VII was a dumbed-down rehash will bask in an action-packed film that refuses to spoon-feed information. Mind you, that’s the same reason why the casual fan will be disengaged.”

Daily Beast: “Contained yet expansive, nostalgic yet new, Rogue One introduces striking heroes and villains and fills its two hours and 13 minutes with a narrative that fits snugly into canon.”