Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - review

Gareth Jones has created a masterful link between the oft-maligned prequel trilogy and spectacular original original Star Wars movie that is sure to delight fans of all ages, though it might be a little full-on for the very young.

A war movie in space, the likes of which has never been so anticipated, has been greeted with both commercial and critical acclaim.

For me, in the early hours of Thursday morning at a capacity IMAX screening at Cineworld, Telford, Rogue One was a revelation.

Treading carefully here so as not to spoil the experience for anyone, I think it is safe to say that as a stand alone film it works as a 'Second World War' in space blockbuster. As a Star Wars movie it makes you appreciate the events moving forward from the original 1977 movie more so.

Mark Newbold, from Burntwood, is co-owner of Star Wars fan-site Jedi News – the go-to-site for all things from that galaxy far, far away.

Along with his colleague James Burns, Mark was lucky enough to attend the London red carpet event for Rogue One earlier this week. "We got to interview a number of cast and crew from the film including Kathleen Kennedy, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Diego Luna and Donnie Yen," said Mark.

"The atmosphere was fantastic.

"There's such a great buzz around the film and that was evident by the excitement in the room and the enthusiasm of the cast we spoke to."

And what does Star Wars mega fan Mark make of the latest Lucasfilm offering?

"The film is fantastic. It's a real treat for older fans of the movies and for new fans coming in," he said.

"There are a handful of jaw-dropping moments, some scenes which fans will just drool over and a lot of neat nods to things past that eagle-eyed fans will freak out over.

"Going in, I was nervous about how the movie would play out as this goes bumper to bumper with the 1977 original and as visual effects have advanced so far since then I was worried it wouldn't have the same 'feel'. I needn't have worried, it fits seamlessly."

So, for such an aficionado of the beloved saga, where does Mark rank this among the other Star Wars flicks?

"If I had to place this episode on my all-time list of Star Wars films – which by the way changes on a daily basis – then I'd rank it up there with Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. That puts it right behind The Empire Strikes Back and the original Star Wars for me."

By Paul Naylor