Finding the Force: ‘Rogue One’ on Blu-ray and DVD this week
Hold on to your lightsabers and get ready to feel the force as “Rogue One” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD this week.
In this latest installment of the “Star Wars” saga, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything” and “Inferno”), who is the only child of the creator of The Death Star, becomes a member of the rebel alliance who is comprised of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna, “The Terminal” and “Milk”), Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen, “IP Man” and “Blade II”), Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang, “Devils on the Doorstep” and “Let the Bullets Fly”), Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed, “Four Lions” and “Jason Bourne”) and Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker, “Arrival” and “Platoon”).
This gang of misfits then make the plan to steal the plans for the Death Star, which in turn is the genesis for “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens.”
“Rogue One” was well received by both critics and devoted fans of the series.
Matt Zoller Seitz, a critic with RogerEbert.com, gave the film four and a half out of five stars and wrote, “George Lucas and his collaborators were always aces at world building even when their storytelling failed, but this is the first entry in the saga that convinces us that its characters live in an actual civilization, with rules and traditions and a sense of history (and a religion) that they measure themselves against. (‘The force moves darkly around a creature that’s about to kill,’ one character informs another, anticipating a betrayal.) ‘Rogue One’ also gets into the question of whether it’s morally acceptable to surrender or simply give up when you’re too tired or broken to fight. Its conclusions are more nuanced than you might expect. The Force may be with you always, but there are times when its weight feels like too much to carry.”
Even some audience members were surprised by how much they enjoyed the latest installment to the “Star Wars” franchise.
“It is indeed a strange turn of events when the spin-off movie with the shallow premise (which I admittedly, fully expected to be a poor cash grab), turns out to be a solid movie. Whereas the official ‘Star Wars’ saga sequel with way more solid plot behind it, turns out to be the poor nostalgia cash grab,” wrote RottenTomatoes.com audience reviewer, Phil Hubbs.
“Rogue One” is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action.
Other films on Blu-ray and DVD this week include:
n “Office Christmas Party” starring Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn and T.J. Miller and directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck in this comedy about an uptight CEO who threatens to shut down the branch of a company when the manager of this branch decides to hold an epic Christmas party.
The film is rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, drug use and graphic nudity.
n “Don’t Kill It” starring Dolph Lundgren, Kristina Klebe and Elissa Dowling and directed by Mike Mendez in this horror film about a demon bringing horror to a small Mississippi town.
The film is unrated.
n “We Go On” starring Anette O’Toole, Clark Freeman and John Glover and directed by Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton in this horror film about a man afraid of dying who offers people money to show him a ghost, angel or demon.
The film is unrated.
TV series on Blu-ray and DVD this week include:
n “Medium: The Complete Series” starring Patricia Arquette, Miguel Sandoval and Jake Weber tells the story about a suburbanite mom who has the ability to see visions of murders or other crimes in her sleep.
n “The Good Wife: The Complete Series” starring Julianna Margulies, Chris Noth and Josh Charles in this drama series about a woman who must deal with the scandal that occurs after her former state’s attorney husband ends up in jail.
N “Tangled: Before Ever After” starring the voices of Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore, Eden Espinosa in this animated series about Rapunzel as she prepares for her coronation when something goes haywire and her life changes, again.