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Review — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Blu-Ray

By David Harris (Razor)

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Blu-Ray comes home on April 4, next week. And, before you pick up your copy, Dork Side of the Force has a look at the film and the bonus features included…

Disney/Lucasfilm struck gold in 2016 when director Gareth Edward’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story took the galaxy by storm. Rogue One was the first Star Wars standalone film in the history of the franchise, and it perfectly bridged the story of the prequel trilogy to that of the original trilogy era.

The man who brought Rogue One to the big screen — director Gareth Edwards — has already explained that there would be no alternate or deleted scenes included with the film when it comes home on digital download or Blu-Ray/DVD, much to the disappointment of Star Wars fans everywhere. And, there are different retailers adding their own exclusive touch to the Blu-Ray, such as steel books from Best Buy, and special artwork from Target.

Rogue One Steel Book from Best Buy

With that in mind, Dork Side of the Force received a copy of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Blu-Ray, and we’re going to tell you about the bonus features that are included, so you can decide whether it’s worth it to purchase the film on Blu-Ray, or just directly digitally download it the basic version, no frills included.

To start — and in the interests of not wanting to waste your time — the basic version of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Blu-Ray does not include that many bells and whistles. However, there are some neat bonus features that do make it worth purchasing the film in the Blu-Ray format. Here they are:

  • A Rogue Idea: John Knoll explains how he came to the idea of Rogue One, as a standalone film.

This is a very interesting bonus feature as it shows how Knoll joined Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), as well as offering an inside, behind-the-scenes look at what it took to bring Rogue One from an idea to the highest grossing film of 2016.

Image Credit: Lucasfilm

  • Jyn The Rebel: A backstory on Jyn Erso.

Rogue One star Felicity Jones (who portrays the character) discusses what it was like bringing the unsung heroine of the fledgling Rebel Alliance to life, onscreen.

  • Cassian The Spy: A backstory on Captain Cassian Andor.

Mexican-born actor Diego Luna talks about the complexities of his character, what drives him, and how he became a hero through “selflessness, perseverance, and passion.”

  • K-2SO The Droid: A backstory on Kaytoo.

Firefly actor Alan Tudyk discusses everyone’s new favorite Star Wars droid — Kaytoo. This bonus feature shows how this character came to be, Tudyk’s motion capture performance, as well as the Ralph McQuarrie artwork that inspired him.

Image Credit: Lucasfilm

  • Baze and Chirrut, Guardians of the Whills: 

Move over Finn and Poe, there’s a new Star Wars bromance in the galaxy, and they’re more connected to the Force than you may realize. Chinese acting icons, Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen shine a light on the relationship between these two very different, yet intertwining characters. “I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me.”

  • Bodhi and Saw, The Pilot and The Revolutionary:

Academy Award winning actor, Forest Whitaker, and actor Riz Ahmed discuss their characters Saw Gerrera and Bodhi Rook. Find out how Lucasfilm bridged the prequels to Rogue One with The Clone Wars character Saw Gerrera. And, Riz Ahmed talks about his audition, as well as his own method in bringing Bodhi to life.

  • The Empire: Meet Orson Krennic, Darth Vader, and Grand Moff Tarkin:

Rogue One introduced a new villain with Ben Mendelsohn’s Director Krennic, brought back James Earl Jones to voice the baddest Sith in the galaxy, Darth Vader, and resurrected the Grand Moff who destroyed Alderaan.

Image Credit: Lucasfilm

  • Visions of Hope — the Look of Rogue One:

Gareth Edwards and his team discuss developing the look of Rogue One, and how it fits into the world of the original Star Wars trilogy.

  • The Princess and The Governor:

A neat featurette on what it took to bring Princess Leia from Star Wars: A New Hope to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,  as well as the villain of the 1977 Star Wars original, Grand Moff Tarkin.­

  • Epilogue, The Story Continues:

The cast and crew of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story celebrate the premiere of the film, as well as Gareth Edwards and his team of filmmakers discuss the future of Star Wars standalone films.

Image Credit: Lucasfilm

More from Dork Side of the Force

  • Rogue Connections:

This bonus feature reveals many of the Easter Eggs from Rogue One, as well as some interesting facts that connect Rogue One to the rest of the Star Wars universe, like Star Wars Rebels characters making their cameo appearances in the film.

Overall, the bonus features for the basic Blu-Ray release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story are spartan, at best. There aren’t a lot of shiny bells and whistles to attract hardcore collectors to the basic Blu-Ray. However, the bonus features that are included, in fact, do add sustenance and great detail to the very first Star Wars standalone film.

As for the film itself, this writer absolutely loved it. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story stands as one of the best Star Wars films in the entire Lucasfilm catalog, and it serves as a groundbreaking pioneer for the future of Star Wars standalone stories, going forward. Rogue One comes home on Blu-Ray on April 4.

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