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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Review

Extraordinary

With the tagline "A Star Wars Story", this first spin-off from the saga isn't actually a stand-alone movie. It requires some understanding of the context as it chronicles events that lead directly into 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope. It's also a seriously rousing action film with a riveting cast of characters and a surprising willingness to embrace even the darkest elements of storytelling. In other words, it might be the first Star Wars movie made specifically for grown-ups.

It opens as the Empire is systematically crushing the rebellion, leaving them wondering if there's any point to continuing the fight. Rumours are swirling that the Empire is building a massive Death Star, and rebel Jyn (Felicity Jones) discovers that it was designed by her long-lost father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen), who sends her a message saying that he left a flaw in the system specifically for the rebels to exploit. So she joins a team to contact him, led by Cassian (Diego Luna), who doubts that Galen is on their side. They're accompanied by pilot Bodhi (Riz Ahmed) and the sarcastic robot K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), plus the blind wannabe Jedi Chirrut (Donnie Yen) and his battling sidekick Baze (Jiang Wen). And as their mission goes rogue, they come up against the slimy Imperial Director Orson (Ben Mendelson) and the vicious Darth Vader (again voiced by James Earl Jones).

Director Gareth Edwards (Monster) packs the movie with visual references to A New Hope, cleverly matching the design work by avoiding fakey digital effects in lieu of more practical, battle-scared models and lively settings on a series of new planets and a familiar one. This gives the film an electric atmosphere that's edgy and unpredictable even though we all know exactly how this mission has to end. At the beginning, the plot feels a bit splintered, but the strands come together with power, building a gnawing sense of momentum and some real gravitas along the way.

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Final Trailer & Clips

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a standalone Star Wars film which acts as an important subplot to the original 1977 movie 'A New Hope'. In the man film, Luke and his uncle take ownership of a droid sold to them and as Luke cleans the droid up he hears a section of a message left for someone called Obi-Wan Kenobi pleading for his help. Luke decides to find the only man he knows by the name of Kenobi and his mission turns into the story we all know.

The data on R2-D2 memory is the story of Rouge One. The Rebel Alliance are aware that the Galactic Empire are building a humongous super machine capable of destroy vast areas of space and one of their rebel fighters might just hold the key to more information than she knows.

Jin Erso is a loyal member of the Alliance though she often acts as a lone rebel and takes risks greater than her superiors would like. When a fraction of the Alliance learns that Erso's father played a crucial role in building the device she knows that she must track him down.

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Mads Mikkelsen seen at the 'Doctor Strange' launch event held at The Cloisters, Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom - Monday 24th October 2016

Mads Mikkelsen seen at the 'Doctor Strange' launch event. Mads plays the role of Kaecilius in the film. The event was held at The Cloisters, Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom - Monday 24th October 2016

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer

The Galaxy is on the brink of a major war being won by dangerous rulers and only a few fighters stand between the Emperor and his unrelenting army which is constantly surging peaceful plants. The destruction and invasion of any planet who won't agree to the Empire's stringent regulations is all but destroyed.

Jyn Erso is one such rebel fighter who is willing to go to any lengths to fulfil her mission, often landing her in trouble with her seniors but her independent demeanour means that she might be a perfect candidate for an imperative mission - the failure of which could mean the end of the galaxy as its citizens know.

Jyn and a small team of fellow rebels must steal plans for the Emperor's newest and deadliest weapon, The Death Star.

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer

We all know the story of Luke Skywalker and the legendary Jedi and rebels who fought to keep the universe safe but what about the other Rebel Alliance fighters who were doing their all to protect their freedom? Jyn Erso has never been one to stick to the rules; she's been alone since her teens and doesn't require the protection of others to make her own way. A member of the rebellion who likes to rebel from all authority on both sides of the war.

She has unlimited gumption and a fierce attitude which attracts her to the leaders of her rebel unit. Jyn is ordered to locate and bring back important data on a new deadly weapon that the Galactic Empire is building and beginning to test. The Dark Star is the Empire's new planet destroyer and its secrets are closely guarded by Darth Vader and his legions of fighters all willing to lose their lives in a bid to keep the Empire the ruling force.

Jyn and her small team of fighters set out on a mission that they know they're likely not to return from. The rewards outweigh the risks and Jyn must retrieve the plans before it's too late.

Doctor Strange Trailer

Stephen Strange is one of the most talented neurosurgeons in the world, he's still relatively young and has saved the lives of thousands of people. When he's in a serious car accident, his most important assets, his hands are damaged beyond intricate repair and it's an abrupt end to his most loved profession.

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'Hannibal' Fans Launch Petition; Hope That A Streaming Service Will Pick It Up

By Ed Biggs in Movies / TV / Theatre on 24 June 2015

Mads Mikkelsen

The NBC series was given the chop after three seasons, but its loyal fans are petitioning for its revival. Could it get picked up by a streaming service?

Devastated fans of the TV series ‘Hannibal’, which NBC announced it was axing yesterday, have swiftly launched a petition calling for their favourite show to be reinstated.

Series creator Bryan Fuller announced that the critically acclaimed spin-off, concerning the back story of Thomas Harris’ cannibal psychiatrist character made so popular by The Silence of the Lambs, would be coming to an end permanently after the current third series ends in September.

Within a day, a change.org petition has been launched and has gathered more than 30,000 signatures at the time of writing. Fans had been writing appeals such as “What are you thinking? Renew ‘Hannibal’” alongside a message which reads, “The fans want more Hannibal. Period.”

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green - The 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival - 'The Salvation' - Photocall - Cannes, France - Saturday 17th May 2014

Shia LeBeouf Bares Nearly All On Social Media, Nothing New

By Jack de Aguilar in Movies / TV / Theatre on 22 October 2013

Shia LaBeouf Mads Mikkelsen Evan Rachel Wood

LeBeouf just can't help peeling his expensive clothes off.

Celebrities tend to think it’s okay to take naked pictures of themselves and put them on the Internet. The thought process is a difficult one to fathom, but enough of them do it do suggest that the vast majority are idiots, attention seekers or quasi prostitutes with no self worth.

Shia LaBeouf in Charlie Countryman

Often, they’re all three.

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Hannibal TV Series Picked Up For Second Season By NBC

By Joe Wilde in Movies / TV / Theatre on 02 June 2013

Mads Mikkelsen

It is expected the show will return to TV screens by the end of the year

After rave reviews and decent audience return throughout the first season, NBC have announced that the new series Hannibal has been picked up for another run. The network broke the news in an official statement saying 13 new episode will be aired on the network by the end of the year, although it may come next year depending on filming progress.

The Mads Mikkelsen-staring show is based on the characters from the novel Red Dragon, by author Thomas Harris, and was brought to the screen by executive producer Bryan Fuller, who is expected to retain his responsibilities and influence over the show for the next season. The show did look as though it was a shoe-in for an immediate renewal from NBC, however as audience-figures petered out towards the end of the season, the network put their decision on hold until later this week.

Had NBC decided to let go of the series there would have been a good chance that the show would be brought back anyway, as Amazon had shown interest in acquiring the rights to the show during NBC's decision to renew the show. Amazon currently air the series on their online streaming service after it has been aired on television, a deal that will probably continue between the two for the next season.

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Mads Mikkelsen and Hanne Jacobsen - 66th Cannes Film Festival - 'Zulu' - Premiere - Cannes, France - Sunday 26th May 2013

Mads Mikkelsen and Moon Byung-Gon - 66th Cannes Film Festival - Inside Closing Ceremony - Cannes, France - Sunday 26th May 2013

NBC Pulling Next Week's Episode Of Hannibal, Due To Potentially Offensive Violent Content

By Victoria Pavlova in Movies / TV / Theatre on 21 April 2013

Mads Mikkelsen Hugh Dancy Laurence Fishburne

NBC is pulling the episode due to potentially offensive material.

NBC announced this Friday that it would be pulling an episode of its serial killer drama Hannibal, set to air this Sunday. Reason being that in light of the recent incidents of violence in America, including the Newtown school shooting and the bombing of the Boston marathon last week, the network and the show’s producers saw the episode as inappropriate. The cancelled episode reportedly features a subplot in which a character, who brainwashes children into killing other children, according to the Washington Post. It’s obvious why that would be considered inappropriate in light of recent events.

“Hannibal” executive producer Bryan Fuller asked NBC to pull the episode, citing the Newtown, Conn., school shooting in December and this week’s Boston Marathon attack, NBC spokesman Stuart Levine said. The episode will be replaced by another one in the series, without harming the continuity of the plot. Additionally, specific scenes from the unaired episodes will be featured in a special “clip package” on the NBC website, without the cut inappropriate content. The scenes will be available from next week with special commentary by Fuller.

Hannibal centers around Hannibal Lecter, the iconic character from Silence of the Lambs and its sequels, as well as the original novel by Thomas Harris. Mads Mikkelsen stars in the thriller as Hannibal and Hugh Dancy and Laurence Fishburne are also part of the star-studded cast.

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The Hunt [Jagten] Review

By Rich Cline

Very Good

Superficially about child abuse, this riveting, troubling Danish film is actually an exploration of collective paranoia. And the centrepiece performance from Mikkelsen is so good that it helps us overlook some of the rather awkward plot points. Indeed, Mikkelsen won best actor at Cannes for his work here as an innocent man caught in an unexpected witch hunt. But the topic is so touchy that we almost start to doubt him.

Mikkelsen plays Lucas, a nice-guy kindergarten teacher who is recovering from a messy divorce and still hopes to get custody of his teen son Marcus (Fogelstrom). Lucas lives nearby his hunting pal Theo (Larsen), whose young daughter Klara (Wedderkopp) is one of his students. Lucas and Klara have a special connection, so when she tells him she loves him, he corrects her gently. She doesn't take this well, and lashes out with a random lie to the headmistress (Wold), who concludes that Lucas has been abusing her. From here, a series of misunderstandings turns Lucas' life into a nightmare, as he is shunned by everyone he knows.

The way the script creates such a perfect storm for Lucas' downfall is a bit convenient, as several characters bullheadedly refuse to believe a word he says (including his boss and his best friend). And Lucas never defends himself, which might be understandable since he can't even imagine why anyone would accuse him of something so horrible. Mikkelsen plays the role with transparent emotion that grabs hold of us from the start and never lets go. His interaction with everyone is pointed and often shattering. And watching his helplessness in the face of Klara's small germ of a lie is often painful to watch.

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A Royal Affair Review

By Rich Cline

Very Good

With striking photography, sumptuous production values and strong acting, this Danish epic tells a remarkable true story about a tumultuous moment in European history. It's a fascinating, involving story, although the film is a bit too dry to move us.

In 1766, aristocratic English girl Caroline (Vikander) is married off to the Danish King (Folsgaard) to preserve the dynasty. But his brutish rule turns her against him, and she seeks intellectual stimulation from the King's close advisor Johann (Mikkelsen). Eventually, this meeting of minds turns into a lusty affair, as the Queen and Johann plot to turn Denmark into a progressive, compassionate nation. Meanwhile, the King's stepmother (Dyrholm) is conniving to have him declared unfit so her son (Nielsen) can claim the throne.

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The Three Musketeers Trailer

D'Artagnan has always dreamt of becoming a Musketeer but being too young he's never been able to leave his home town of Gascony and make the trip to Paris. Now a little older and less naive he travels to Paris where, through a rather unusual scenario, befriends three seasoned and well respected Musketeers named Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.

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Clash Of The Titans Review

By Rich Cline

Good

The studio clearly couldn't resist the chance to digitally revisit the creatures so memorably animated by Ray Harryhausen in the 1981 original. The result is an unnecessary remake that's loud, chaotic and mildly entertaining.

Perseus (Worthington) is a demigod who has been raised by humans and now finds himself at the centre of a war between man and the gods Zeus (Neeson), Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (a blink-and-you'll-miss-him Danny Huston). Accompanied by a handful of plucky warriors from Argos (including Mikkelsen, Cunningham, Hoult and Matheson) and his spirit-guide Io (Arterton), he heads off to find the secret to defeat Hades' feared Kraken so he can save Princess Andromeda (Davalos).

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Clash Of The Titans Trailer

Watch the trailer for Clash Of The Titans.

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Flickering Lights Review

By Eric Vanstrom

Excellent

Director Anders Thomas Jensen's previous credits includes Dogme 95 screenplays (The King is Alive, Mifune). He won an Academy Award in 1999 for his short film Election Night and has been nominated for two others. Jensen's impressive background translates into an equally impressive debut feature. Flickering Lights is dark and occasionally violent, but is a thoroughly enjoyable and often comic story of four childhood friends who confront their past and build a future together.

Flickering Lights boasts an impressive cast from a broad range of Danish films and television (Mifune, The Celebration, Pusher, The Kingdom), which is put to good use by Jensen's witty script and slow but deliberate direction. Torkild (Søren Pilmark) is the head of a small time gang, pulling small jobs for a gangster known only as the Eskimo. After his 40th birthday and a botched heist involving 4 million krones, Torkild and his gang are forced to hide out in an abandoned inn in the middle of nowhere. The gang has to wait only until Peter (Ulrich Thomsen), who was shot, is well enough to travel, so they can continue on to Barcelona. But after meeting some of the locals and finding moments of peace in this secluded hideaway, Torkild conveniences the rest of the gang that staying put may be the future for which they are all looking. The gang uses the money to buy the inn and renovate it, making it into quaint family restaurant that people drive for miles to visit, not because of the food (the boys apparently never learn to cook), but for the atmosphere.

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