The podcast where film-fans Allen Turing and Sol Harris take a weekly journey to Development Hell to discuss a film, then pitch their ideas for the sequel.
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It's a holiday special about a holiday special! What is this? A podcast directed by Christopher Nolan?
Films covered in this episode:
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Allen: ½
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 15%
Guests: Calvin Dyson, Gareth Allen, Chris Hunter, Judey Bignell and Emily Slade
To mark the show's 200th episode, we're putting on another big Diminishing Returns quiz! This time, Gareth steps in as Quiz Master, to emcee the proceedings and the gang are quizzed by past guests from Judey Bignell to Chris Hunter to Emily Slade. Even music-meister Tomo Fallows gets in on the action.
Here's to the next 200!
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Guests: Calvin Dyson and Gareth Allen
Films covered in this episode:
The Lion King (2019)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 40%
It: Chapter Two
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 45%
Downton Abbey (2019)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Rambo: Last Blood
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 55%
The Addams Family (2019)
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 50%
Zombieland: Double Tap
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
Terminator: Dark Fate
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 77%
Doctor Sleep
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 75%
Charlie’s Angels (2019)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 55%
Star Wars: Episode IX -The Rise of Skywalker
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 55%
Continuing what we started last week: our mammoth undertaking of reflecting upon 2019 in cinema, good and bad... arguably, mostly bad. There's part two of the music quiz, Calvin's back and, this time, Gareth pops up to throw his opinion around a bit, as well. Head to patreon.com/dimreturns to hear the full, uncut version of each Diminisode featured, plus loads more!
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Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Diminishing Returns returns to the Star Wars mill once again, but this time to discuss, perhaps, the most controversial entry in the franchise canon: 2017's The Last Jedi, written and directed by Rian Johnson.
This film was touched on in a “Review of the Year 2017” episode, but now Calvin, Sol and Allen have had 2 years to digest and think the film through. Spoiler alert: one of them likes it more and one of them likes it less.
There's inevitably also talk of the likes of The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker.
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Guests: Calvin Dyson, Judey Bignell and Chris Hunter
Films covered in this episode:
Deadpool 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%
Incredibles 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 77%
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Allen: ✰ ✰
Judey: ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 37%
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
The Nun
Allen: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
The Predator
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%
Johnny English Strikes Again
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 57%
Halloween (2018)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
Suspiria (2018)
Allen: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
The Grinch
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Chris: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 54%
Creed II
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%
Aquaman
Allen: ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 44%
It's that time, again! Diminishing Returns present their biggest episode ever: a solid three-hours looking back at the releases of 2018 covered on the show and more...
Sol and Allen are joined by Calvin Dyson, Judey Bignell and Chris Hunter to ring in the new year (or, to put it more accurately, ring out the old one). Also, there's a music quiz. All in all, it's bloody good listening.
Listen on:
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Films covered in this episode:
The Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: n/a
Sol: n/a
Overall score: 30%
Annihilation
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
Black Panther
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%
Tomb Raider
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: n/a
Sol: n/a
Overall score: 30%
Pacific Rim: Uprising
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/a
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 75%
Deep Blue Sea 2
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰
Sol: n/a
Overall score: 30%
Avengers: Infinity War
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 77%
It's time to have our big Avengers: Infinity War discussion! (Oh, and all those other films... uh The Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Fifty Shades Freed, Black Panther, Tomb Raider, Pacific Rim: Uprising... but we all know you're here for The Avengers, right?)
Listen on:
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This episode is a continuation of the following episodes:
"The Maze Runner"
"Sunshine"
"Captain America: The First Avenger"
"Oscars 2018"
"Tomb Raider"
"Pacific Rim"
"Deep Blue Sea"
"The Avengers"
Review of the Year episodes:
"Review of the Year 2016"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"
Films covered in this episode:
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 27%
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 44%
That's right, it's Star Wars time yet again. Now that Disney have committed to pumping out one of these things every single year, we're having to mine the bottom of the Star Wars barrel for films to cover. Case in point: this week, to tie in with Solo: A Star Wars Story, we bring you The Ewoks Adventure. We cover both Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor. That leaves three Star Wars movies and then we've covered all of them. And that'll be the end of it forever, right?
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Episodes in the Star Wars series:
"The Star Wars Trilogy"
"The Prequel Trilogy"
"Rogue One"
"The Force Awakens"
"Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure"
Review of the Year 2017:
Part 1
Part 2
Films covered in this episode:
The Mummy
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 55%
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Allen: ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 30%
Transformers: The Last Knight
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 30%
Despicable Me 3
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 50%
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%
War for the Planet of the Apes
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 77%
Death Note
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 55%
It
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 75%
The LEGO Ninjago Movie
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 34%
Blade Runner 2049
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%
Cult of Chucky
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 65%
Jigsaw
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%
Thor: Ragnarok
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 75%
Justice League
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 57%
The Disaster Artist
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 74%
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
We follow up our first Review of the Year 2017 episode with a look back at the last six months of film releases.
This episode contains reviews of:
- The Mummy (2017)
- Transformers: The Last Knight
- Despicable Me 3
- War for the Planet of the Apes
- Death Note (2017)
- It (2017)
- The LEGO Ninjago Movie
- Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- Blade Runner 2049
- Cult of Chucky
- Jigsaw
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Justice League
- The Disaster Artist
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
and
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Allen also put a quiz together for this episode with questions focusing on each film, which is probably why this has ended up being our longest episode to date. Sorry about that or you're welcome depending on your views on long episodes. We didn't want to cut our Last Jedi argument too short, after all.
Listen on:
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This episode is a continuation of the following episodes:
"The Mummy"
"Transformers"
"Minions"
"Spider-Man"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Death Note"
"It"
"The LEGO Batman Movie"
"Kingsman: The Secret Service"
"Blade Runner"
"Child's Play"
"Saw"
"Thor"
"Wonder Woman"
"The Room"
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
"Jumanji"
Review of the Year episodes:
"Review of the Year 2016"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"
Star Wars season:
Part 1: "The Prequel Trilogy"
Part 2: "Rogue One"
Part 3: "The Force Awakens"
Films covered in this episode:
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
The final part in the trilogy of the Diminishing Returns Star Wars season.
We've covered The Prequel Trilogy, we've covered Rogue One and, now, we're covering Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Is it the shot in the arm Star Wars needed or is it a shot-for-shot remake of A New Hope without the charm? We get into it, plus what we're expecting from The Last Jedi, here!
Oh, and, like in our recent On Her Majesty's Secret Service episode, there's a Star Wars music quiz, too. Think you can distinguish between music that's really part of the Star Wars franchise and music that isn't? Then listen and play along at home.
Listen on:
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If you haven't listened to the episode yet, then don't read ahead as the following is a list of answers for the Star Wars music quiz. If, however, you listened to it, liked the sound of one of those songs and want to go and listen to the full version, here's a reference list to help you out:
1. "Medley: Star Wars - 12" Version" by Meco (from the album Music Inspired by Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk)
2. "Tiki Tiki Babeloo" by The Minions (from the movie Despicable Me 3)
3. "Ewok Celebration and Finale (Nyub Nyub)" by John Williams (from the movie Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi)
4. "Ewoks Theme Tune" from the cartoon series Ewoks
5. "Chewbacca" by Supernova (single)
6. "The Imperial Suite" by Michael Giacchino (from the movie Rogue One)
7. "Lapti Nek" by Joseph Williams (from the movie Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi)
8. "Highly Illogical" by Leonard Nimoy (single)
9. "What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas?" by Meco (from the album Christmas in the Stars)
10. "Gay Bar (Dagobah Remix)" by Electric Six (from the album Fire)
11. "The Threepenny Opera" by Bea Arthur (from the stage musical The Threepenny Opera)
12. "Goodnight, But Not Goodbye" by Bea Arthur (from The Star Wars Holiday Special)
Episodes in the Star Wars series:
"The Star Wars Trilogy"
"The Prequel Trilogy"
"Rogue One"
"The Force Awakens"
We review Star Wars: The Last Jedi in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"
Star Wars season:
Part 1: "The Prequel Trilogy"
Part 2: "Rogue One"
Part 3: "The Force Awakens"
Films covered in this episode:
Rogue One
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 74%
Star Wars season continues in the run up to the release of The Last Jedi. We did the prequel trilogy last week, so now we're following on with the next film in the series' internal chronology: Rogue One. How does it stack up against all the "real" Star Wars movies in the Skywalker saga?
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Episodes in the Star Wars series:
"The Star Wars Trilogy"
"The Prequel Trilogy"
"Rogue One"
"The Force Awakens"
We review Star Wars: The Last Jedi in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"
Star Wars season:
Part 1: "The Prequel Trilogy"
Part 2: "Rogue One"
Part 3: "The Force Awakens"
Films covered in this episode:
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 54%
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 37%
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 57%
That's right, Star Wars season: a trilogy of episodes dedicated to the Star Wars movies we didn't cover in our last episode looking at the original trilogy.
With the upcoming release of The Last Jedi, in the coming weeks, we'll be turning our attention to Rogue One and The Force Awakens. This week, however, we're tackling the infamous prequel trilogy made up of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
Are they as bad as their reputation or are they even worse than that? We have it out on this episode (featuring some strong, clashing opinions, which is always fun). Then, as always, we end things by pitching our own ideas for Star Wars sequels.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Episodes in the Star Wars series:
"The Star Wars Trilogy"
"The Prequel Trilogy"
"Rogue One"
"The Force Awakens"
We review Star Wars: The Last Jedi in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"
Review of the Year 2017:
Part 1
Part 2
Happy birthday, Diminishing Returns! 1 year old today (well, last week, actually, but we wanted to cover The Mummy).
In order to prevent our end of year review episode being 5 hours long, we decided to celebrate our 1-year anniversary with a look back at the last 6 months of cinema (and some films we wanted to revisit from last time).
This episode contains reviews of:
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
- Rogue One
- Split
- Fifty Shades Darker
- Logan
- Kong: Skull Island
- Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast
- Power Rangers
- the live-action Ghost in the Shell remake
- The Fate of the Furious
- season 4 of Bates Motel
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Alien: Covenant
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (aka Salazar's Revenge)
- Wonder Woman
...and more!
There's also some games, special guests and all the usual fun and japes (and arguments) that come with the show. Be sure to listen to the end!
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Films covered in this episode:
Rogue One
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 77%
Split
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%
Enjoy our film soundtrack comparison in the episode? Hans Zimmer: god of film-composers or rip-off merchant? Here's a clean listening post without us talking over the music so that you can decide for yourself.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Allen: ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 10%
Rings
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%
Fifty Shades Darker
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 40%
Logan
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
Kong: Skull Island
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%
Power Rangers
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 60%
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%
The Fate of the Furious
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%
Bates Motel (season 4)
Allen: n/s
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 65%
The Belko Experiment
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
Alien: Covenant
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%
Wonder Woman
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ (rated post-episode)
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 75%
This episode is a continuation of the following episodes:
"Tim Burton"
"Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi"
"Review of the Year 2016"
"M. Night Shyamalan season: Unbreakable"
"M. Night Shyamalan season: The Happening"
"Resident Evil: Retribution"
"The Ring"
"Fifty Shades of Grey"
"Oscars 2017"
"The Wolverine"
"King Kong"
"Live-Action Disney Remakes"
"Power Rangers"
"Ghost in the Shell"
"The Fast and the Furious"
"Psycho"
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
"Alien season: The Alien Quadrilogy"
"Alien season: The Prometheus Unology"
"Pirates of the Caribbean"
"Suicide Squad"
"The Mummy"
Review of the Year episodes:
"Review of the Year 2016"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"
Released 12/12/2016 as “Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi”
This classic episode is in the Diminishing Returns vault. Sign up to our Patreon for as little as £1 to access our back-catalogue episodes!
Diminishing Returns finally take on the grandfather of franchise-filmmaking with a look at the original Star Wars trilogy and their own ideas for Star Wars sequels. The prequels and The Force Awakens are briefly touched on, but the real focus of this episode is Episodes IV through VI (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi). Those other films will have to wait until the next Star Wars episode.
Films covered in this episode:
Star Wars (1977)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 77%
We review Rogue One in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"
Episodes in the Star Wars series:
"The Star Wars Trilogy"
"The Prequel Trilogy"
"Rogue One"
"The Force Awakens"