So as a die-hard
Star Wars fan, I finally found the time yesterday to sit down and actually watch this movie. Given my trepidation in regards to hearing so many reports about last-minute re-shoots and given that Gareth Edwards was directed (I
hated Godzilla, although I loved
Monsters)...I didn't really know what to expect going in.
So basically...I loved it!
I thought the film over-all was really excellent, managing to tell a really exciting, original story that actually ended up feeling remarkably tense given how we as an audience understand that the central mission inevitably turns out to be successful. Although at times some of the characters felt a little under-cooked on account of not being enough moments to really expand upon their characterization, I ended up really taking a shine to all of them...especially in regards to Diego Luna's mistrustful, haunted Cassian Andor. The film certainly wasn't afraid to take certain tonal and narrative risks, especially with the ending, and that's something I really applaud it for. Overall, for me the film managed to tell a really compelling and exciting story with some sprinklings of really cool fan-service throughout (
Vader's castle!) which left me really satisfied.
A couple of things I wanted to note: I thought the Tarkin CGI was genuinely amazing. It really caught me off guard how seamless it was and I really appreciated that the makers of the film managing include Tarkin in the story, if in some small way. So many people online being so disparaging about it is actually kind of shocking to me. The CGI Leia for me was a little less seamless, but I absolutely loved her inclusion...especially fitting considering I only just learned of Carrie Fisher's passing just as I was leaving the cinema. It felt very poetic and fitting, if a little surreal.
Also, Jyn and Cassian walking out to the beach together as they patiently wait to die has now become one of my absolute favourite
Star Wars scenes of all time. I just found it a really poignant and beautiful moment, not to mention
the music that went along with it is really wonderful. Also, the scene towards the end of Vader walking down the corridor whilst casually cutting down panicked rebel soldiers was absolutely superb. I loved how it was basically shot like a horror movie. For the very first time, I was actually sold on just how
terrifying Vader can prove to be within this world...as opposed to a clunky, asthmatic goon I always ended up perceiving him as in the original films.
Nitpicks:
-Forrest Whittaker's character was a complete waste of screen-time who didn't really serve any real purpose and only ended up muddled the narrative of the first act slightly. A waste of a great actor.
-Darth Vader's "choking" pun was really strained and awkward. That scene in general was hampered by some clunky writing.
-As much as I loved all the fan-servicey easter-eggs scattered throughout of the film, the appearance of the Cantina thugs from
New Hope while fun...felt like kind of a step too far. That cameo felt way too contrived for my liking.
-Why do the Rebellion seem to exchange "May the Force Be With You" as a kind of customary farewell now? It happened at least twice in this film. I thought the saying was strictly only used by the Jedi?
But all in all, I really loved this movie. It was bold, fun and really memorable. After being left bitterly disappointed with
The Force Awakens, which I continue to find way too bland and derivative,
Rogue One actually managed to get me excited about
Star Wars again! I'd be hard pressed to give it a higher endorsement than that.
As a final side-note, I was really bummed out to find out that
Red Letter Media seem to be so disdainful of the movie, even going as far as labeling it as "not being Star Wars" or whatever. In the end, this was a story about a group of strangers rallying together and helping to awaken the good within each other as they rally to a cause that stands against unfathomable evil. It's a film that revolves around redemption, self-sacrifice and hope. That's
Star Wars through and through to me and
Rogue One really helped evoke that same sense of fantasy and wonder that was also synonymous with this series at its best.