Yes, there just may be spoilers ahead.
I walked into Rogue One with great skepticism. I was not impressed (see other Blogs) with The Force Awakens, and I feared the worst. I knew there would be no crawl; I actually applauded that decision as this was not part of the saga, just a side story. Unfamiliar music played, but I was okay with that. The movie started.
A little less than 2 and 1/2 hours later I felt like the 17 year old kid sitting in a dark theatre on July 21, 1977. I didn't want to move. I wanted to see it again. I wanted to rush home and watch Star Wars (OK, not an option in 1977). It took me to a galaxy far, far away. The one I missed visiting. The one that was not shown to me a year earlier.
Nope, not gonna do plot synopsis, not going to do character evaluation, just going to tell you what I liked and what bothered me. I say bothered me as I had no dislikes.
I really liked the look. I felt like I was once again seeing a movie made in 1977 (hell the Death Star plans were on a VHS tape). The dirty look of the rebellion. Grand Moff Tarkin. Hell yes, they included Grand Moff Tarkin and hell yes, they needed to. I wasn't bothered by the CG because I was wrapped up in the story. The development of a character we lost before really understanding him. A better glimpse at his relationship with the Emperor and Darth Vader.
I liked the references. The chess pieces (but the actual clay, non holographic versions), the hologram of Oola, the guys from the Cantina who had the death sentence on 12 systems (we assume they left Jedha when they saw the Star Destroyer pulling out), the mention of the Whills (The Adventures of Luke Skywalker from the Journal of the Whills), Darth Vader's castle on the volcano planet (mentioned as a location in the early stages of The Empire Strikes Back production), Gold Leader, Red Leader, the Red Five slot opening up, C3P0 and R2 D2, General Dodonna, Captain Antilles to name a few. It just kept the fun going. I liked the iconic (stereotypical?) war movie scenes. The little girl in the midst of the fire, the battle on the beach, the two heroes looking off over the ocean before they die. All just wonderful and throw backs to the feeling I had when I saw the original Star Wars. And the pace, the urgency. It didn't have what I really liked about the original; that we just got dropped into the action from the first frame. This needed some back story, but when it started, it ran. And we got to see the Princess again. And we saw Vader pretty bad ass. If we saw this first, a chill would have run through us when he first appears on the Blockade Runner.
So, as with the original, nothing is perfect (Leia's constantly changing accent, Darth Vader's eye visible behind the mask, the light sabres looking like plexi glass tubes from certain angles, the mis-edits when the Star Destroyer captures the Blockade Runner, macrobimoculars not catching Threepio in their view, and R5 -- red R2 unit -- changing position between Threepio and R2D2; I'm sure there are a bunch more). On first viewing it took me a bit of time to appreciate the music. Subsequent viewings had me enjoying it a bit more. Darth Vader's costume just seemed wrong. Looked too plastic. I think the plastic look was due to seeing it in IMAX. It was too glossy overall. The movie seemed much more gritty, and the mask less plastic, when viewed in a more standard format. It took me until the third viewing to realize what was bothering me about the mask was we normally see Vader with the cape chain across the neck of the mask; here it was under the mask. Heck, the guy had to get dressed pretty fast as he had a visitor. I'm not sure I can continue watching the female lead have to climb up something really high, twice (done here and in Force Awakens). First time to show she can do it and the second for a plot related reason (since we have seen that she can do it). It's like the damn overhead shots of the band of characters in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbbit movies. sure it looks great, but enough already. I didn't get the reason why on at least two occasions they landed a ship really far from their destination (most glaring the first scene). Heck of a lot of walking in tight boots and a cape.
The biggest issue I have is the Rebel Blockade Runner, the Counselor ship on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan, is part of the big battle. When Vader calls Leia part of the rebel alliance and a traitor initially we thought he was potentially grasping at straws. I mean how was he going to explain this to the senate? But here, its almost sarcasm. Well heck yeah, we just saw her ship leave what was potentially the biggest rebellion attack of the movement. But you know what, I will live with it. I'll live with all of these as I was utterly entertained.
And this is where I will leave this. I am sure that on subsequent viewings (and there will be), I'll have more comments, possibly criticisms, but for now I was truly entertained.
Oh, and I will expound soon on something I said on Face Book when I first saw this movie -- Ladies and Gentlemen, Episode Three, because that is exactly what this was.
