When I thought about this movie earlier today, I tried to figure out what my motivation was for seeing it.
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Why I would be enticed to see a prequel again of Star Wars and be submersed into the past yet again as they have so often done? Would I be disappointed now that I was older and, Force-willing, more intelligent than when I first saw the original prequels?
As I sat and pondered this, I came to a few quick conclusions...
Firstly, that I was too big a fan of this entire universe to go into this movie expecting nothing short of the best Star Wars movie I have ever seen; while also not expecting it to end up dead last. I had to reach back into my own personal past and find that kid sitting in the dark with my parent/friends and see it with imaginative eyes. So, that’s what I did.
Secondly, I knew that as a fan I would expect a lot to tie the old movies (4,5, and 6) to the new movies (1,2, and 3).
Thirdly and lastly, I knew that this would have to be a different sort of Star Wars film than I had ever known. The creative department really had to do a great job convincing me the connection between the old and new, while also capturing my imagination with a new and fresh story. And as I walked out of that theater this time at 1 am, I’m glad to say that they did just that.
Let me be bold and say this first: This was not the best Star Wars film I have ever seen. I would have to say that that position can still firmly remain with The Empire Strikes Back. But I can say that if I had to rank this film, that it would definitely come in second, due to only a few key problems while also having that genuine Star Wars feel, and a few could argue that it could come in third amidst all the other movies.
As highly as I do rank this film, there were still a few weaknesses that were glaringly obvious to me about it. For the first time in any Star Wars film, I felt the presence of John Williams woefully depart from the score of the film. I felt the ever so slight disconnect in multiple scenes (but not an overwhelming majority of scenes) throughout the movie with the new composer, Michael Giacchino. While his additions to other compositions and original work could be praised (the new Star Trek films and numerous high caliber Pixar films), his effect on Alexandre Desplat’s original work on the score for the film detracted a lot from the emotional connection to many of the scenes throughout the movie. That’s not to say the score was bad. That just means that I believe, before reshoots, that the original score of the film from Desplat and; obviously the former score to that of John Williams, far out shadow this one. There lies inside the framework of Star Wars a dependence on the score of John Williams original work. Episode 7 did a terrific job of showing the fusion of the old and new and really delivered a new feel while also maintaining the nostalgia of the original series. While I understand that an effort was made to stay away from the main series of movies, I think that having enough of the original music as part of all Star Wars genre movies is needed. Transitioning, one other problem that presented itself to me was that, in an effort to tell a cohesive story, the first act of the movie seemed a bit rushed and felt jumpy at times, even quite literally (mini-spoiler alert) as the scenes would jump around to different planets and characters in an effort to bring them together for the main plot of the movie. Furthermore, the last and final problem that I could see from this movie was that many of the characters weren’t as developed as they could’ve been. While I understand that the story of Rogue One speaks to the actions of a generation of the Rebellion that no longer exists at the onset of Episode 4, I still could’ve experienced a deeper connection with a few of the characters, especially in the first act, as previously referenced. I wanted more of a backstory/explanation and more screen time for multiple characters that, in their own right, contributed to the story immensely.
Despite this film having its shortcomings, they all pale in comparison to the fact that this film is by far one of the best Star Wars films to date. While my third problem begged for more character development in the first act of the movie, an argument could be made that you didn’t truly need that development either, due to the nature of the story and the characters. The second and third act capture the universe of Star Wars so well, that it just begs the question of how many more stars and planets and characters will we see next, and how interesting, developed, and instrumental will they be? The character and method acting from each member of the Rogue One team just went to show that the team was assembled as if by the Force, and made you feel as if you were just another one of them, making you feel everything they felt and struggling with the problems that they had to deal with in their task to obtain the Death Star plans. This film showcased the horrors of war and the fascist and detrimental effect that the Empire had on the galaxy while also maintaining an air of levity that made this as family-friendly as possible. The marriage of the two really showed you that Disney and Lucasfilm knew what they were doing to really make sure that the classic fans, as well as new fans, could appreciate a story rooted in the right tone, canon, and film style that was necessary for Rogue One to be a success. Men and women, and children of all ages and cultural and racial backgrounds can really appreciate the work that was done to convey both the helplessness and hope of the entire movie. The emotional tugboat that was the movie showed you the reality of the Rebellion versus the Empire, and, in those last two acts, made you realize just how fleeting the galaxy, the people in it, and the main characters really were. As a die hard fan, knowing that the end result would lead to the beginning of episode 4, prepared me for what I was about to see here at the end of Rogue One. But while I was excited to see this movie, the hopelessness I felt knowing the end would result in episode 4 was both one of the best and worst things for anyone to experience in a movie. For the film to harness this, was something to be more praised than cursed. Yet again, the death and destruction on such a massive scale was something that Star Wars does so well. But that was further reinforced in this movie in such a way because of the nature of how the war between the Rebellion and the Empire affected everything, as well as the characters down to their very core. To see their pain slowly build its way to the end of the movie was something that anyone can resonate with, and I think that this movie forces you to experience that, in a harsh, yet cohesive way. The action scenes used in the film weren’t gratuitous and were used extremely well to further the story along and explain the following scenes to come. The dialogue and script were spot on with just enough content to help you realize the reality of the conversation while also explaining enough of the story for you to keep up and stay hooked throughout the entire ride. The third Act of the movie was by far the best part and had the most action as well. Just like the rest of the movie, the third Act utilized action so well to further the story line and you never felt bogged down by it. Probably the most gratifying thing to reminisce over, was the time and care they spent on Easter eggs and fan service material for all watching this movie. If this movie was the wedding band, then the original trilogy of 4,5 and 6 was the groom and the prequels of 1,2, and 3 were the bride. It even used small, segmented scenes that I recognized from episode 4 that further helped the movie be as accurate as possible; and even created scenes to fit the original trilogy of films, without hampering the continuity of this movie. This film certainly established itself as the child of both sets of sagas, and does much to honor all the great material from them both without showing scorn or disdain toward anything from the Star Wars Cinematic Universe. This is definitely a film that will always be good to watch, as it fires on all cylinders robustly, giving us the tone needed for a brand new addition to this galaxy, giving us the amazing material immersing us in the Star Wars universe, and making us feel like part of something bigger than ourselves as it tugs on our heartstrings. Some would even call that the Force at work in us all. All in all, I’d recommend this movie to anyone.
