For 5 things you need to know about Rogue One: A New Star Wars Story click here.
Hubby was lucky enough to get tickets for the first screening at the Odeon Cinema at the intu Metrocentre and saw it in 3D on the IMAX Screen as a Star Wars Fan and self-confessed Star Wars Geek here are his thoughts ...
I read only two reviews prior to watching the movie. One claimed it was a triumph, possibly the best Star Wars film to date. And the second review claimed that the movie was puerile garbage.
Here follows a spoiler free pros & cons list to consider before watching.
"Restore balance to expectation you must, then enjoy it more you will, hmm?"
*Yoda giggle.
Cons:
- Prepare yourself, the plot, though simple, is flawed! Nobody expects Shakespeare but I did occasionally find myself disengaged from the movie, bored due to unnecessary two-dimensional dialogue. It shouldn't spoil your Star Wars experience but I think it helps to be aware of this beforehand.
- I know he can't keep doing them forever but the film sorely missed a John Williams soundtrack!
- Some characters make heavy use of CGI (computer graphic imagery) I actually liked what they did here. I thought it was some of the best if not the best quality I've ever seen but I know that for a lot of people, this can be a big deal and quite off putting. So be warned
- The movies threat level might be too violent and morally ambiguous for your kids to handle, especially if they're quite young. So go and see it without the kids first. Hey at the very least I'm giving you an excuse to possibly see it twice.
- THE MOMENT... There's not enough of THE MOMENT. To be fair this isn't really a con. I just couldn't think of a 5th con for the list and because THE MOMENT was soooo satisfying, I want more! So to reiterate, this isn't a con, I'm just greedy.
Pros:
- As, with 'Stranger Things', Rogue One is an instant hit (IMHO) due mainly to its ability to transport you back in time to the nostalgia of the late 70s, early 80's. It works as a stand-alone film and also as a direct tie into the original. In fact, this movie is the live-action version of the iconic scrawl that we read on screen at the very start of A New Hope. There are so many in-jokes and visual Easter eggs hidden in throw away lines of dialogue and around the background of most every shot in this film that you almost forget to focus on the actual plot.
- Those old fashioned war film style dog fights that were so iconic in the original trilogy are back and perhaps better than ever before! In fact, it's not just the space battles, the whole epic spectacle feels like a beautifully lavish update on those classic black and white war movies. This movie is most definitely a War among the Stars!
- I was worried from the trailers that the new cast was going to annoy me but the actors actually did a tip-top job of introducing an emotionally engaging group of characters. There's plenty of traditional Star Wars warmth and humour here despite the 'grittier' tag it gives itself.
- The droid! He steals the show in my opinion... Well almost (see 5)
- There is a moment (THE MOMENT!) in this film that WILL transport you back to the awe you felt when you watched Star Wars for the first time as a kid. This moment will most likely go down in Star Wars and probably movie history as an iconic moment! For that reason alone this film is worth the watch!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Despite its flaws it is a heartily satisfying experience.
In the time honoured tradition of ranking this movie I would place it 3rd behind Empire & A New Hope. My viewing companions regard me as harsh and they rated it higher!
0 Comments