I went to Star Wars Rogue One last night. And I need to nerd
out about it.
Going in I was a little afraid of what I would get. I still
feel violated by the prequels and this is another kind of prequel. I’m still
dreading that Disney will incorporate musical numbers into the films. But
gladly that has yet to happen.
I am also quite done with death stars. Yeah they are cool
and all but there has been enough for one universe. At least going in to this
film I knew it was a central plot element for a Death Star that already existed
in the Universe. And I didn’t have a “bigger badder” death star surprise. So I
wasn’t really bothered by it.
Having said that; I loved the movie. Unlike the prequels the
film was character driven. While it is rife with political themes they fit in
more as undertones to drive the narrative. The lines between “good guy” and “bad
guy” are blurred. Some good guy rebels do some nasty things, while some bad guy
imperials do good things. It comes across as a maturing of the Star Wars
universe. War and heroics aren’t simplistic; they are depicted more realistically
dirty and complex. These concepts are delved into quite deeply but in a way
that doesn’t take away from the flow of the story.
There is something that sets this prequel apart from
Episodes I, II, an III. While a few characters (like Vader, Tarkin, and Mon
Mothma) have obvious plot armour protecting them from harm, they aren’t central
figures in the story. They merely act as supporting characters that move the
plot towards pivotal moments. The central figures in Rogue One are characters
you have not heard of. This places them at risk, making action moments more
interesting.
What I like most are the little moments in the film. Such as
the humourous one liner by Chirrut Îmwe in an abduction scene. Or when Bhodi Rook flinches
at Saw Gerrera’s respirator noise. You know this is an imperial that has reason
to fear that sound. It’s such a minor thing that really defined the character
and his motivations. At least in my mind.
While overall I liked the visuals, from massive planet
shaking explosions to walker assaults to ship battles, there is one thing that
bothered me: Tarkin. The CGI is just that wrong amount off of what a human
should look like. He made my brain squirm every time he showed up on screen.
Which I hate because this villain is perfect in every other way: duplicitous,
devious, cold, methodical, and driven. Every line had a purpose and dripped
with conceited malice. A man who has been dead for over 20 years could still
steal every scene he was in.
Finally this film does an amazing job at expanding the universe.
New characters, new interactions, space feels big again in Star Wars. While there
is the Erso family in this film they have no relation to the Skywalkers. There is
no “I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate” moment.
Nobody married a Skywalker, nor was built by one, nor was a secret sibling. It truly
was a universe building film.
And guess what: Vader is a badass again!
Until next time… I’m going to be humming the imperial march
often.
