For two years in a row now, I am so happy to have been able to experience the dream of being in the Galaxy far, far away...and I still can't believe that I'll have this feeling every year from now. It is really one of the beauties of these Star Wars movies, and to watch them in IMAX, really makes me feel like I'm there. Rogue One, in particular, has minor flaws, but I was locked in for the majority of the film, and it really does have some very special moments.
Simply to put it out of the way, I have to say that the first 20 minutes of the film was not the best. It jumped too quickly from one place to the other, from one character to the next - and it didn't really give us time to breathe or understand the situation (and I am a Star Wars fan). The same applies to the final few minutes which ended a bit too abruptly. Additionally, the title font was crap, the score/music was so-so, and there are some moments which didn't really work.
Having put those minor issues out of the way...I really loved this film! I was locked into this film for many reasons. The plot wasn't too complex, but there are a lot of moments that really connects to the original Star Wars (A New Hope) in a lot of ways - more shall be discussed in my spoiler discussion. The characters were decent, and the standout for me would be the droid K-2SO, and his owner Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). I like how they portray the rebellion in this film, and Cassian Andor plays a big part in that respect.
The visual effects was decent, but I really have to give credit to director Gareth Edwards. I like how he puts scale & scope into the shots, and there are a lot of moments (especially watching it in IMAX) where I felt like I was really there. And the settings (the planets) are gorgeous. And I am not talking just about the gorgeous beach planet here. Even when you see the alleys (in the first scene with Cassian Andor) or the markets in Jedha, you really feel like it was in a Star Wars universe. To put it simply...I have played the online video game Star Wars: The Old Republic and traveled to various & distinct planets in there - this film makes me feel like I've visited some of those planets first-hand.
And I have yet to mention the best part of this film. The third act of this film is spectacular! The action was excellent all over, and there's so much weight/stakes to it. The space battle on its own is brilliant, and the part I like best is when we see a shot from further wide, and we see a squadron of fighters navigating in formation. The cinematography of the battle sequences are excellent, and watching it in IMAX, really makes it feel epic.
In a way, this is a different Star Wars movie, but it really fits perfectly to the universe. And as a Star Wars fan, I love that we're expanding the universe with characters & stories & events like these. This film has minor flaws, but for the most part, I was once again, living the dream!
VERDICT: 88/100
This doesn't even need to be said, but for Star Wars fan, this is a must-watch. For casual moviegoers, I would still highly recommend this film (though you may want to bring a SW fan with you to help explain the minor details).
The visual effects was decent, but I really have to give credit to director Gareth Edwards. I like how he puts scale & scope into the shots, and there are a lot of moments (especially watching it in IMAX) where I felt like I was really there. And the settings (the planets) are gorgeous. And I am not talking just about the gorgeous beach planet here. Even when you see the alleys (in the first scene with Cassian Andor) or the markets in Jedha, you really feel like it was in a Star Wars universe. To put it simply...I have played the online video game Star Wars: The Old Republic and traveled to various & distinct planets in there - this film makes me feel like I've visited some of those planets first-hand.
And I have yet to mention the best part of this film. The third act of this film is spectacular! The action was excellent all over, and there's so much weight/stakes to it. The space battle on its own is brilliant, and the part I like best is when we see a shot from further wide, and we see a squadron of fighters navigating in formation. The cinematography of the battle sequences are excellent, and watching it in IMAX, really makes it feel epic.
In a way, this is a different Star Wars movie, but it really fits perfectly to the universe. And as a Star Wars fan, I love that we're expanding the universe with characters & stories & events like these. This film has minor flaws, but for the most part, I was once again, living the dream!
VERDICT: 88/100
This doesn't even need to be said, but for Star Wars fan, this is a must-watch. For casual moviegoers, I would still highly recommend this film (though you may want to bring a SW fan with you to help explain the minor details).
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