Autocorrect is a harsh mistress. 
I didn’t realise Leia was CGI: I thought she was a lookalike with Carrie Fisher’s voice.
One thing I really liked but forgot to mention was in the scene with Krennic and Vader…as Vader moved closer in to get in Krennics face, the camera POV lowered and got tighter, so Vader seemed to be looming over him even more than he was.
LOVED IT!
I thought the jokes hit just right. I went in blind so I wasn’t expecting any of the cameos and thought they tied in with Star Wars very well. I was hyped to see Vader being badass. All in all, I think it hit all the right spots. A worthy addition to the mythos.
As an added bonus there was a bit of a snowstorm last night so it felt like I was battling through Hoth on the way to the theatre.
Much of my opinions have already been stated, so I won’t re-hash them too much.
Liked the movie a lot, but don’t think I quite LOVED it.
I’ll definitely echo that it started off slowly, but once it ramped up it got really good. I, too, missed the shot of Jinn facing off with the TIE fighter, I love perspective shots like that.
I don’t have the time to go into it now (maybe sometime this weekend) but I think Forest Whitaker’s character was pointless and he overacted way, way too much. I’ll chalk it up to him being part of the slow buildup to the movie, but I just thought he was a bad addition.
One of my favorite things was how much I actually cared about the characters. I had an inkling that they would all die, and I’m glad that when they did I felt something.
What did you guys think of the plastic Star Destroyers? A nice homage to the old movie FX or ugly and could have easily done in a better, prettier modern way? I wasn’t too keen on them, they just looked fake to me. The old 70’s sci-fi monitors worked for me but in my opinion they could have stopped there with the retro look.
I’m just going to be jumping in here a lot to do a bit of nerd-gasming.
There was an extended shot from an X-Wing droid’s experience as the ship attacked that I really enjoyed.
Regarding Krennic. I got chills after the first test shot was completed and they were watching the blast spread on their display screen, and Krennic just smiles and says “Beautiful”. Then later when he is down on the planet, and looks up to see the Death Star firing on them…he still seemed to have that same “Beautiful” look on his face.
Does anyone know if the Star Destroyers were models or CGI? I figure they are CGI but they really looked like the models from the OT. They did a great job with the Y Wings bombing and disabling a Star Destroyer, and then ramming it into a second Star Destroyer…and thought the music during that sequence was chilling.
The more I think of K-2S0, the more I’m a fan. When the stromtroopers ask him where he is taking his prisoners…“These Are Prisoners? I’m taking them to be imprisoned…in prison” and then right after…“There were a lot of explosions for two people blending in”
And some favorite lines: “You follow orders, even when you know they’re wrong? You might as well be a Stormtrooper”
“You will come with us and live…” “…As Hostages” “…As Heroes of the Empire”
“Congratulations! You are being rescued”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about…” “…Shhhh”
(As a bag is being put over his head) “Are you kidding me??? I’m blind!”
Hopefully I can start to concentrate on work after getting this one out…
What did everyone think about Galen’s message stating that the weakness of the Death Star was deliberate so the rebels could destroy it? Does it lay to rest all the complaints about the Empire being sloppy in constructing it?
His death foreshadowed the end of the movie.
All I can say is:Awesome!
After the risible Force Awakens we see a movie in the mould of Empire Strikes Back. Building on the world seen in Clone Wars and Rebels.
A couple of observations.
- Was the mother a Jedi? Certainly hinted so.
- Man Leia’s excuse at the start of a N*ew Hope * is even less plausible. Vader literally missed boarding her ship during the battle. Diplomatic mission? I am amazed Vader did not die of laughter.
I love that you brought this up. I was thinking about it earlier, and I think it makes Leia an ever bigger bad ass. Vader was literally about to step foot onto her ship when it took of…and she looked him straight in the face hours later…“I don’t know what you’re talking about”
Yeah. She is basically Anakin’s personality with Padme’s looks. 
That one moment gives depth to both the OT and the prequels!
Speaking of Anakin, did anyone notice in his first scene he was wearing the red eye socket plates? The ones he wore in the Tie-Fighter in in the first film, where you can see his face?
Who was wearing the Vader-suit this time?
Liked it. Not sure yet if I loved it. Not as good as TFA. Better than the prequels. (maybe on par with ROTS… maybe a bit better).
Starts out slow and confusing. Picks up by the end. In some ways, feels very Star Wars, with the look of things, etc. (When I saw Jyn go out on that tiny little balcony to adjust the dish at the end, I thought, “yup, that’s ridiculous imperial design alright.”) But then feels very UN-Star Wars in many ways too, being so grim, and with an ending that should please Dante Hicks, being even more of a “down ending” than Empire. And with extra added standard Hollywood cliches at times (Prologue scene of young Jyn flashing forward to grownup Jyn. Necklace given by long lost father. Andor’s inability to pull the trigger. Jyn’s repeated childhood nickname being important. The blind martial artist monk. The out-of-nowhere hug at the end… (at least they didn’t kiss))
I was pleased with both Tarkin and Leia, even though they both drifted into the uncanny valley for half a second or so for every 5 seconds onscreen. It was so close to perfect that I’m glad they made the effort. Without them, the movie wouldn’t have felt as connected as it did. All the little references and callbacks felt custom made for lifelong fans like me. (Though I wonder how Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba got off Jedha in time to live to see Tatooine.) I chuckled especially hard at Red and Gold Leader, and the original “Red 5”, and also at the stormtroopers’ gossip about the TC15 (I hear it’s really something to see…). I also loved Jimmy Smits and Genevieve O’Reilly reprising their roles from the prequels. I know most people want to forget the prequels exist, but if there was ever a time for a connection, it was here.
K2SO was delightful. Jyn was fun, though kind of predictable. Donnie Yen managed to make the blind monk pretty fun, even if very trope-y. The rest of the new characters… well… kind of flat and underdeveloped, IMHO. I love Forest Whitaker, but I agree his character was pretty useless. Having the hologram message directed at Jyn was kind of silly given that her father didn’t know if she was even alive, and that he really needed to get the message to anyone that could help, not just her.
My 8 & 9 year old daughters have seen 4-7 and part of 1. Wish I could take them to this, but I don’t think their ready for something this dark yet. As a grown-up fan, I enjoy seeing the darker side of the SW universe, but it’s kind of a shame that it’s a SW that’s not really for kids.
Time to start the countdown for Episode VIII?
Also, was it just me, or did anyone else think that the monk and the guy with the big cannons might have been lovers? Their death scene seemed to hint at more than just friends. First instance of a gay relationship in SW, or was I reading too much into it?
I loved it. The best parts IMO were the little tiny shout-outs to A New Hope - I kept slapping my husband like “did you see that?!” Case in point: The blue drink at the very beginning is same drink that Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had.
I honestly thought “Holy shit they got Peter Cushing. Wait a minute, he’s been dead for years. WTF.” And I thought they did a great job with the quick look at young Princess Leia.
K-2SO felt like a robot Sheldon Cooper.
Plus all I could think when we saw Krennic was “Fuckin Danny Rayburn.” Lol.
Way way way too much. They were lovers in the same way Han and Luke and Anakin and Obi Wan were.
I think I’ve read those slashfics… 
I guess with Han and Luke or Anakin and Obi Wan, we got several movies where they were the stars to develop their relationship. With these guys, we got small bits and pieces of just one movie to get to know them. So to have such a tearful goodbye scene seemed kind of random to me if they weren’t closer.
Just wondering if I was the only one to get that vibe.
Looks like it was Spencer Wilding, who has the most David-Prowse-ian qualifications around: he was Frankenstein’s monster in that flick last year with James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe, and before that he was the Minotaur in WRATH OF THE TITANS, and before that he was the go-to guy to play a big scary monster on DOCTOR WHO.
I had the same impression, so it’s not just you.
Hey, looks like we’re not alone…