Star Wars Rogue One
:// INTRO
I remember watching the original Star Wars trilogy on VHS back in the early 90s.
It was an interesting and fun universe, filled with imaginative and likable characters both good and evil. Star Wars has always been extremely accessible to new and old fans alike. About 3 years ago I spotted a 30 inch Darth Vader at my local Target. I freaked out because it was on sale for $19.99.
The first thing that my wife said was “Will Darth Vader ever cease to be popular?”.
My response was simple: “Hell no.”
The same question could be asked about the Star Wars franchise and I would suspect the answer to that question would be the same as my Darth Vader response.
Star Wars is one of those magical properties which make children feel special as well as all warm and fuzzy. It also makes adults remember how they felt when they first experienced that galaxy far far away.
:// ORIGINAL TRILOGY vs NEW TRILOGY
The original Star Wars trilogy is almost sacred to all Star Wars fans, especially The Empire Strikes Back, which is considered one of the greatest sequels of all time. The stories flowed at an incredible pace and the movies were put together with remarkable craftsmanship.
The new trilogy is often considered a bit of an ugly stain on an otherwise perfect gem. The high point would have to be the fight between Obi Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn vs Darth Maul. Universally, the lowest point would be Jar Jar Binks [with Anakin and Padme’s love story a close hard second]. We were all expecting to see Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader, which itself was a bit disturbing, but all of that faded away once we saw the mask and helmet come on, followed by Vader taking his first breath.
After George sold his baby it was exciting to see what Disney would come up with for the Star Wars universe. It was nostalgic seeing Han Solo and Princess Leia on screen again, but Disney did play it extremely safe by basically remaking Episode 4 for a new generation.
:// THE EFFECTS OF EPISODE 7
One of my favorite aspects of the Star Wars universe is the large canvas which brings forth the possibilities for new stories which do not affect the episode count but does expand on the universe.
Some highlights include Knights of the Old Republic and Shadows of the Empire. A movie like Rogue One adds to that canvas by portraying events which we have heard of but had not yet seen.
:// PRODUCTION QUALITY
It would be a sin for a Star Wars entry not to have a high level of production, but perhaps the 2 aspects which greatly stand out are the diverse cast of actors featured in the film and the new locations which we are treated to, such as Jedha and Scarif. Not to mention a brief glimpse of the daily torture which Darth Vader has to go through.
The absence of Jedi also made ‘Rogue feel fresh and much tenser during battle scenes. Seeing the characters engage the Empire as a guerilla unit elevated the risk of the mission to enjoyable levels.
It was nice to see the guy who is not Gael Garcia Bernal jump into Star Wars lore, not to mention the Death Troopers which were some of my favorite characters throughout the movie.
G-Unit.
:// FAVORITE CHARACTER
K-2SO baby. Hands down. I would say he has now officially become my favorite character from the series.
I need to get one of his action figures so I can stand him next to the Death Trooper I got last Christmas.