Plot: The Rebel Alliance makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.
Rating: 7/10
I actually don’t have an awful lot to say about this. Can I say I really liked that I was in a cinema full of fanboys, and while the excitement was palpable they quieted down and watched the film without any raucous noise? Definite plus! It was also the first time I visited The Mall of Africa – I’d been dodging it since it opened because the people went there in droves and if you know me you know I don’t like the droves. Despite the heavy traffic getting in, that Mall is gorgeous and I’m definitely returning after the festive season to just walk around and get a feel of the place.
What was good about Rogue One? The cast. Mads Mikkelson definitely deserves a mention. He’s been on the circuit for a bit and is slowly making the transgression into mainstream films, something he’s dipped his toe into a few times but has traveled under the radar mostly. I might not have gone super fangirl about him in Dr. Strange, but I really do like the man and his role in Rogue One worked very well for him.
Someone really rich at Disney had the idea to put Felicity Jones and Diego Luna together on screen as Jyn Erso and Captain Cassian Andor. It Felicity Jones certainly carries the look of all the Star Wars girls – pretty and pure and innocent. It must be what the fan boys like, because there is definitely a similarity between her, Portman and Rey. I did like her however. Jones’ is a great actress and any role where the female is sharp, smart, loyal and brave is worth watching. I enjoyed Diego Luna after a bit. He got into his role eventually and became comfortable onscreen. He shares undeniable chemistry with Felicity Jones, which made the duo a great success.
The look. No doubt about it, the technology is now what Lucas always wished it would be. The different worlds are so unique it is quite mind blowing believing that this is truly a brain child of one man – such a visionary. The film looks great – typical Star Wars.
The humor was light and carefully woven into the story so that it didn’t drown it out. Most quips are given by Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) – the blind man with an uncanny ability to see around him. I liked Chirrut quite a lot, he had funny moments and was all around cool. (I can say that for pretty much everyone in this film).
What didn’t I liked? I feel that it lacked some heart and felt a bit forced. The world doesn’t need a Star Wars movie every single year, they just need really good ones every couple of years. I was a major fan of the Star Wars one last year, and still feel that it is the better film of the two. There are two things I thought could have been done a tad differently – that ending (won’t mention because it is truly a massive spoler) and the fact that the film went completely Constantine – sorry for the comparison – and despite the heavy chemistry and cute moments not one kissing scene. This definitely isn’t a romance film and I’m not wanting it to be one, but can I just say that it wouldn’t have hurt this film.
Anyway. I wasn’t blown over and I enjoyed The Force Awakens much more. It isn’t a bad film, and my fanboy brother-in-law and his friends really loved it, so I guess that says something. This is probably one of the last films |I will see in cinema for 2016, and it really wasn’t a bad way to bow out!
Life of this city girl 