Finally. I made my way to see “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and I did so in style. There’s a newish theatre near me, called Envision Cinema Bar and Grille. Not only do they have those fancy recliners, they also bring food – really good food – right to your seat throughout the film. I thought this might be distracting, but it was only minimally so. I’ll definitely go back. I’ll definitely have more of that Oreo Cheesecake. And I’ll definitely see more films here.
I just hope they aren’t this boring.
I’ll confess that I’m not a huge Star Wars fan. I enjoy the movies well enough and I’ve spent more than a few years at Star Wars Weekends back when Disney’s Hollywood Studios used to host this event. But this one didn’t have the magic of the others; it felt like any other action sci-fi film. As a movie, I suppose its fine. Probably better than average, given the special effects and adventure of it all.
But I am still not entirely sure what happened. I wonder if I were a bigger Star Wars fan if I’d have understood more of the context. But films, especially mega-blockbusters, shouldn’t have a pre-requisite.
Felicity Jones (“Jyn Erso”) does a fair-enough job as the female heroine. But she, like the rest of the characters are forgettable. There were three laugh out loud moments, all from android K-2SO (Alan Tudyk). His sarcasm was a welcome addition, but it made me long for Harrison Ford more than anything else.
And what on earth was Forrest Whitaker doing? Such strange choices.
I enjoyed Darth Vader taking out several Rebellion soldiers with his Dark Jedi skills. I liked that we now have a better understanding of what setup Episode Four, despite it being somewhat confusing. But overall I left feeling disappointed.
Boredom is the critic’s worst enemy. Thank goodness for that Oreo Cheesecake.