Well, it finally happened. Where the hell do I start?
The film was not perfect. There are some aspects of the film that deserve some criticism. It took a while to get going. The title font was... odd. Some people didn't like Tarkin/Leia CGI.
But man, this movie was duck*ing good. It was bold, extremely dense, emotional, and satisfying. I found myself during my 3rd viewing still emotionally invested in this movie, the characters, and their journey. That's a really good sign.
The music. Michael Giacchino is no John Williams. But he nailed this score. He had 4 1/2 weeks to write the music to this film and the result was beautiful. Incredibly emotional and recognizable new themes. Take a listen to the soundtrack and I think you'll be pretty impressed. The entire last 15 minutes of the film was driven by the music, and it delivered.
The characters were awesome. K2 stole the show, Cassian showed us that Rebels shouldn't always be labeled as 'the good guys', Chirrut and Baze were the perfect combination of badass and funny, Riz Ahmed killed his role as Bhodi. I even enjoyed Forest Whitaker playing a slightly insane Saw Gerrera (which makes sense if you are familiar with the character). But the highlights for me were Felicity Jones and Mads Mikkelsen. Those two really brought it. Galen's monologue during the hologram scene was heartbreaking. Seeing Jyn slowly build up with emotion until she can't hold it in any longer was, for me, the most emotional part of the whole film. And then, as the DS fires on Jedha, Jyn's world is literally crashing down around her. Very powerful.
The entire final act was a thing of beauty. Each main character's death was meaningful - they went out doing something that was vital to the mission. Krennic's death, staring at the thing that he worked so hard on his entire life that is now going to kill him, was poetic. They handled the Jyn/Cassian suggested romance perfectly. No kiss needed, we already have enough emotion during their death scene. The transmitting of the plans felt extremely hopeful and satisfying...
... And that hopeful tone took a 180 degree turn when Vader's star destroyer appeared out of NOWHERE. Oh yes, I didn't forget about Lord Vader. During my first viewing of the film, I was watching, enjoying, and all of the sudden we are brought to a lava planet with a terrifying castle. Seeing Vader on Mustafar (yes, that was Mustafar) in that bacta tank was so satisfying, even if we only got a glimpse of him without his armor. Then we see Vader approach Krennic and I suddenly realized 'holy s***, we are still watching Star Wars.' I loved all of Vader's lines, for the record. The pun is totally akin to Vader's character, he was a snappy SOB in the OT. "Apology accepted, Captain Needa." It's still Anakin in there, after all.
So Jyn/Cassian transmit the plans to Raddus' ship, the Rebels receive the transmission and it's time to hand them off to Leia. Mission complete. Everything is going to be okay. WRONG. The film takes a dramatic emotional shift when you see Vader's shuttle head over to Raddus' ship. The door locks, the lights go out, and we all know what's coming. The next 30 seconds was possibly the greatest thing I've ever seen. Keep in mind that these Rebels have never seen the force in use before. They've never seen a Jedi, never seen a Sith, never seen a lightsaber. They don't know what this 'thing' is.
And Vader is absolutely horrifying... it is glorious. And the music is equally horrifying, drawing parallels to the RotS score. I've watched the scene over 20 times (leaks are a horrible thing.) Everything about it is amazing, and it doesn't get old. Vader effortlessly rips these Rebels apart. Smashes one guy up against the ceiling with the force, and then decapitates him as he walks by. Hearing the Rebels scream was equally horrifying. You'll hear "Help us!!!" The part where the Rebel hands the disc through the door saying "Take it!! Take it!!" and then getting stabbed through the chest. Awesome. Oh, man. It's fan service done right. Lord Vader is truly terrifying and that 30 seconds gives you a glimpse why.
For the record, I thought the CGI with Leia and Tarkin was extremely impressive. We've never seen CGI done that well. They went for it, and it wasn't perfect, but I thought it was great.
Also for Rebels watchers - there were multiple Rebels references throughout the movie. Chopper was in it. Hera Sendulla was referenced over the com at Yavin. The Ghost was seen 3 times. Again, just a very satisfying film.
