We finally have our first look at a “Star Wars” standalone film and I have to say, it completely exceeded my expectations. I’ve been worried about Gareth Edwards since the release of the most recent “Godzilla” film, and although a trailer doesn’t assuage all of those fears, it did a lot to minimize them.
In our first sense of the story, we still don’t know much more than we did yesterday. A team of rebels, led by Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) will be sent to steal the plans to the first dreaded Death Star. I’m still assuming that this is a one way trip that ends with the plans in the hands of Princess Leia.
We were offered some things that were a complete surprise. The first being:
Mon Mothma. That it is the actress Genevieve O’Reilly, who George Lucas cast in the part in “Revenge of the Sith.” It’s no surprise that she’s reprising her role: they’re still committed to George Lucas’s blueprint, why not respect his casting choices as well? It seems as we move forward that Mon Mothma will be more and more important in the canon, and that is something I can get behind.
And: she literally doubled the amount of women I expected to see in this film, though the film still seems to falls short of the amount I’d like to have seen by at least half.
We saw glimpses of Yavin, the rebel base there, the rebels scrambling to mount an offensive, and many other things we expected to, but we also saw much more that we didn’t expect. I certainly didn’t expect to see a white Imperial uniform that has traditionally been thought of as reserved for a Grand Admiral. I didn’t expect to see a pair of Imperial Royal Guards because that implies Palpatine. Will Ian McDiarmid be making a cameo? And who is the shrouded figure kneeling before what looks to be a bacta tank (or dare I say, cloning tube?) Could this be Mads Mikkelson’s character?
Anything is possible.
I love that this story feels like it’s going to be grittier. Marching Jyn Ersa in handcuffs to her mission briefing (at least how it’s staged in the trailer) implies a “Dirty Dozen” sort of scenario. This is a suicide mission. It’s inevitable.
But what a mission it will be.
Also, what the hell is Forrest Whitaker wearing?
A few weeks ago, the crew at Full of Sith, myself included, recorded an episode of speculation about “Rogue One” and I assumed that it would all be completely controverted by a trailer coming out, but I still think much of the analysis is solid still. If you’re interested in listening to that, here it is.
I want this movie as now as Kanjiklub wants their money. But we’ll have to wait until December 16, 2016, when “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” makes its way to the big screen.