ROGUE ONE A STAR WARS STORY: Finally, a Trailer is here!
IS THE FORCE STRONG WITH THIS ONE? IS IT WORTH SMUGGLING THE EMPIRE’S PLANS AND RISKING REBEL LIVES FOR THIS GLIMPSE OF THE NEW STAR WARS? YES! A BIG YES! Yes. With SLIGHT reservations, naturally. Because it is JUST a trailer..and a FIRST one, at that!..
Here we go..This is where the fun begins!..
It’s been a LONG time coming. Matters were NOT helped by COUNTLESS click bait articles headed ‘is this our first glimpse’ etc. And, lovely though democratisation of film might be, all those ruddy fan edits did not help the cause, either. Can’t people just WAIT for a trailer? Clearly, no. And so, when this new trailer for ROGUE ONE finally hit the Interweb thingie today, even I / we/ you / yer mom probably took the news, initially, with a pinch of salt?
But this IS it. And it is VERY good. As a trailer in itself: sets up the characters, plot, motivations, obstacles, tone. At the same time, remembers NOT to give everything away (cough cough BATMAN V SUPERMAN!).
Put simply, a lovely young heroine (FELICITY JONES) is entrusted with stealing the plans for a top secret super weapon being made by the baddies. An adventure and a battle ensue, with her capture a virtual certainty. And yet, for some reason, this girl simply does not give up.
So, this captures the feel that many viewers expected from the prequels. It’s a taste of life in a STAR WARS universe, but BEFORE the main events of the ‘original trilogy’.
It has the same aesthetic / feel /ambiance of the 1977 – ’83 original films, to some extent. Note old sets but brought to new life with intricate close ups (the additional shield on the Death Star).
And yet, this is NOT dependent on some lifelong love of the mythology. Quite grimy, too. Think PRIVATE RYAN and PLATOON. But in SPACE. And presumably with no blood or naughty words?
Yes, a ‘fan’ can enjoy the movie, no doubt. This is, frankly, fan fiction on a bigger budget. Role play gaming with cinematic craft. The kind of thing one wishes they had done YEARS ago, instead of depriving a generation of new STAR WARS!
And yet, the set up feels admirably self contained. Fears of brand saturation, therefore: probably misplaced. One gets a sense that this earns its sub title: A STAR WARS STORY (previously known as ‘anthology series’?). IE one can simply watch this as a one off adventure movie and leave it there?
FELICITY JONES is beautiful. Not quite as softly charming as DAISY RIDLEY (such a sweet, hard working, decent, born film star: in an ideal world, they’d do a film featuring Daisy AND Felicity?). Felicity is compelling, in a different way: convincing as genuine ‘rebel’ and prematurely world weary war veteran. At the same time, she somehow retains an alluring vulnerability and soft femininity. Another Star Wars star is born!
No sign of DARTH VADER as yet, alas. Saving him for trailer 2, perhaps? But we do get BEN MENDELSOHN as what LOOKS a BIT like – GRAND ADMIRAL THRAWN – But less..blue? (nb if you don’t know who Thrawn is, that’s ok: this is a nod for the ‘fans’ and further indicates how far and wide this film will appeal to fan and non fan alike?). Also, an alarmingly convincing young MON MOTHMA (did they clone her, for real?).
Of course, it’s early days. This is ONLY a TRAILER. And a FIRST one, at that. Expect at least one more later in the year, before the film’s release in December.
That said: so far, so good. Nothing terribly surprising but equally enough balance between the nostalgic and the novel to ignite the requisite curiosities about how this universe of stories can continue being mined for new imagery and adventures, whilst echoing the comforts of the old.
I have a GOOD feeling about this..
We look forward to reviewing the next trailer and the film itself at Movie-Viral. STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE – A STAR WARS STORY is directed by GARETH EDWARDS and released in December, 2016.
(MANY BOTHANS DIED TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO YOU. OK: No deaths. But they will no doubt get trolled on Twitter..which is just as bad.)
