david-meldrum

Random List Of Things Noticed On A First Rewatch In Ages, As Part Of Chronological Rewatch:

1) C3-P0 is still a bit annoying.

2) It's weirder than I remembered. In a good way.

3) I'd forgotten how playful Yoda is to begin with.

4) Luke being an annoying brat of a teenager may be the point of his character, but that doesn't make him any less of an annoying brat.

5) It's notable that it betters its predecessor without having to try to be 'bigger' than it; a lot of film series could and should have learned from this.

6) There is a lot about hope in both this and its predecessor.

7) It's nip and tuck between this and Rogue One; the fact that they are very different makes it an even harder call.

8) I can't remember if I saw this at the cinema as a child, or if Return Of The Jedi was my first one.

9) Yet more proof that films primarily aimed at younger audiences can and should be dark, emotionally complex, AND fun. This really shouldn't be up for debate, but some people seem to think it is.

10) Taking big risks almost always makes a film more interesting; in this case, the risks make it more interesting and also better.

Random List Of Things Noticed On A First Rewatch In Ages, As Part Of Chronological Rewatch:

1) It's perfectly paced.

2) No one understands the assignment better than Harrison Ford.

3) A surprising amount of talk in languages other than English is untranslated.

4) C3-PO is somewhat annoying, but not in a Jar Jar Binks kind of way

5) There's no Yoda. Huh.

6) Luke Skywalker is quite an annoying teenager in the first act.

7) It still looks pretty good.

8) Obi-Wan's death is just odd.

9) Luke's Uncle is a bit of a d*ick.

10) Luke's Aunt is barely given any dialogue worthy of noticing.

11) Rogue One is a touch better.

My chronological rewatch of the films continues, and watching them this way really highlights what a good film this is - in terms of the timeline, the first film that feels coherent and, well, good. A fine cast is well directed by Gareth Edwards, who has a flair for science fiction action adventure and an eye for a striking image. It has wit, energy, focus, good humour, spectacle, and fun. There's an argument that the Star Wars films are mostly aimed at younger audiences; if that's true, then this film may be seen to stray from that. But I'd like to think younger audiences will also appreciate this for what it is - a well-constructed war adventure with sleek narrative lines and a smattering of all the important constituent parts along the way. Think how much this film's timeline predecessors would be appreciated if the care that characterises Rogue One had been taken on them.