They did an excellent job of transporting me back to the original film with set designs (blue milk!) and choices. I did find the cameos a mixed bag... I enjoyed that they were there, and yet they also kind of pulled me out of things a bit... especially digital Peter Cushing.




Yeah, they went a little further than I had expected there.




The characters were interesting, but thinly sketched out. It's really hard to compete with the first film in regards to the creation of characters to latch on to... This film was all plot-driven, and perhaps a bit too convoluted in the amount of locations needed. They could have traded some of the running around for more time developing the characters, I thought.




I don't recall anything standing out enough to detract from the experience. I quite liked the rousing speeches... I'm a sucker for those.




Indeed. My problem there was that they stretched out the part about needing to open the shield to get a signal out by making the rebels set up the relay to tell the fleet what they planned and all the while the fleet was already fighting trying to get the shield open anyway. You could edit out a huge chunk of that battle and it wouldn't matter, which makes the heroics of that part of the struggle seem a bit hollow.





I agree, but this makes a good argument for the first being the best. They really sold the threat of it well here, despite the fact that they never blow up a planet with it until Alderaan in the original film. The planet killer in The Force Awakens just seemed old hat while this was intimidating as hell. Plus it was used to great visual effect, I thought.





I agree. It had a refreshing vibe of a new style and tone while revisiting a lot that made the original film work so well. I'd like to see more of the Star Wars universe farther removed from the Solos and Skywalkers, although I gather it might be a while before that happens.

See - I kind of enjoyed his appearance, but i'm not certain I like the idea of bringing back dead actors without their explicit endorsement.




The guy in the tower with the woods/aztec temple in the background as the spacecraft took off.





Agreed.




I felt that Jyn was a bit too "I'm going to tell all your seasoned rebel fighters how it is even though you've been doing this for years longer than I have" at one point there. Other than that, all good.




Yeah - but we got the 'climb the structure with wind blowing and an incredible drop below while the bad-guy tries to get at you' scene(s) out of it.




Yes - the Death Star was useful here because it was the plot point. I was annoyed by its use in Force Awakens immensely, however.




Agreed on both points.