Rogue One

If you know me, you know how much Star Wars means to me, I fucking love it, it has been with me since childhood, the films, toys, books, comics, games, all of it. Last year The Force Awakens shook my world, it is easily my second favorite film of the decade, it is amazing. In my post last year i said that the anticipation of Force Awakens will never again be matched,  that once the film begins, it is over, you are now in  the world, enjoy the journey, never forget the moment, yada yada yada. I also said that the spin offs will lack the punch, but emotionally and artistically, as it will weaken the saga and just be a cash cow, which granted, yes George Lucas did himself, but now it is a yearly event. Marvel has become the same way, their films are all one, and not in a connected story sort of way, they just feel manufactured. I had a fear that Star Wars would suffer the same fate, and now i have seen the first spin off/stand alone/Star Wars Story/what have you, in Rogue One. I don't know what to think, a part of me thinks it is a great film, do not get me wrong, i think it is well crafted, well acted, well shot, awesome battles, well timed humor, and full of shit for fans to eat up.....but therein lies the problem, the other part of me is thinking I was fanboying myself by getting off on the references, cameos & inside jokes. However, i didn't get off on them, that is the problem, i chuckled and appreciated them, but nothing really gave me the goosebumps. I did not hate the film, i did not dislike the film, no, i thought it was great, but when i see it again, and yes, i will be seeing it again, i am going to view it differently, this time i tried to watch it as a stand alone piece where i knew the outcome, the second time i will know all but will see if it is indeed the film that is great, or just the references. As I am sitting here typing this, i just had a thought, the battles, the humor, the characters, if you take away the cameos & references, the film would still hold up. I am liking it more and more as i think about it, it was my most anticipated film of the year, and it did not let me down, i just need to know, why did i like it. The original trilogy, i adore, i don't know how many times i have seen them, and the Force Awakens, i have probably watched a good 15 times in the past year. There are two types of films, there are great films like The Revenant, and there are films you love like Mad Max(which is also great), but just because a film is great, doesn't mean you love it, you can respect it for being a piece of art, at the top of the field. The Revenant was great, but i truly doubt i will watch it again, Rogue One is great, but is it great in a film perspective, or is it a film to love. I will decide soon, i am thinking it is the latter, but the second viewing will solidify it. It is not the first three, it is not the Force Awakens. When i view it the second time, all will be checked at the door, i am pretty sure it will be a film to love, cause i am truly liking it more & more with each passing minute. I know some will say, weren't you let down initially by it, no, I wasn't, this isn't The Dark Knight Rises, a film crushed me when i saw it, and again the second time, then the third time, and again the fourth, but Bane kept getting better. This film was great, and as a Star Wars fan, i loved it, but i don't know if it is blind love i felt or just a cinephiles appreciation. To be continued, i will reveal on Facebook in the near future, my final verdict.