Rogue Rebels And The Heavy Breather

“Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director.” ~ Darth Vader

“The power that we are dealing with here is immeasurable.” ~ Orson Krennic

“The captain says you’re a friend. I will not kill you.” ~ K-2SO

“Our rebellion is all that remains to push back the Empire. We think you may be able to help us.” ~ Mon Mothma

“They call it the Death Star. There’s no better name. And the day’s coming soon, when it will be unleashed.” ~ Galen Erso

“Take hold of this moment. The Force is strong.” ~ Chirrut Imwe

“I’ve been recruiting for the rebellion for a long time.” ~ Cassian Andor

“The world is coming undone. Imperial flags reign across the galaxy.” ~ Saw Gerrera

 “We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope!” ~ Jyn Erso

When the Disney studios got their hands on Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise, the decision was made not only to continue to make more films, hence the release a year ago of The Force Awakens, but also some tie-in self contained stories set in that universe, basically an anthology of tales firmly set in the galaxy of Imperial forces and courageous rebels. Rogue One is the first of those stories, set shortly before the events of the 1977 original film, featuring a small band of rebels racing to retrieve the plans for the Empire’s ultimate weapon.

As a prelude, scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) is taken by force from his family by Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), an Imperial weapons designer who wants him to return to work on a secret project. His wife is killed during the raid, and their daughter Jyn is taken to safety by a rebel, Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). Years later, Jyn (Felicity Jones) is freed from Imperial captivity by rebels and brought in on a mission after word has been smuggled out from her father on what the Empire has in store. The small band of misfits now find themselves racing to thwart a doomsday weapon most film audiences are quite familiar with: the Death Star.

The concept for this goes back long before the Disney-Lucasfilm deal, this notion of telling self contained stories firmly within the universe as established by George Lucas. John Knoll, a visual effects supervisor for the prequel trilogy, was pitching the idea for some time, and did so again after the deal. The studio decided to go ahead with the idea of these self contained tales, alongside the new trilogy being unfolded at present. Knoll and writer Gary Whitta had a hand in the story process at one point or another, with the screenplay being finished and polished by Tony Gilroy and Chris Weitz. The story is at heart a dark one, a war epic with a very clear line between good and evil. Beyond that, the story mixes in dark humour (particularly from the resident droid), and a sense of impending tragedy- we know things can’t end well for these people. While a good number of the characters are new, some familiar faces appear- Mon Mothma and Bail Organa have both appeared previously in Star Wars lore, and their appearances here are welcome.

Gareth Edwards was brought in as director, which was a good touch. He had recently done the Godzilla reboot in 2014, and his style for an epic, sprawling action tale transfers well over here- with more looks at what we’re seeing, as opposed to the glances and cutaways and darkly lit set pieces of a good part of that film. The production style he employed in filming this rings true to the style of the original Star Wars- the sets, costumes, props, and visual effects don’t seem out of place with that film, given that this movie so closely leads into that one. There are some visual surprises along the way- body doubles mixed with digital effects bring in the late Peter Cushing’s Tarkin as well as a young Carrie Fisher as Leia, and that comes across seamlessly. And in keeping with Star Wars tradition, the visual effects are part of introducing us to strange new worlds, as well as some familiar ones- filming in the Maldives, for example, gave us a watery atoll setting that’s strangely beautiful, before things go terribly wrong, and perhaps evoke thoughts of the Second World War in the Pacific theatre.

Edwards keeps the movie flowing, never slowing down, but steadily driving up tension as he goes along. There’s an underlying sense of dread and urgency as things go along, and the director’s visual style plays to that. He films battle sequences- on planets and in the stars- with a ferocious intensity fitting the genre- this feels like a war film. The movie also marks the first time that a Star Wars film does not have the musical work of John Williams. Michael Giacchino, who’s been doing a whole lot of work in recent years, including the Star Trek films, comes on board as composer, giving a darkly moody score that does incorporate Williams’ themes here and there as needed.

The cast is international in scope, and that plays off well. Ben Mendelsohn is the primary villain of the piece, Orson Krennic, an ambitious, contemptuous, and ruthless Imperial officer and designer of weapons for the Empire. The Australian character actor has been in a lot of roles down through the years- the first time I ever saw him in anything was as a laid back mountain climber in Vertical Limit, but others might remember him as Bane’s corrupt corporate ally Daggett in The Dark Knight Rises. His character is a nasty piece of work, with a malevolent streak and little in the way of sympathy. Darth Vader appears as well, the ultimate villain at his most malicious. James Earl Jones reprises the voice of the Dark Lord, while the physical role is carried out by two actors- Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous. This might well be the last we ever see of Vader at his darkest on the big screen, and he’s a cruel, brutal pleasure to watch, chilling at the same time.

Alan Tudyk (Serenity) did the voice and motion capture for K-2SO, a droid that was once an Imperial enforcer, its memory erased. K is a whole lot less polite than C-3P0 ever was, and snarky in his own way, so there are times he steals the scenes. Riz Ahmed gets an interesting role as Bodhi Rook, an Imperial pilot who chooses to defect to the Rebellion, and his place in the team requires the actor to step in two worlds and convey the sense of shifting allegiances. Jiang Wen plays a Rebel soldier and mercenary named Baze Malbus, tough and capable, and a friend to another Rebel. That character being Chirrut Imwe, played by actor Donnie Yen, a character who’s blind and yet in touch with the Force, something of a zen presence to the team.

Mads Mikkelsen is one of those character actors always compelling in whatever he does, and here he’s the father of the lead heroine, torn away from his family and forced into doing the bidding of evil. Mikkelsen brings a sense of regret and loss to his performance as Galen, as well as poignancy. Forest Whitaker is also a character actor who can make a role fascinating to watch, and he gets a lot to do as Saw Gerrera, a veteran of the Clone Wars that were such a strong component of the prequel trilogy. Gerrera is courageous and bold, and clearly a leader. Diego Luna shows up as Cassian Andor, a Rebel intelligence officer given responsibilities over the mission, including one that serves as a troublesome contingency measure. He’s a leader in his own right, brave and stoic as the film unfolds, weighed down by the responsibilities he faces.

Felicity Jones has the lead role as Jyn. She’s hardened by what life has had in store for her, cynical even, and yet not broken. All that she loved was torn away from her, and at the same time she’s come out of it as a survivor. She invests herself in the mission with a personal stake, and we sympathize with her, part because of way Jones carries herself in the role, but also because we’ve been a silent witness to what she’s lost. Jones makes the character compelling to watch, bold, brave, and poignant. It’s a one time role, but it’s a good one, and a worthy heroine for the Star Wars universe.

Rogue One is an entertaining addition to the Star Wars mythos, giving us new characters in a familiar universe of dark threats and the hope of a better day to come. It’s self contained, but ties strongly into what’s come before. It is ferocious and intense at times in its action sequences, and dark in its tone, but it works well, leaving the audience satisfied and wanting more of these self contained stories. Next up? A tale of a young smuggler with a talent for getting himself and his friends into trouble...

Revenge Of A Giant Cranky Lizard Part Two

Business to see to first. Yesterday was a Snippet Sunday, so check out the post by Norma at her blog and the joint blog for something from our manuscript. And Shelly has some advice for writers at her blog. Last time I reviewed an earlier movie in the Godzilla franchise. Today I'm taking on the new one just out in theatres.

"The arrogance of men is thinking nature is in their control and not the other way around." ~ Ichiro Serizawa

Rising up from the apocalyptic murk of nuclear testing, the new Godzilla opens with a bang and leads into a prologue years in the past involving a nuclear plant manager, Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) and his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche) having a bad day in Japan when a disaster strikes at the plant they work in. In the present day, their son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is in the Army, married to Elle (Elizabeth Olsen), and living in San Francisco. Fate draws Ford to his father in Japan, still searching for answers about what really happened all those years ago.

They make some discoveries, leading to two scientists, Ichiri Serizawa (Ken Watanabe, Batman Begins) and Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) who are overseeing something at the site of the plant. It's something big, and it being a monster (not the title character, mind you) soon conveniently breaks free, hungry for some nuclear radiation. And so the stage is set for a confrontation between monsters, one of which is a gigantic cranky lizard who hasn't had his morning cup of coffee.

The director of this new version is one Gareth Edwards, who previously debuted with a well regarded film called Monsters. Edwards gives the film a stylish feel, with a story delving into the arrogance of men, the power of nature, and the theme of family ties. There are times, mind you, when the spectacle of the monster overwhelms the human element, but that's to be expected in a monster film. The story presents the gigantic beast not as an out of control juggernaut that must be stopped, but more of as an antihero. It is neither friend or enemy to humanity so much as a reminder of what can happen when humanity disregards the limits of nature. Wisely, Edwards chooses not to give us a really good look at Godzilla until well into the film. It's a good decision to pace things like that, actually.

The special effects crew do better with this than the crews for the Emmerich version in 1998. Their design of the monsters that Godzilla duels with looks interesting on screen- the creatures are winged insects, but on a massive scale. They look creepy (those with phobias about insects might want to avoid this film), and the effects involved in bringing them to life actually work well. The same goes for Godzilla, who looks more like the classic version of the character without having to be a guy in a rubber suit as was so often seen in the Japanese films. When we finally see the big guy, and he starts to roar, we can feel the sound of the roar. The visual effects, in short, are stunning. I also liked the camera work- early scenes set in the past feel like period footage, in fact, but Edwards gives us enough of a distance that we can keep track of things as we go along. That's a good thing in an action film.

The human element of the story does get overwhelmed by the monsters, mind you, but that's to be expected. Humans in these kind of stories are merely there to bear witness or run for their lives. Cranston's a well respected character actor just coming off several years in Breaking Bad. I haven't seen that series myself, but I've seen him in a lot of other things down through the years, and I like what he's capable of. Here he plays a man obsessed, shattered by grief and consumed by the certainty that things are being hidden away. Juliette Binoche playing his wife (however briefly) is a good choice as well. Much of her work has been in France, but American audiences will know her best from Chocolat. They're both good actors, and I'd quite prefer to see them in something more conventional.

The same applies for another actor. David Strathairn (Lincoln, Good Night And Good Luck) has an excellent track record as an actor. Here he plays an admiral overseeing the hunt for the creatures, responding to a dire situation as you'd expect a military officer to react- with blunt force. He plays the part with gravitas and conviction, even though he has to blurt out some peculiar expository dialogue. That's also the case with Watanabe and Hawkins, both of whom are playing characters who are reluctant to give out information. They're believable as scientists, and burdened with expository dialogue.

Elizabeth Olsen happens to be the younger sister of a pair of nitwit twins who have grown up literally in the spotlight. Strangely, this is not a bad thing- this is the first thing I've seen her in, but she comes across as grounded, as opposed to flighty and self absorbed in the fashion of her sisters who got their start in that dreck called Full House. She's sympathetic and supportive of her husband. Strangely enough, the actor playing her husband will be playing her brother when the two co-star in the next Avengers film. Aaron Taylor-Johnson comes across as believable in the role of a military officer. He grounds his performance as a man who's had the effect of an absent father in his life, and his reactions emerge from that. His character is also asked, for the sake of the story, to be courageous (or reckless, depending on your point of view), and he accomplishes that.

The new Godzilla succeeds where the Emmerich version did not. While the human element of the story is overwhelmed at times by the monsters- to be expected in something of this scale, and while there is a somber tone to the story, Edwards has crafted a film that still touches on the central themes of the franchise- man's arrogance and the punishment nature can inflict in the face of that arrogance. It gives us a monster we can still cheer for, and as a disaster flick, it rampages gleefully. 

Somewhere, Roland Emmerich is no doubt wondering if he can have a do-over.