Warning: Some minor spoilers
There is so much to talk about regarding Rogue One. I’ve already read a lot just in the past few hours this morning and looking forward to reading even more. So not to double up on any of the main discussions going around I wanted to instead share something from the overall feeling I took away from this film.
I really, really enjoyed Rogue One. Like REALLY enjoyed it. When it ended I found myself with tears in my eyes, both my hands shaking, my heart rate sky spiking, and barely being able to speak in complete sentences. This wasn’t 100% from the amazingly action packed final 20 mins of the movie, it did most certainly help, but from something else that I couldn’t put my finger on at the moment. I’ve had 12 hours to ponder on this feeling and I think I’ve figured out what it was.
This was a less a feeling of enjoying a new Star Wars film and more like visiting some where that feels so familiar but you’ve never been to before. Like going back to where you grew up many years later and even though a lot has changed you can still see the framework of the town that was. A feeling similar to deja vu but when you are aware that this is something different and not exactly what was before. A strong emotional link between something from the past and something in the present. Let’s call it “newstalgia”.
I’ve watched ‘A New Hope’ more times than I can count. I was 3 months old when it first hit theaters in 1977 so I’ve had decades to ware away multiple VHS tapes, DVDs, and even Blu-rays of this film with so many revisits. Almost every time I clean our house I still throw in one of the films from the original trilogy. So to say New Hope is engrained in to my life is an understatement.
When Rogue One’s credits first started to roll and I turned into a big ball of goo I thought I was being overwhelmed by a new Star Wars film that made New Hope an even better film (which I do think it did and is worth it’s own blog post) and all the call backs to Episode IV where just triggering so fast that I couldn’t process everything that just happened fast enough. I also thought that I might have been a bit punch drunk going into seeing the film since in the past 2 weeks I had been on 5 flights across two times zones and not had much sleep during this time as well. After some more reflection, sleep, and whiskey I landed on these not being the main causes for clutching my girlfriend’s hand all through the credits like I was afraid I going to float away. It was newstalgia.
When finding out why the first Death Star had such a big design flaw. Newstalgia.
When seeing new scenes of Grand Moff Tarkin, Darth Vader, & Mon Mothma. Newstalgia.
When watching Rebels die trying to pass along the plans on an invaded ship. Newstalgia.
When finally putting all the pieces together that link the new with the old and you feel them merge together in that place inside you where you keep all those wonderful memories for the old and it feels like being plugged into the Matrix and suddenly getting new DLC for Ms. Pac-Man. Newstalgia.
Yep, yep, yep. I agree and add this color commentary. When I saw the old X-wing on the red carpet in LA, I thought… this could be 1977 again. The first 30 min I thought I was watching a movie on the SyFy channel. John Williams wasn’t there… but sort of. The locations were sort of there. Even the troopers were sort of there. (They did not sound the same). Dodonna, Mothma… all sort of there.
But once they took to battle… with the original Gold and Red Leaders… I was 4 years old again, standing next to my Dad at the Americana Theatre in Austin. I saw the Tantive IV. I saw Tarkin. They talked about ObiWan and Capt. Antilles. I saw Leia and I sobbed. It was 1977 again and I had come full circle with my son next to me. It was wonderful.
I was only able to see part of the red carpet was getting some of the same vibe and just not realizing it now that you’ve brought it to mind.
I loved the movie, and thought the same things. It completed so many questions that you might have had watching IV so many times. ( Im the elder of the bunch I was 6 when it came out lol) To see “how” they got the plans, why that port was there, and so much more just brought it full circle.
Now, my only problem with the movie, albeit small. In Ep. IV when they use the Death Star against Alderaan they one-shot it into a big pile of space rocks. But in Rogue One, the “two” times they use it it’s like a big meteor hits the planet and just tears it up slowly. Yes I know they were still testing out the Death Star’s weapon at the time since it was just finished, but it was just something that bugged me. Otherwise I cant wait to see it again!!!
I think they had to show that there was a low and high power mode to the laser. Guessing they were trying to state this when both times they fired it they said something like, “just one engine”. 🙂
Yeah I did notice that when they said it. Small point I was bugged about but oh well, still a great movie.
Almost half a year has passed since the victory on Endor and the last remaining soldiers of the Rogue One squadron are reluctantly adapting to life without war- or life on the winning side, at least. Then the Alliance for the New Republic summons its scattered troops from all corners of the galaxy, and heralds them against the Empire in battle one last time.