Rogue One

 This time of year is rough. From 2 pm Wednesday through 4 pm Sunday, I worked about 51 hours in that 98-hour period.  Add about 6 more hours for that total for the commute.  Add to that that I got it up my ass to go see hockey Saturday night, and I've been running for a while.

Still, I really, really wanted to go see Rogue One last night.  It made me very, very happy to once again have a movie theater in Athens.  The folks at Athens Movie Palace do good work anyway, but it's especially convenient to not have to drive a half hour before and after, during days where it's hard enough to block off two hours for a movie, and three becomes prohibitive.

Again, I got a bug up my ass, and I wanted to see Rogue One as soon as I could.....

In a word:  Satisfying.

Hits a tone that I think I was looking for through the whole prequel trilogy.  A messy, space-faring society.  Characters with heart and motivations that are easily explained and feasible.  A fucking sense of humor.  Quick pacing.  Fun.

I didn't get teary-eyed like I was afraid I might.  The trailer did that to me, way back when.  The one shot of the AT-AT walking up the beach made me feel like a kid again.  So, I guess I got that out of the way.  The shots inside the Massassi Temple of the X-Wing hangar made me cackle, as did the revelation of Red and Gold Leaders during the assault on the shield.

I did want to comment on Michael Giacchino's score, which walks an admirable line, acting as a bridge between John Williams' scores for the prequel and original trilogies, all while finding its own identity.  Impressive, and maybe my favorite part of the flick....

It was fun.  I'm probably going to see it again and soon.