>I will say this - this wasn't a film for casual SW fans. That
>seems like a specific decision that was made. It's definitely
>not for kids the same way all the saga films are, and I would
>imagine that it is confusing for someone who just watches the
>main films and doesn't watch the TV shows or read comics.

This'll be my last comment on this, because I'm getting killed on social media for voicing this gripe about a film I overall enjoyed, but if decisions were made deliberately to please the fans who'll identify the connective tissue that will undoubtedly confuse those who aren't as familiar with the material... doesn't that make it fan service?

Fan service doesn't have to mean it's nonsensical-- I didn't mean to imply that the events of the film don't make sense. They've clearly been meticulously researched. It just means that it's exclusively for big fans, and those who aren't will feel left out in the cold on these things, wondering why we need to care about seeing these moments, etc. If the whole movie was made placing diehard SW fans over the casual ones... doesn't that make most of the movie fan service by design? lol

I don't think fan service has to be a dirty word, fwiw. Lord knows some of the Marvel films I enjoy are chock full of fan service (though even those have their issues with getting away from main plotlines in order to address things in past or future films... but I digress).

Anyhow. I'm genuinely glad people love the movie passionately, as there's so much I really liked about the movie. I'm mad I've spent this much time talking about the thing that I think holds the film back from greatness for casual fans, when there's still a lot of good in the flick that deserves discussion and praise, and I imagine much of it will improve with time. (Maybe not the CGI Tarkin, tho.)