Just got back from my second viewing.

First off: neither showings I’ve been to (in 3D and 2D) have been remotely in focus. I could get used to it for a while, but whenever a subtitle would appear, I’d remember that the projector is out of focus and notice how “blurry” everything is. Every time I’ve tried to see a Star Wars film in theaters, something always goes wrong.

…another strange point - the LucasFilm logo and “A long time ago…” visuals appear much smaller than in TFA. It doesn’t make a lick of difference, but it’s just something that caught me upon both viewings.

Now to the main point…

It’s much better the second time around. You get a better feel for the style and the story, and nothing is as confusing as going in blind. I actually knew why each little thing was happening, and finally caught the final shot Tantive IV going into hyperspace. The first time I saw RO, I blinked and then the film was over! If you had any doubts after your first viewing, give it another shot. It’s worth it.

As stated by everyone else, Donnie Yen steals the show. He is the best part about this film, along with Alan Tudyk’s droid. The CG was also far superior than that in TFA – I actually mistook the Star Destroyer’s for actual models… and if no one had informed me of Tarkin’s CGI recreation, I wouldn’t have even thought twice. Great effort on ILM’s behalf.

My main question, after finally seeing the film twice is: did anyone catch a “Wilhelm scream” hidden in the sound mix?