Star Wars Episode 3.5

Rating: 7/10 (31 December 2016)

After seeing this I understand the comparisons with the Empire Strikes Back, though I think the story here was not intended to make that type of comparison. This movie made it to theaters ahead of Princess Leia's (Carrie Fisher's Death). Norwegian actress Ingvild Deila makes a brief cameo as a young Princess Leia and it is so short she does resemble Carrie Fisher though I think the camera shot is short deliberately.
The film borrows archive footage from Episode 4 of the same pilots in Rebel Fighters near the climax which only makes a lot of sense. The story does fill in between Episode 3 and Episode 4 quite well. This is darker for a very good reason. Line in Episode 4 - "Many people had to die to get these death star plans for us."
The first half of the film is slower paced than many of these films as it keeps quite busy filling in details of the story and developing the characters. Then the second half goes into light speed when the battle get going.
There is some humor in a few throw away lines though not really a lot. The one I remember the most is when a blind Jedi is being kidnapped and they put a hood over his head and he yells - "Don't you guys know I am Blind." Actually, that is kind of the summary of the plot here. When Episode 4 starts, this fills in the back story.
The action is great and even though a lot of people die, the movie does not slow down too much about the death rate of a lot of people on a suicide mission that must be done to save the galaxy far away.