Rogue One Is Rogue One an 'Adult' Star Wars Film?

Many people seem to have different opinions on what makes a movie "adult". Sadly there are plenty of childish movies with graphic violence, so for me that doesn't really mean much.

I think more along the lines of themes, characterizations and plotting. To me by FAR the most "adult" of the SW films has always been TESB.... that is until Rogue One came along. I think Rogue One has by far the most realistic characterizations of all the SW films along with the most "adult" themes. It's the least black and white of all the SW films IMO. BTW, ROTJ actually has some decently adult stuff as well when you look at the Luke/Vader stuff. There are layers there that will have more impact on adults.

Looking at sci-fi/fantasy out side of Star Wars - the Christopher Nolan Batman films are a good example. I think a few (but certainly not ALL) of the x-men films might quality also.

Interestingly enough my 7 year old loves Rogue One - although I think kids of that age probably get more of the "adult" stuff than we think they will.

 

I'd add LOTR to that list.

But yes, Rogue One is decidedly more adult (as per your definition of the word) than the rest of the Star Wars films, IMO.

 

I can scarcely think of any way in which Rogue One made concessions to children, aside from being so obviously connected to the other Star Wars films. It's not inappropriate for kids, but I think that the tone and approach of the film suggest that it is for adults (not explicit-content adults, just sci-fi fans into something darker and more downbeat).

 

This thread is hilarious as hell right now.

 

This thread title is so dirty it's killing me

 

Yes it's an adult movie coming soon on Blu Ray.

 

I personally thought RotS was darker than R1.

 

You can tell when Captain Cassian Andor shoots that informant in the back on the Ring of Kafrene that Rogue One is most definitely indeed a much more adult Star Wars movie than the ones previous.

 

A similar thing happens with the Empire in Rebels, with Tarkin executing Grint and Aresko for incompetence. Truly was shocking the first time I saw.

 

It showed the dark side of the good guys, so to speak, but RoTS was much darker.

 

I think I do too, though RO is way more 'gritty'

 

Bow - chicka -wow-wowwww...

 

Agree. There will be no fixing this to "the other guy shot first" in the future.

 

It's definitely gritty but i took my 11 year old daughter to see it and she was fine. She'd seen all the other ones before. The saddest part for her was when K2 dies. She yelled :BUT I LIKED HIM" and there were a few tears. She was okay with everyone else biting it though lol.
I think the scene in ANH with the burning skeletons of Own and Beru was worse... and I see someone has helpfully put a large picture of it upthread. Thanks for that.

 

It doesn't sugarcoat things or pander, and it shows in more graphic detail how the Alliance operated in wartime which definitely put it a notch above most Star Wars movies, but it's not inappropriate for kids who can take the intensity of the film. It's everything you'd want in an "adult" Star Wars movie IMO, without compromising that it is a Star Wars movie.

 

It's interesting that so many people associate "Star Wars" with "it's for kids." I personally don't, but enough do that actually doing something "adult" requires some serious telegraphing ahead of time.

 

Something similar would happen on "The Clone Wars" all the time.

 

Yeah. Lucas himself says it was intended for "twelve year-olds." But I don't like the idea of pandering to only one age group, and I think he misses the ageless appeal of the story.

 

I think he basically means he made SW with that age range in mind who'd appreciate it most, but knows it's an all-ages franchise. Another reason he hits this home is because he doesn't care what adults think of the franchise, and finds it ridiculous when people claim he ruined their childhood.

 

I think it feels ... grittier than most Star Wars films in the sense that most of the focus were on "average" people. Not people who can wield "magic" powers or clones or droids. It was a war movie and you even see some rebels engaging in dubious acts. You see an occupied world and insurrectionists fighting the Empire. You see the heroes all die in the end...

Compared to the other movies, it definitely does not have a light-heartened feel some of the other movies have. It matches ESB in terms of the tone. But at least Luke, Han, and Leia got out of that alive with the idea that they would return in the next movie to right all of the "wrongs" done to them and the Alliance. With Rogue One - all of their "hope" is given to another group of heroes to continue the good fight.

Like most posters in this topic - I am not sure "adult" is the perfect description. But I would say this one feels different in comparison. As it should. It's a war movie with a focus of the sacrifice of the rebels. These rebels won't get a medal ceremony honoring them in a grand celebration. They're just dead ...

 

Although I would argue Rogue One has a happier ending than ESB, yeah the lead characters all die but in a cathartic fashion having achieved there mission where as ESB ends with Luke and Leia falling and emotionally damaged with only the hint of a positive future at the end.

 

I think it is a movie for all ages, but the narrative nuances are more geared towards adults.

 

Yeah if Star Wars were made today it would be rated PG-13 what with the Owen and Beru charred corpses and the bloody cut off arm of Ponda Baba. In terms of gore Rogue One doesn't really have any at all and it's rated PG-13, if it was released in the 70's it would be a PG movie for sure.

 

That and I remember the first time I watched when Jyn thought she actually shot K2. Two parts of the film to hit home for that character.

 

I think many filmmakers make the mistake that they need to pander to children to make their film appealing to kids.

My 7 year old loved Rogue One (although she doesn't like that Jyn died at the end ), yet the movie does almost nothing to pander to children.

Many of my favorite movies growing up didn't blatantly pander to kids - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Trek 2, Gremlins (actually a pretty f-ed up movie when you are a kid!), etc (and when I was a bit older 10-12.. movies like Predator, Aliens, Robocop, etc).

I used to love the 2 "V" miniseries when I was a kid... yet those did not pander to kids (esp the excellent original mini-series that was a really interesting nazi parallel... the final battle was entertaining but dumber)