main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Rogue One Does Rogue One "improve" with multiple viewings?

Discussion in 'Anthology' started by Unkar's Muffins, Dec 21, 2016.

  1. Gigoran Monk

    Gigoran Monk Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2016
    I never expected characters in a new Star Wars film to be better than the OT3. I considered it impossible. I also never thought that ESB and ANH would be toppled from the pedestal they've been on for most of my life. Then a director I didn't have a lot of faith in came along and quietly did exactly that with Rogue One. I'm still reeling from it, to be honest. An entirely unexpected coup.
     
  2. ezekiel22x

    ezekiel22x Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    Sadly it's the first Star Wars movie that I enjoyed less on a second viewing. I just don't find the characters very engaging--certainly didn't connect with me on an emotional level--and the action scenes are rather bland. Some design work with the settings still stuck out as nicely imaginative, though, but it wasn't enough to keep my attention throughout the entirety of a second viewing.
     
    11-4D likes this.
  3. Master_Lok

    Master_Lok Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 18, 2012
    I liked it a little more on third pass, but Forest and now Felicity got on my nerves. When Jyn takes action; I still like her, otherwise no (she stopped scenes dead when she went into speech mode.) Saw's character...wasn't a fan from the first screening. I do like Chirrut and Baze now though (which is good because I wanted to like them.) Something still feels off though and I cannot pinpoint what that may be.
     
  4. darthOB1

    darthOB1 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2000
    The law of diminishing return does not apply to this flick!
     
    Gigoran Monk likes this.
  5. Axrendale

    Axrendale Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2017
    It does. I rather liked Rogue One the first time I saw it, but then later became somewhat disenchanted by it. For a while I even argued against those who defended it - I believed it was an interesting but not altogether successful experiment in the Star Wars film canon.

    Then, last month, I rewatched it for the first time since 2016, and was absolutely astonished by the degree to which I was freshly bowled over with how good it is at what it does. I had to rewatch it again almost immediately to affirm my impression that I had earlier somehow completely failed to appreciate the potency of its strong points. And my new impression held up.

    As a R1 convert, I now rank it as the third best Star Wars movie released to date. It's behind ESB and ANH, but ahead of RoTJ and TFA, and far ahead of the prequels.
     
  6. Doodleshmoo

    Doodleshmoo Jedi Master

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2011
    The movie does tend to elucidate many subtleties with multiple viewings. Tarkin is a mind blowing villain in the film. Once I got over the initial shock of seeing the digital renderings of other OT characters, the film settles into a less jarring experience.

    You see that the Empire is concerned with a show of force more than it is with anything else. You may remember that Director Krennic is impressed with the beauty of the Death Star only after the weapon is used for the first time. It's as if he had been putting together a puzzle and the last piece finally fell into place. Which is not good considering his puzzle is a super laser called a 'Death Star'.

    The Rebellion is also shown to have a mean streak. You see Cassian shoot the messenger at the trading outpost and then you have Rebellion leadership telling Cassian to kill Galen while under the auspice of a rescue mission.

    The movie also provides a reliable presentation of the Force without directly referring to concepts explored in the other SW films. I liken this to the experience of watching Star Wars or the OT as a whole for the first time. The Force is presented simultaneously as a mystical concept yet utterly simple to grasp.

    In actuality, Rogue One changes the OT. The thread is Vader. Upon revisiting ESB in the wake of Rogue One, its becomes obvious that Vader is indeed getting stronger as the OT progresses. With Vader becoming more powerful as time passes, it becomes imperative that anybody must stop him. With this in mind, Luke is then essentially played as a patsy.

    The preceding are a few of the things this movie has shown to me upon subsequent viewings. If I didn't make it abundantly noticeable above, I really like this movie and it keeps getting better whether or not I'm looking for something new.
     
    Gigoran Monk likes this.
  7. ewoksimon

    ewoksimon Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Most of my instincts after a first viewing tend to be validated on repeat viewings, unless there's some glaring element that I didn't fully digest. In this case, the first act of Rogue One is still pretty choppy, but easier to acclimate to on subsequent viewings. The films settles nicely once Jyn, Cassian and K-2 arrive on Jedha. Eadu is a bit of an obligatory mixed bag, and Jyn's motivation in its aftermath is difficult to reconcile. The Battle of Scarif is one of the best orchestrated set pieces in the saga, although surprisingly the thread of Jyn and Cassian stealing the plans feels the least tense. Broadly, some characters are better fleshed out than others, so some deaths carry more significance through setups and payoffs, while others just happen. Ultimately, I still enjoy the film very much for its world building, scale and nicely staged baton pass to ANH.
     
  8. A Chorus of Disapproval

    A Chorus of Disapproval Head Admin & TV Screaming Service star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2003
    The content of the first 2/3 could literally change and grow worse with each viewing and I will still only consider it bonus content preceding the space battle above Scarif.
     
  9. redxavier

    redxavier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 23, 2003
    The space battle has suffered with repeat viewings, mainly because I want more of it but also because I don't think the pieces we have flow very well (eg, I can't tell who is winning or losing until the Y-wing attack) and there's not nearly enough dogfighting action (eg, I don't think a single TIE is shot down by an X-wing above the shield gate) or general ship movement (everyone just stays in place except the Hammerhead, which slightly ludicrously appears from behind the Star Destroyers).

    My favourite part of the film is Cassian in the rain, looking through his scope, and I think Eadu is probably the strongest section of the film.
     
  10. Gigoran Monk

    Gigoran Monk Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2016
    My favorite segments of the film are the prologue, Cassian's intro, Jedha, and the final stages of the Scarif battle (when the deaths start happening and Raddus up his game) right up until the end of the film. But I love everything else in it as well. I like TFA a lot, but to me, it just doesn't come close to Rogue One.
     
    Avnar and my kind of scum like this.
  11. Outsourced

    Outsourced Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2017
    I think it's a great movie with a lot of great little thing for repeated viewings.

    For instance, I didn't know one of the Scarif team yelled 'Karabast' until a re-watch with Subtitles.
     
  12. Jakethewhitt02

    Jakethewhitt02 Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2017
    This would be my biggest example of a movie that improves the more you watch. I cannot say it enough.
     
    Avnar likes this.
  13. mirrorbright

    mirrorbright Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Oct 14, 2016
    I would say so, yes (after seeing it 5 times). Especially noticing some things I haven't before. And it's still in my top 3 SW movies (actually, favorite next to TESB).
     
  14. williamjj666

    williamjj666 Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2016
    Its a good movie..watched it only once as pay per-view. the one thing i disliked about the movie is that the end felt too rushed, like they were in a hurry to kill every one off..u wont feel anything when they all die because it felt too rushed. When u can't connect, or feel anything to the death of the main characters in the movie, that is a serious flaw. The climax which should have been epic is the weakest part of the movie.
     
  15. Sarge

    Sarge Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 1998


    I reacted something like that the first time I saw it. If you watch it again, get to know the characters better, connect with them more deeply, the climax becomes more powerful and emotional. I wouldn't be surprised if you like it better the next time you watch it.
     
    williamjj666 likes this.
  16. my kind of scum

    my kind of scum Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2002
    I just cannot stop watching this film. Every time I feel like throwing in a Star Wars movie, I think about one or two others but I always end up putting in Rogue One again. I rewatched TFA for the first time in a long time last week (my daughter really wanted to see it after the Last Jedi trailer) and I was surprised at how I felt about it. I thought that TFA was a fun movie with really good characters (and some pretty big issues that didn't ruin the film). After repeatedly watching Rogue One, I somehow like TFA much less. It's not exactly that it is diminished - it's just that I see the set design, world building, pacing, etc of Rogue One and feel like we could have had something really special in TFA.

    If the movies going forward hit the quality level of TFA, I will continue to enjoy them. But I really hope that some can reach the heights of R1. I am continually shocked by how well it holds up for me.

    Just my personal opinion, but for me this one just gets better and better.
     
    coervus, Dagobahsystem, Avnar and 5 others like this.
  17. A Corpse of Disapproval

    A Corpse of Disapproval Severed Head Admin star 3 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2015
    This post embodies my view, entirely. Even so far as including my daughter wanting to revisit the film last week.
     
    Gigoran Monk and my kind of scum like this.
  18. Pro Scoundrel

    Pro Scoundrel New Films Expert At Modding Casual star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 20, 2012
    Total agreement.
     
    Gigoran Monk likes this.
  19. AndyLGR

    AndyLGR Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 1, 2014
    I feel the same about RO, big plus factors that keep me returning are worlds like the Ring of Kafrene, Jedha and Scariff plus things like the battles and characters like Tarkin, Vader, K2, Jyn, Krennic & Cassian. Before I saw RO I hoped it would offer more because of its nature as a standalone film and I'm glad I feel proven right about that.
     
    my kind of scum and Gigoran Monk like this.
  20. Jim Smith

    Jim Smith Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2017


    I just don't see how the characters in The Force Awakens are any better than the characters of Rogue One. Jyn Erso is way more likable and endearing than the uptight Rey.
     
  21. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    For me, it's improved immensely. I've seen The Force Awakens seven times since its release nearly two years ago, and I love it just as much now as I did then, although admittedly I was able to enjoy it more comfortably the second time around since my expectations and worries were done away with by then. On the other hand, my reaction to Rogue One the first time I saw it was, "I liked it a lot, way more than I liked Episodes I-III, but I didn't love it the way I love Episodes IV-VII." But the second time I watched it, months later, I genuinely and unabashedly loved it, and the third time I loved it more.

    I think part of my initial reaction was due to how different it is from the Saga films. There's much about it that undoubtedly corresponds with what we expect from a Star Wars film, but it eschews many of the traditions and conventions we expect. No opening crawl, a cold open punctuated by a new title card and the rest of the movie occurring after a time jump, on-screen text, no wipe/fade transitions, a score by someone other than John Williams, etc. On top of that, it's neither a backward expansion of the Skywalker Saga like the PT nor a forward expansion like the ST; it's a divergent story that connects back to the Saga but has a different focus than the Saga films, a lateral exploration of a universe and era we're already familiar with. On repeat viewings, it's easier to appreciate the film on it's own terms and focus on what it is rather than what it isn't, and it's remarkable how well they captured the look and feel of the OT. I wore down the VHS tapes for those three films as a kid, and I grew up with their world and story and characters thoroughly ingrained into my imagination, so any degree of inauthenticity would have at least somewhat sullied Rogue One for me. Instead, it recreated and authentically explored the world of the OT so convincingly that I have no difficulty seeing the events of Rogue One as something that occurred immediately prior to A New Hope, whereas I still have trouble watching the OT in light of the PT, despite also growing up as those films were released. That alone is a triumph.
     
    Sarge, Gigoran Monk and Avnar like this.
  22. Jim Smith

    Jim Smith Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2017


    I'm super-glad that Rogue One is growing on people and people are appreciating it more with each subsequent viewing! :D That really says something about the greatness of the film itself.
     
    PymParticles and Avnar like this.
  23. Gigoran Monk

    Gigoran Monk Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2016
    As I agree with nearly everything you say, it’s great to see this. Welcome to the Rogue One fan club.

    Now we just have to get ThreeDeathstickProblem to rewatch it. :)
     
  24. Big Bad Yoda Daddy

    Big Bad Yoda Daddy Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 8, 2000

    Oh man, I couldn't disagree more. I know it's a matter of taste, but Jyn was just intolerable. She reminds me very much of the angsty teenagers I work with on a daily basis. She has one emotion, one intensity level, and though I've only been able to watch it twice (the third time I just couldn't pay attention,) I just can't figure her motivations out. She doesn't care about the rebellion. She cares about her freedom - ONLY her freedom, until she suspects the rebellion (rightly) of trying to assassinate her father, and then she's on their side? I love Chirrut, Baze, K-2S0, hell, even Bodhi - but it's so hard to slog through when Cassian met Jyn to get those characters. (I don't really like the character of Krennic, but the acting behind him is absolutely fantastic, so he gets a pass. :cool: )

    In TFA, I really like Rey, and Finn, and Poe, and Maz is a new favorite, but I have the added bonus of not having to put up with any characters I can't stand (except for the relatively few times that Threepio pops up) to enjoy them.
     
    11-4D likes this.
  25. Jim Smith

    Jim Smith Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2017


    You know after a lot of people keeps saying that the characters in The Force Awakens has more purpose than the characters in Rogue One I have to call bullcrap. Poe is useless and so is Captain Phasma. Finn is in there because he is the new Lando and he doesn't have really anything to do at all and as common sense dictates the First Order shouldn't even exist. By the way Jyn joins the Rebellion after they try to assassinate her father because she realizes that the Death Star is infinitely more hideous than the Rebellion and she wants to do something to stop the Empire. That should be obvious to anyone watching Rogue One.